Hard Cheeses

Type: hard
Country: England
Name: Lyburn Gold
Description: Lyburn Gold is ripened for about 14 weeks and has a creamy smooth texture with very small holes, eyes, to be seen evenly distributed throughout. In terms of a make, it is a washed curd cheese. Although technically it is a hard cheese, because it has been pressed it is generally described as semi- hard. In terms of the competitions the Lyburn Gold has had another good year. At the British Cheese Awards, held at Cheltenham for the first time, the Lyburn Gold took a Gold in the Export Category and followed that with a Bronze in the Modern British Hard class. Down at the 2005 Bath and West, in Cheddar country, a first and second.

Type: Hard
Country: Argentina
Name: Parmigano Reggiano
Description: Second only to Brazil in area, Argentina is home to endless miles of grazing pastures. Their pasture fed cows produce 5,100 million liters of milk per year! After 50 years of independence, a huge flood of Europeans moved to Argentina due to her open immigration policy. Many Italians came as migrant workers for the harvest season to make their money to return to Italy in the off-season. Other Italians chose to stay. They missed their precious Parmigiano Reggiano, so they began trying their hand at making it locally using traditional Italian methods. Reggianito means little Reggiano because the wheel is reduced to 15 lbs. from the enormous 80 lb. drum the Italians produce. This was done because it was too difficult for the oxen to move the large wheels from the farms outside Buenos Aires into the city. Reggianito is cured longer than any other South American hard cheese, leading to a rich, enhanced flavor. This cheese tastes a little saltier than its namesake, but don't be confused. The white crystals in the cheese are not salt grains, they are crystallized free amino acids. This gives the cheese a lovely grainy texture. Reggianito is perfect for cooking or grating over pasta. If you like Parmigiano Reggiano, give this Argentinian version a try.