Parmigiano is very commonly used in Italy. It’s very useful to enhance the taste of many recipes but there is the urban legend that it can be put anywhere. When you watch cooks preparing so-called Italian recipes, they spread it anywhere, like they do with garlic!
IT’S A LIE!!! We use it where it’s needed and just in the required quantity!
For instance, never ever mix it with fish! Don’t say that nobody does it. I saw many “so called” italian cooks and also famous chefs on tv putting cheese, e.g., in pasta with shrimps. NEVER! NE-VER! You’ll ruin both cheese and fish. Should I give you the names of the famous TV cooks that wrongly use cheese? Or do you believe me?
its’a mix that should never be done.
This is another reason why Alfredo (that shouldn’t exist at all!!!!!) shouldn’t be done with shrimps! Do you remember this 😆? https://www.mylittleitaly.it/2018/10/19/commonplace-fettuccine-or-linguine-alfredo/
If you use it properly and not according to the “pizza-mamma-mandolino” chefs that make of us just a grotesque choreography, you’ll see the difference!!!!
Moreover, abroad the famous “Parmesan cheese” sold can also be completely another kind of cheese. It’s not a regulated name as it’s in Italy, so it’s not a guarantee of a coherent product, with a correct taste and the right aging. In Italy it’s produced just in a particular area. It can’t be done anywhere and sold by the same name.
When buying it, please check the label! Don’t trust imitations, and mainly bad imitations! Remember again that abroad it’s not regulated as it’s here in Italy!
I’ll tell you that to make 1 kg of parmigiano, you need 14 litres of milk! The most used aging is over 24 months. It’s a very special product and it deserves to be properly used, matched and valorised!
LOL! Anyway what you say here is true. All Italians chefs on tv (at least they say they are Italian) put parmesan anywhere. I don’t think it’s good on any dish too. I tought I didn’t understand Italian taste but well…maybe I’m more Italian than who tells he is! 😀
I think you are right! 🙂 🙂 go on following your sense of taste which is also a bit Italian even if you have no Italian roots I understand!
I mean, some chefs put Parmesan cheese on crab, on lobster….their Italian blood got diluted during the years!