Skip to main content
Ingredients

Are You Avoiding the Best Piece of Parmesan Cheese? 

That corner hunk of Parmesan cheese you push aside at the supermarket is actually the piece you should be buying.
By Published Jan. 23, 2023

Like many people, I’ve always ignored the corner pieces of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese—in other words, those hunks with two sides of rind.

Instead, I hunt for a chunk with as little rind as possible. I want the largest amount of usable interior. That way, I figure, I’m getting the most for my money from this pricey cheese.

But apparently, I’ve been going about it all wrong. That’s because the corner pieces are actually the very best part of Parmigiano-Reggianno. 

How do I know? The Cook’s Illustrated team conducted a blind taste test that proved it. 

Sign up for the Cook's Insider newsletter

The latest recipes, tips, and tricks, plus behind-the-scenes stories from the Cook's Illustrated team.

We decided to test whether these areas closer to the rind tasted any different from cheese closer to the center. So we took samples from three locations on the same wheel of 18-month-old Parmigiano-Reggiano, and compared them in a blind tasting. 

Tasters were clear in their preferences.

The Rankings

The sample taken from the center of the wheel ranked third and was often described as “clean-tasting,” with a “smoother,” “plasticky” texture. In other words, good but not superlative.

The core sample taken between the middle and the edge landed in second place and was described, fittingly, as “middle-of-the-road” in terms of both flavor and texture. 

But the cheese sample taken from the area closest to the rind earned near-unanimous support for its “nutty,” “complex,” “sharp” flavor and “pleasantly crumbly” texture—and came in first.

Expert Recipes and Techniques

100 Techniques

This book features 100 innovative techniques that will transform your cooking life, paired with more than 200 innovative recipes that put the techniques into real-world, home-kitchen applications.

Why Is the Outside Edge of Real Parmesan Best?

So why is it so tasty? When cheese ages, it undergoes a complex process called proteolysis that affects its texture, melting qualities, and flavor. Proteolysis works from the outside in. 

So the outer portions of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese show more of the telltale signs of advanced aging—a dry, crumbly texture;  a deep, complex flavor; and a high proportion of tyrosine crystals.

An abundance of amino acid crystals correlated with tasters’ preferences. Cheese closest to the rind averaged 20 crystals per 10 grams of cheese, while cheese from the center averaged fewer than 9 crystals per 10 grams.

In the future, don’t be afraid to reach for the corner pieces— if you don't, you’ll actually be passing over the most delicious part of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

And don’t fear the “waste” of an edge. There are plenty of uses for this Parmesan part to add flavor, like simmering in soups or bolstering braises

Let Dan Souza tell you how to buy the best piece of Parmesan cheese.

0 Comments

Try All-Access Membership to Unlock the Comments
Don't miss the conversation. Our test cooks and editors jump in to answer your questions, and our members are curious, opinionated, and respectful.
Membership includes instant access to everything on our sites:
  • 10,000+ foolproof recipes and why they work
  • Taste Tests of supermarket ingredients
  • Equipment Reviews save you money and time
  • Videos including full episodes and clips
  • Live Q&A with Test Kitchen experts
Start Free Trial
JC
JOHN C.
16 days

Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too. I've done this using a rimmed sheet pan instead of a skillet and put veggies and potatoes around the chicken for a one-pan meal. Broccoli gets nicely browned and yummy!

Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too.

MD
MILES D.
JOHN C.
9 days

Amazed this recipe works out as well as it does. Would not have thought that the amount of time under the broiler would have produced a very juicy and favorable chicken with a very crispy crust. Used my 12" Lodge Cast Iron skillet (which can withstand 1000 degree temps to respond to those who wondered if it would work) and it turned out great. A "make again" as my family rates things. This is a great recipe, and I will definitely make it again. My butcher gladly butterflied the chicken for me, therefore I found it to be a fast and easy prep. I used my cast iron skillet- marvellous!

CM
CHARLES M.
11 days

John, wasn't it just amazing chicken? So much better than your typical oven baked chicken and on par if not better than gas or even charcoal grilled. It gets that smokey charcoal tasted and overnight koshering definitely helps, something I do when time permits. First-time I've pierced a whole chicken minus the times I make jerk chicken on the grill. Yup, the cast iron was not an issue.