Heritage of Wisconsin Firm/Hard Cheeses

Firm, hard cheeses are thought to have originated in Italy with the production of Parmesan and Romano. This family of cheeses reqires long curing times of months or years. Hard cheeses keep well for long periods. Their full flavors range from buttery and nutty to sharp and piquant.

Today, Wisconsin hard cheeses are some of the most flavorful you’ll find. Most are variations on cheesemaking traditions that originated in Italy, resulting in varieties such as Asiago, Aged Parmesan, and Roman. To check out a wide selection of Wisconsin hard cheeses online, go to Wisconsin Cheese Online.

After Purchasing Firm/Hard Cheeses

Keep firm/hard cheeses in their original wrapper and refrigerate until ready to use. Once the original wrapper has been removed, package the cheese in waxed paper or parchment paper and return to refrigerator. Firm/hard cheeses have a very long shelf life and can last up to nine months when stored properly.

Unlike most cheeses, firm/hard cheeses are easiest to cut after they have been brought to room temperature. If the cheese has a wax coating, score it before cutting with a chef’s knife. Try lining your cutting board with plastic wrap to prevent the wax from sticking.

Firm/hard cheeses are often granular, making them great for shredding and shaving. Box graters, rotary graters and cheese shavers work best.

Asiago

Named after a small town in northern Italy. Asiago has a mild flavor and semi-hard texture. In Wisconsin, cheesemakers age Asiago to develop sharper flavors that resemble a cross between Aged Cheddar and Parmesan. Traditionally, the color of wax on Asiago indicates flavor: clear or white suggests mild, brown suggests medium, and black wax suggests aged. Pair with pasta, figs, grapes, apples, pears, dried fruits, balsamic vinegar, Late Harvest Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir or Beaujolais red wines.

Parmesan

Parmesan is the King of Italian cheeses. Parmesan tastes sweet, buttery and nutty compared to the sharper and more piquant flavor of Romano. Wisconsin Parmesan is aged from 10 to 22 months. Pair with pasta, rice, other grain-based dishes, vegetable soups, cream and tomato sauces, grapes, figs, plums, walnuts, balsamic vinegar, red wine such as Barolo, and dessert wine, such as Vin Santo.

Romano Cheese

Wisconsin cheesemakers make Romano with cow’s milk and produce a cheese that, like its Italian counterpart, has slightly more fat and a sharper, more assertive taste than Parmesan. When Italian cheesemakers use sheep’s milk, they call it Pecorino Romano. Pair with apples, pears, tomatoes, olives, pepperoncini, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel or Chianti, and beer.