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​I love cheese with an enthusiasm I used to bring to wine before I got sober.  

I didn’t grow up with a strong love for food, and my parents didn’t love to cook or to eat. We’re Irish-American, so they didn’t grow up with heritage dishes, either. I think the primary cheese used in my house when I was growing up was a Kraft single, followed by shelf-stable “Parmesan” that we called ‘sprinkle cheese’. 

But I moved to the Midwest for college and visited Madison, Wisconsin for a football game. Cheese central, or close to it, in the country! And then of course these past few years it’s been all charcuterie and cheese boards, all the time. 

This post is a little off the beaten track for this blog, but it’s going to lay out something that I was researching recently and couldn’t find a straight answer for. I wanted to know the relationship between parmesan cheese, Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, and American Grana. You’d think there would just be an article out there, but it turns out there isn’t. 

So, me being me, it went from trying to set up a themed cheese board for PTA night to like three hours of research and this blog post.

What they all have in common:

All of these cheeses are a sharp, dry, salty cheese with a granular texture. They’re going to follow a profile so delicious they call it the “king of cheese”! 

Parmesan-type cheeses are undeniably popular — nearly a quarter of the milk in Italy is used to produce it! And it’s a mainstay of cocktail parties in the United States as well. But what’s the difference between all the types?

How they get broken down into what they’re called depends on where they’re made and how long they’re aged.

Italian Parmesan vs lowercase-p parmesan 

Okay, so let’s start with this distinction. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is a specific type of cheese made in a specific area of Italy. The production of Parmigiano Reggiano can only happen in either Parma or Reggio Emilia within Italy. If it wasn’t made there, you can’t legally call it Parmesan in the European Union. 

It’s similar to how champagne can only be called champagne if it comes from the Champagne region of France — otherwise it’s prosecco or sparkling wine or whatever. It’s called a protected designation of origin. It’s almost like a copyright in the EU, but for these ancient artisanal practices from these areas. 

So, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is made from a mix of whole milk and skim milk, resulting in a lower fat content and a drier texture. It’s aged for twelve months in wheels. This cheese is typically grated over a dish, where its pronounced, complex flavor speaks for itself. 

Outside of the EU, though, we use parmesan as a generic term to refer to Parmesan-style cheese. Any hard, dry, salty cheese is likely to be referred to as parmesan. But, there are subtypes!

Let’s take a look at them.

What is American Grana cheese?

Probably what you googled to get here! 

American Grana is a grana-style cheese made in the United States! People ask if it’s “real Parmigiano Reggiano” and, technically no, because it wasn’t made in the provinces of Parma or Reggio Emilia. But It is made in the same way and will have a very similar taste and texture to parmesan products. You can think of it as “American Parmesan”, made by American producers. There are super widely available brands like Belgioso’s American Grana that you can get in the grocery store, but it’s also worth trying a local variety if you can find one!

​What is Grana Padano?

Another one of the Italian cheeses! Grana Padano is an aged cheese from another protected origin. Grana Padano comes from a larger area that spans Northern Italy. Officially, it has to be made in the Po River Valley in order to be called Grana Padano cheese. 

Compared to Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano is distinctly softer and creamier. You’ll get less of a pronounced sharpness. This cheese incorporates better into dishes while they’re still being cooked as opposed to being grated on top. 

Though people are more likely to know the name Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano is actually a more popular product, and grana cheeses are the best-selling PDO cheese in the world! This is probably because is tis less expensive than authentic Parmigiano Reggiano out of Italy. 

​What is Pecorino Romano?

​Pecorino as a category means that a cheese is made of sheeps’ milk! And Pecorino Romano is a specific sheep’s milk cheese from the production area around Rome. It is more creamy than the cow’s milk cheese options listed above because sheep’s milk tends to have more fat. As the cheese ages, it becomes drier, crumblier, and better for grating. 

Pecorino Romano is typically what’s used for cacio e pepe! 

How do I know which one to use in a dish? 

Honestly, to huge segment of the population, they are interchangeable. 

But with that said, if you are learning about cheese or want to develop your palate to know the difference, here’s a rough guide from a non-expert:

• Grating over a dish: Parmigiano Reggio if you’re willing to pay for it; American Grana if you’re not.
• Cacio e pepe: ​Pecorino Romano, for richness.
• Alfredo sauce: ​Grana Padano for this use!
• Risotto: ​I will typically use American Grana for this for cost reasons.
• Grated into a salad: American Grana, for cost and texture reasons. I like those large flat grated pieces for this use!
• Any application where you are most trying to add earthiness: ​Pecorino
• Any application where you are most trying to add saltiness: ​Parmigiano Reggiano
• Cheese board: ​I don’t really like the mass-produced American Grana for this, though I’m very open to trying a local one. I’ll opt for something Italian here every time. 

​All of these are ideal options — but realistically I am a busy mom stressed out of her mind half the time, and I’m gonna use what’s in the fridge. 

​Anyway…I googled this recently and now it’s here for the next person who googles it! 🙂