# Cheeses that are nuttier/stronger than parmesan? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 28, 2015, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheeses-that-are-nuttier-stronger-than-parmesan/711082 "2015-01-28T05:26:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oedipus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Oedipus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oedipus)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheeses-that-are-nuttier-stronger-than-parmesan/711082/1 "2015-01-28T05:26:13Z")
Confession - I totally love Parmesan. I don’t have a ton of cheese experience but I love the nuttiness and how strong it is. I’m not a large fan of the center-back of the tongue taste of Bleu and Brie isn’t exciting for me to eat as a small snack, but I love love some Parmesan. However, I want to expand my taste and find something stronger and better. Should I just get a really really good Parmesan and threaten with crucifixion those who dare to grate it up into powder over pizza? Or is there a different cheese that’s like it but way better? I’ve become a fan of really old Gouda too (which is nutty and similar) but I’m still in the market for opinions. (Also, general cheese loving thread) ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheeses-that-are-nuttier-stronger-than-parmesan/711082/2 "2015-01-28T08:12:14Z")
Aged English cheddar has a nutty quality. Montgomery’s clothbound cheddar is excellent. This type of cheddar is different from American cheddars: it’s earthier, nuttier and more crumbly. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheeses-that-are-nuttier-stronger-than-parmesan/711082/3 "2015-01-28T08:34:07Z")
If you like old Gouda, you’ll like old Amsterdam and old Bruges. They all have this nutty, almost fruity quality that you describe. ---
**Author:** ![Saturn\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Saturn\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saturn_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheeses-that-are-nuttier-stronger-than-parmesan/711082/4 "2015-01-28T09:00:51Z")
Extra-vieille Mimolette and 36-months aged Gouda are my favourite hard, nutty cheeses. ---
**Author:** ![RiCu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@RiCu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiCu)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheeses-that-are-nuttier-stronger-than-parmesan/711082/5 "2015-01-28T09:30:19Z")
My snack cheese is a good Grana Padano. It’s a lot like parmesan (which I also love), maybe a bit less strong, but smoother and a bit more refined. Give it a go. ---
**Author:** ![eulalia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eulalia/32/457_2.png) [@eulalia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eulalia)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheeses-that-are-nuttier-stronger-than-parmesan/711082/6 "2015-01-28T11:29:18Z")
Have you tried Gruyere? ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheeses-that-are-nuttier-stronger-than-parmesan/711082/7 "2015-01-28T13:02:10Z")
A well-aged Pecorino Romano is at least as nutty and strong as Parmigiano Reggiano, but I find it too salty for snacking out of hand. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheeses-that-are-nuttier-stronger-than-parmesan/711082/8 "2015-01-28T13:18:01Z")
Have you tried smoked Gouda? A little more complex than plain Gouda. Also Trader Joe’s has a double cream Gouda which is delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheeses-that-are-nuttier-stronger-than-parmesan/711082/9 "2015-01-28T14:12:08Z")
Aged Provolone would be a good bet. Really, any good-quality hard cheese would be worth a try; they almost all have the qualities you say you enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheeses-that-are-nuttier-stronger-than-parmesan/711082/10 "2015-01-28T15:27:38Z")
Bella Vitano, especially with the espresso or merlot rind.One of our go to charcuterie cheeses. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheeses-that-are-nuttier-stronger-than-parmesan/711082/11 "2015-01-28T16:08:49Z")
> [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](#): > > If you like old Gouda, you’ll like old Amsterdam and old Bruges. They all have this nutty, almost fruity quality that you describe. I was going to suggest aged Gouda as well. Anything in the 5-7 year range is pretty nutty and what I might describe as having raisin-like fruit flavors. One of my favorite cheeses. (On preview: But I see the OP has already mentioned it.) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheeses-that-are-nuttier-stronger-than-parmesan/711082/12 "2015-01-28T16:46:49Z")
I agree with aged provolone, pecorino romano and bella vitano. I know there’s actually a mass-market aged provolone that’s awesome: Belgioioso. The other two are much better from specialty vendors. ---
**Author:** ![Lars\_Aruns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Lars\_Aruns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lars_Aruns)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheeses-that-are-nuttier-stronger-than-parmesan/711082/13 "2015-01-28T23:12:13Z")
I also agree with pecorino and provolone. Proper Roman Pecorino is excellent for snacking, stronger in flavour than Parmigiano (I’m _never_ going to call it “Parmesan”, for Pete’s sake), much stronger than cheddars. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheeses-that-are-nuttier-stronger-than-parmesan/711082/14 "2015-01-29T01:05:55Z")
Asiago, if you’re serious about it. Aged Asiago, if you’re really serious about it. Good Pecorino romano has this quality, but from 1½–2 times as much as Parmesan. In Italy I encountered an extra-greasy variety of Pecorino full of whole peppercorns, which was served to me as a slab on a plate for dessert(!). As for Parmesan grated onto pizza, of course I do. It forms the perfect browned crispy top surface. Nothing else browns as perfectly as freshly-grated Parmesan. If you like to snack on nutty Parmesan, you absolutely must try _frico_—lacy, crispy pan-fried wafers made of Parmesan grated into long elegant strands. The essence of crispy-browned Parmesan toppings for other dishes, isolated into a delicate creation all its own.