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Substitute For Parmesan Cheese

Parmesan cheese is a unique food that is dry and hard. It is originated in Italy and makes a great addition to most meals. Whether you are making pizza, pasta or any other food, parmesan cheese adds an excellent touch.

Substitutes for Parmesan Cheese you may have in your Kitchen!

The unique thing about Parmesan is that it takes between 18 and 36 months to age. Only a small number of cheese manufacturers make parmesan cheese because it takes too long to mature and get ready for consumption.

However, it is readily available in most stores. The only drawback is that it is more expensive than most types of cheese. If you do not have parmesan cheese or the money to buy it, you can use other alternatives.

They bring out your recipe out perfectly and most people cannot tell you did not use parmesan cheese. Here are some of the alternatives that you can use without worry of messing your recipe. All of these are cheeses similar to Parmesan in many ways.

Dry Jack

Dry Jack is sharp and quite hard cheese with a nice nutty flavor. The cheese is between 7 and 10 months. If it is older than this, the taste is more intense. It is mostly served with pasta and wine, but can also be used with various salads. Dry Jack is an excellent sub for Parmesan.

Sap Sago cheese

Sap Sago (often misspelled Sapsago) replaces the parmesan cheese perfectly. It is low in fat and derived from cow’s milk. The milk is skimmed and the end product has a lime green color. The taste is spicy with a pungent smell that flavors your food deliciously. This cheese is difficult to find, and there is an excellent Swiss brand available from Amazon (we call is Sapsago Amazon):

Le Superbe Sap Sago Cheese - Swiss Schabziger Fat Free Cheese - Case of 30 pcs x 3.17 oz
  • Fat Free Cheese
  • Traditional Swiss Schabziger
  • Ancient recipe dates from the 8th century
  • Full Case of 30 x 3.17oz Tubs
  • Unit count type: Ounce

Pecorino Romano

If you are on a tight budget and cannot buy Parmesan cheese, go for Pecorino Romano.it is a product of sheep’s milk and has more fat than cheese made from cow’s milk.

Pecorino is a lot more salty and sharper than the taste you get from Parmesan.

Use it in little amounts because it can easily change the taste of your food way too much if you use same amount you would with Parmesan.

Substitute for Parmesan Cheese
Pecorino Romano is a great substitute for Parmesan and also readily available

Grana Padano

Grana Padano is another cheese from Italy. It is actually available in specific areas in Italy. It is affordable and a product made by most manufacturers in Italy.

This cheese is a product of cow’s milk and comes with a milder taste. It is also not particularly salty.

The cheese has a delicious nutty flavor, which is almost similar to the Parmesan cheese and less crumbly. This cheese is easy to mix in sauces and other foods like pasta because it’s soft.

Asiago

This type of cheese is versatile and can be used in various recipes where Parmesan cheese is required. It’s a cow’s milk product with a flavor that resembles that of Parmesan though it’s creamier and nuttier.

If left for nine months, Asiago cheese develops a very sharp flavor. It can be used to make pizza, salad, pasta or eaten alone.

Piave

Piave is an Italian cheese made from the cow’s milk. It is quite similar to Parmesan cheese and an excellent substitute. It has to be aged one year and quite different from parmesan that is between 18 and 36 months. 

The cheese has a well-developed taste, which is tad sweet, but its overall texture is quite creamier. It is ideal for roasting vegetables, pastas and toasts.

Manchego

Manchego is a firm cheese with yellow color. It is Spanish and made specifically in La Mancha. This cheese is aged from 60 days up to two years.

The cheese is a product of Manchega sheep milk and has a naturally fruity and nutty flavor similar to what you get from Parmesan cheese.

This recipe is ideal as an alternative for Parmesan and also works perfectly with dishes that include eggs.

Reggianito

This another cheese derived from cow’s milk. It is made within six months and its origin is Argentina, but a creation by one Italian farmer who moved to the country. 

Reggianito is much smaller than the Parmesan cheese. But this cheese comes with a delicious mild fruity flavor and nice smooth texture, which makes it an excellent replacement for Parmesan cheese.

You now have learned the different types of cheese available to replace parmesan cheese. You shouldn’t be too worried if you don’t have parmesan in your kitchen.

Go for these readily available options, they are great and no one should be able to tell your recipe doesn’t have Parmesan cheese. .

Last update on 2023-11-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API