I know I should wait at least a year for a Parmesan, but after 10 months, I could no longer contain my (im)patience. My excuse is that I have two other Parmesans that will come up on their anniversary in the next few months.
The moment of truth . . .
The paste is very dense, only a bit crumbly, and (as I discovered later) so dense that it wasn't easy to grate!
But, you ask, how did it taste?
Pretty good. More lactic/sour than I would have wished for (probably because of my impatience), but with definite tastes of the sweet/nutty flavor, and the gritty texture of a Parmesan. The paste next to the rind is milder, and the rind itself is nearly impossible to chew through, so that's definitely Parmesan-y.
It's no Parmigiano-Reggiano, but my slight disappointment just makes me look forward to what t'other two will be like in a few months, and I think I'll leave one of them for 18 months.
Tomorrow this will get the acid test in a spaghetti carbonara, but tonight I used it on a salad:
Chayote, Tomato and Corn Salad in a Cider Vinaigrette:
Yum!
-L
