You see, because it's Italian, a cow's milk cheese, tastes similar to Parmigiano but is younger and you've probably never heard of it.
Again I'm stretching the acceptable boundaries of metaphors, but I'll stand by it.
This is another cheese coming from the fertile Veneto region of Italy, taking its name from the Piave River Valley in which it's made. Piave Vecchio is flavor-packed and, though it is a pasteurized-milk cheese unlike "King Parm", it is delectable and well worth tracking down.
Origin: Veneto, Italy
Milk: Cow, pasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: 12-14 months
Notes: The name is pressed repeatedly into the rind, and if you're looking for a softer and milder version look for Piave with a blue label, I'll stick to the older red label "vecchio" variety.
Thoughts: This cheese, though dry, is surprisingly sweet, so much so that the flavor carries throughout the bite and almost drowns out the nutty savoryness. Almost but not quite. The texture is similar to a younger parmesan and it is about as creamy, and notes of fruit play alongside delightful crunch of the aged paste. This cheese has serious flavor and flavor, texture, and creaminess balance nicely to produce a versatile and potent cheese that's as at home grated over pasta as it is as a table cheese. Italy never ceases to amaze me with the depth and beauty it draws out of cow's milk, and Piave is as good an example as any of just that.
Caution
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