Grantrento, or the other other grating cheese

Quick! List off for me all of the grating cheeses that you know!

.

.

.

.

.

.

If you said ‘parmesan’…. I’m not mad I’m just disappointed. 

If you said 'gouda'... ... ... I actually am mad. Also disappointed. 
If you said ‘Parmigiano Reggiano’, ‘Grana Padano’, or ‘Pecorino Romano’, then you probably like a little bit of pasta with your cheese.

.

.

Others? 

.

.

Yes, apart from some brave newcomers these three have classically had a pretty handy corner on the market. I didn’t even know to look for today’s cheese, Grantrento, in fact we stumbled upon it when we popped into a dairy on our last trip to Italy. Nestled in the Val de Non in the mountains of northern Italy, surrounded by dramatic canyons, vineyards and apple orchards, one finds this little gem. Grantrento. Looks like a grating cheese. Smells like a grating cheese. Made like a grating cheese. But can it hold its own??

Origin: Trentino, Italy

Rennet: animal

Milk: Cow, unpasteurized

Affinage: 12 months or more

Notes:

This would to me be an argument for always going into every local dairy you come by and just having a go at whatever they’re selling. 

Thoughts:

In comparison to your more well known King of Cheese, Grantento is rather more peppery and less salty. A charming crunch and well balanced fattiness makes this a winner by itself or as a garnish. Towards the end you get notes of baked mushrooms and the raw milk tang is pleasantly present in every bite. It is not a replacement for King Parm, but after eating it on pasta and cheese boards for a few months in different constellations I would happily stock it in the Functioning Cheese Refrigerator. If only because it meant I got to keep on visiting Italy to buy more! 

Not a bad place to grow apples and make cheese! So many apples. Much more apple than cheese. That's why the valley is known as the Big Apple.  Land of 1000 Valleys. Valley of 1000 Lands.