Grana Padano

This very hard cows’ milk cheese from the Po valley in Italy is similar to Parmesan except that it is made with pasteurized milk and is less expensive. Young Grana Padano is pale yellow, moist and mild, and is an ideal dessert cheese. Mature — at about two years old — it has a deeper color, drier texture and a fuller flavor and is generally grated for cooking. The word grana, meaning “grainy”, is applied to various Italian fine-grained hard cheeses. (245)