Red Cow Parmesan

I thought I might take a moment to share something awesome on this lovely Wednesday afternoon. 

Last week when I was out shopping, I spotted Red cow parmesan aka Parmigiano Reggiano Vacche Rosse, which is the king of all parmesan cheese. Up until World War II, Parmigiano Reggiano came from Reggiana cows - they are known for their distinct red coats and they are the original breed of cows native to northern Italy. In recent times they were replaced slowly by plain old black and white cows as they were much more productive and yielded more milk.

By the mid-1980's they were almost completely gone, borderline extinct. Recently, there has been a spike in the usage of these red cows once again - only in very small family-run productions has this Reggiana breed had the chance to start making a comeback.

Why is this cheese so dang special you ask? 

The milk from red cows has higher butterfat content and more proteins which means that the cheese ends up tasting creamier (even though it is usually aged longer than regular parm, 30 months versus 24), with intense nuttiness and grass notes. 

It runs about $40 per pound but I promise you it is well worth it!! Grab yourself a little chunk and make sure to eat it unprocessed and alone - so you can enjoy it's wonderful depth of flavor. 

When looking for it - you will notice that it has a deeper straw-like color than your regular pale Parmesan Reggiano. You will also notice two labels stamped on the rind of the cheese wheel: "Reggiana Breed" and "Vacche Rosse".

Anyone else a fan out there? Who's tried it?