Cheese of the Month: Roomano

Just before new year's, I was in NYC visiting a friend of mine when we stopped at Murray's Cheese in Grand Central Station so I could pick out some cheeses for a new year's eve party. I tried several, including one that was definitely the worst cheese I've ever tasted in my life (sorry, I didn't get the name, unfortunately), but I also tried, and eventually bought, one of the best cheeses I've ever had: Roomano.

It's similar in taste to the very popular Gouda-like Parrano which is found in many grocery stores throughout the country now, however, the nuttiness the two cheeses share is considerably more intense in the Roomano.

In terms of consistency, Roomano is a hard cheese and one you probably won't be shredding. And personally I found that it doesn't really lend itself to being put onto anything either. It flakes easily and, since the flavor is so intense, I enjoyed it most when I ate it cut straight off the block.

If you wanted to work it into a dish, you could pop a couple cubes into a food processor and grind it like Parmesan for a pasta or a gratin. I hope to have a good recipe for you by the end of the month using it.

Buy Roomano from: Murray's Cheese, $15.99/lb, sold by the 1/2 lb. Shop's description:

The Roomano, while similar to an aged Gouda is technically from the cheese family ""Proosdy,"" meaning it has lower butterfat than the required 48% for Gouda (this one has 45%), and its edges are noticeably sharper. The production, however, is still quite small: there is a single manufacturer making 600-800 wheels every 3 weeks. Roomano defines the term “flavor-dense.” Sharp and nutty, this 3-4 year aged pasteurized cows' milk has an intense flavor of sweet-salty butterscotch. Generous white patches are visible throughout the granite paste, contributing an assertive crunch in the mouth. Hard to find even in The Netherlands, you’ll need a heavy knife or parmesan coltello (and perhaps some protective goggles) to work your way into this rewarding, cheeselover’s prize.

Region: Friesland (North)
Country: Holland
Type: Hard
Beverage: New World Red, Beer and Spirits
Rennet: Animal
Milk: Pasteurized Cow
Age: 3-4 years