½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Hi Susan, it depends on what sort of cheese sauce you'd like to make and what you are using it for. A semi-aged Asiago might be good, while Grana Padano always adds a good cheesey hit to a besciamella type sauce. Blues can be great too - try adding some Gorgonzola piccante blended with a little cream to make a wonderful sauce to have over gnocchi. Experiment and let us know what you come up with.

Marc

Hello SusanP,

There's a hard cheese variation on Provolone called Caciocavallo. It's a smooth smoky cheese made from a mixture of cow's and goat's or sheep's milk, which develops a sharp flavor and that becomes sharper as it matures. I like a sharp cheddar and I really like the flavor of this one too.

[QUOTE=Susan P]Can anyone recommend a good hard cheese to make sauces i.e. cheddar type, that can be bought in Italy.

I've tried Emmenthal (is that how it's spelt?) and don't like it. Have also tried Fontina which is better, but still not ideal.[/QUOTE]

Any Pecerino Fresca

Parmesan is the ½ûÂþÌìÌà cheddar

toma - hardish and taleggio - softish - are interesting cheeses for cooking - both from cow's milk both just under 50% fat content. Buon appetito.

Cor, thanks everyone for the advice. I'll enjoy trying out all of those (for different dishes) and I'll let you know.

I just talked to a friend who knows much more about cheese than I do. I asked him your question and he suggests you try a Bra duro.