Alpine grating wheel

The long-aged end of the family. Dry enough to grate, with the crystals that come of protein breaking down over years.

MilkCow

TextureHard

RegionHigh alpine valleys

Aging18–36 months

What to look for

Crunch that dissolves, not grit that stays. A soapy finish means it was aged damp.

Cooked curd pressed into a large wheel; a second fermentation opens round eyes as it warms in the cellar.

A hard sheep wheel made to be grated over food rather than eaten in a wedge. Salt-forward by design.