by James Werrell

I used to think that all Parmesan cheese came in a shiny green container with a spout on top. The label did say "Parmesan cheese," but what came out of the box was a vaguely orange, really salty, slightly funky powder that we poured onto piles of spaghetti or stirred into a variety of Italian-style casseroles.

Until relatively recently, that's what most Americans thought Parmesan cheese was. Italian-Americans might have used something else at home, but most of the old homestyle Italian restaurants with the checkered tablecloths and the candle in a Chianti bottle usually offered a bowl of the granular Parmesan to sprinkle at will over pizza or pasta.

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Source: http://www.heraldonline.com/