I've learned the hard way to be careful heeding other's advice on this light food forum: wink

As said by phat last May:

Quote:
...buy a brined cheese such as parmigiano reggiano - (real parmesan cheese in a block) it's expensive, but delicious, and basically keeps "forever." I typically take a hunk of Parmigiano Reggiano... it's usually a larger chunk I take and chop little bits off with my knife at a break; it's quite good for hiking.


After that description, I knew I had to try some on my hike today on the Indian Creek Trail, what is now (temporarily) the new start of the Colorado Trail outside of Denver. So my hiking buddy and I stopped at my local cheese shop to get some before the hike this morning. The new kid working there couldn't find the special knives to "break" the wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano, and since phat said it "keeps 'forever'", I ended up buying the whole wheel.


My 92-pound wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano, aged two years in Northern Italy

We were in a hurry at the trailhead, which is now the Colorado Trail's start since Waterton Canyon is closed for dredging the reservoir providing Denver's water supply until at least 2012. I didn't have time to attack the hard-rind wheel of cheese with my machete to get a chunk off, so I decided to carry it with me on the trail. It was ANYTHING BUT LIGHT!



I found it too big and heavy to bungee on my back, so the only way I was able to carry it was in Atlas-fashion on my shoulder, trying not to shrug.


At the Indian Creek Trailhead, Pike Nat'l Forest, Feb. 17, "new" start of the Colorado Trail -- I could probably consume this if I went all the way to Durango. And if I did consume it all, I'd probably be the first one to do the entire CT and leave no trace.


On the Indian Creek Trail #800, hiking buddy JJ Smith, who took the cheesee pix.

Besides its weight, the Parmigiano-Reggiano wheel has a most odiforous, yet wonderful smell. It literally sweats an oil through the rind that has a sharp, complex fruity/nutty smell with a strong umami flavor. This strong cheese aroma of the wheel, when carried on the trail, acted like a magnet in attracting wildlife to our path.


Cranes surround me near the frozen marshlands near the South Platte River. Carrying that stinky cheese wheel had me thinking I was Noah heading back to the ark; I believe I brought some bears out of hibernation.

BTW, I carried that thing all the way back to the trailhead after attacking it at lunch with my machete to no avail. I'm lucky I didn't break the blade on that rind.

phat, there must be an easier way to do this. Next time I'm taking a plastic bottle of grated Kraft parmesan.




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- kevon

(avatar: raptor, Lake Dillon)