Why is parmesan not suitable for vegetarians

Which cheeses are not vegetarian? Parmesan cheese is never vegetarian. Cheeses from a specific location need to follow a consistent recipe to be recognised as having specific names. In the case of Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Parmesan cheese, this means always using animal rennet. Grana Padano Roquefort Gorgonzola.

You can substitute blue cheese with alternatives such as vegetarian Dolcelatte. Why are some cheeses not vegetarian? The traditional source of animal rennet is the stomach lining of calves. The lining contains chysomin, a naturally occurring enzyme, which helps digestion and milk absorption. The enzyme is extracted from the stomach lining of the slaughtered calf, by washing and drying the lining.

It is then softened in a solution of brine, or boric acid, for four-to-five days, before being ready to use. It's nothing new; parmesan has had Protected Designation of Origin status since It was a trip to Pizza Express which eventually enlightened me.

The vegetable-laden Fiorentina pizza sounded right up my street — spinach, free range egg and glorious shavings of parmesan — but the "V" was notable by its absence; the menu stated that vegetarian diners should ask for it without the cheese. Despite spending an inordinate amount of time scouring the backs of sweet packets for gelatine, I'd completely overlooked the fact that parmesan, by its nature, is not vegetarian.

But then, it seems, so have many chefs. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall caused controversy among clued-up veggies last year by including parmesan in his first vegetarian cookbook, River Cottage Veg Every Day! Publisher Bloomsbury are on another print run now due to its success, I should add, rather than a few irate comments on the River Cottage forums , but apparently this time without the errors.

Alongside eggs and milk, cheese is a useful way for non-meat eaters to easily ensure they're still getting a certain amount of protein in their diets, all without as much of the guilt that may accompany the eating of actual animals.

Well, as it turns out, not every cheese is created equal, in the sense that not every cheese is technically vegetarian. If you're a vegetarian who's a big fan of pasta, caesar salads, or general Italian cooking, I hope you're sitting down as you read this: Parmesan cheese isn't vegetarian. Great question. In this case, it has to do with the use of something called rennet, which is pretty crucial to the Parmesano-Reggiano production process.

Rennet is usually taken from the fourth stomach of a relatively young grazing animal like calves, goats, or lambs. That stomach is prized for its concentration of an enzyme called chymosin, which gradually loses its potency over time as grass replaces milk in that animal's diet. Traditionally, getting that rennet has meant slicing the stomachs of young calves into little pieces dropped into salt water or whey, with something acidic like wine or vinegar used to help draw out the enzymes.

Once that solution's filtered out, it can coagulate a significantly larger quantity of milk. But it isn't just Parmesan alone that uses animal rennet to activate the cheesemaking process.

Other popular hard and soft cheeses such as Grana Padano and Gorgonzola are made using animal rennet, as is Gruyere, Manchego, Pecorino Romano, Camembert, and Boucheron.

So before you dig into that fancy cheese plate at the office Christmas party, you may want to take a second to think about just exactly what it is you are spreading on that water cracker. Then feel free to shake your fist at the sky in hunger and rage.