Will be soon in CM, Bkk and Pattaya.

Would like to buy good quality parmesan. Ideally somewhere they'll vacuum pack a chunk for me. Any suggestion where I'll get the best deal?

Top Floor Emporium, Central Chidlom, Galleria basement....like buying gold, and make sure its parm regg, look at the seals on the pack or stamps on the outside. I like to use a micro plane and shave it on salads, use the local variety of parm from foodland for use in sauces or on bolognese. etc, a waste of good parm regg unless you like burning money.

Thanks for the Bkk shops cited.

How and for how long do you get to keep the parmesan? (I'll want to take back a chunk home - not too much nor too little.)

Apart from just eating it by itself with a glass of red wine, I grate parmesan on risotto and spaghetti (don't like the pre-grated stuff). And for this latter purpose, what's the "local" type at Foodland you mention? Local as in Thai? Or non-Reggiano italian?

Local as in Thai. You can get both that and the real Reggiano in practically all (Farang) supermarkets in Pattaya, about 300B for a 150G block vac pack.

Edited November 22, 200718 yr by Phil Conners

Only thing I'll add is make sure you are getting real certified Parm Regg for the price. Over the years I know it's been mis marked, perhaps accidently or otherwise.

Check here or other places to see some of the seals that are used on the rinds. If I don't see a rind that has a portion of a seal or some sort of original marking and the sellers label says Parm Regg, I don't buy it.

http://www.parmaitaly.com/parmigianok.html

Very hard cheese like parm last a long time in the fridge, found one small piece in the back of ours that was probably 6 months old, still good.

Hint...don't throw out the rinds, use them when you make stock, chicken, beef, whatever.

Edited November 22, 200718 yr by LtLOS

Thanks for the responses. I'm now ready for my fortnight's trip starting next week.

Anyone ever seen cheese marked as 'unpasteurized' ? I haven't, and believe Thai laws require pasteurization. Some imported stuff might squeak through, though. I never eat the pasteurized muck.