| One of the most wonderful things about panini is | | | | nutty. An interesting rule of thumb is that the |
| how versatile they can be. Far from being a | | | | larger the holes are, in general, the more |
| sandwich that can only be created several ways, | | | | pronounced the flavor of the cheese. |
| just about any sort of ingredient can be used in. | | | | Up next we have Havarti cheese. This is a |
| This is most evident when selecting cheese panini | | | | smooth, yellow- or cream-colored cheese that, |
| recipes - so many sorts of cheese can be used in | | | | unlike Emmental or Swiss cheese, has very small |
| them. | | | | holes. Its flavor is buttery and the sweetness can |
| As a matter of fact, panini is so versatile that | | | | vary from brand to brand, or with age as well. It |
| practically any sort of cheese can be used in one! | | | | can be slightly acidic, too. Interestingly, if you |
| That said, however, some kinds make a better | | | | leave it out in a room-temperature area, it can |
| match than others. For the benefit of those who | | | | soften rather fast, so take note of this if you'd |
| need to know, here are some of the more | | | | like to use it in your panini. |
| popular cheeses for use in these terrific | | | | And then there's Asiago cheese, which can be a |
| sandwiches. | | | | good substitute for the somewhat better-known |
| First up is provolone. This is a smooth-skinned, | | | | romano and parmesan cheeses. Fresh Asiago |
| semi-hard cheese that is made with whole cow's | | | | cheese is on the whole smooth, but as it ages it |
| milk. It's produced mainly in the Po River area of | | | | becomes more apt to crumble; aged Asiago |
| Italy. The flavor of provolone can vary greatly; | | | | cheese can taste very similar to Parmesan, and |
| you can choose between piquant or | | | | you might be surprised to find some crunchy bits |
| sharp-flavored varieties to sweet-flavored, much | | | | in it thanks to the buildup of a certain amino acid |
| milder sorts, and there are many kinds that fall in | | | | called tyrosine (nothing wrong with this crunch |
| between those two extremes. | | | | though). |
| Next is Swiss cheese, which can refer to either | | | | Those are some of the most popular varieties of |
| Emmental or Emmentaler cheese (a yellow | | | | cheese that you can use in your cheese panini |
| cheese which is medium-hard and which comes | | | | recipes. I'll leave you with a rule of thumb |
| with those characteristic large holes), or several | | | | regarding selecting cheese - use those sorts of |
| kinds of cheese that are all very similar to | | | | cheeses that melt well and which can serve as a |
| Emmental cheese. Emmental cheese can be mild | | | | 'glue' to hold the rest of the sandwich together. |
| to piquant in flavor, albeit not all that sharp, | | | | Enjoy! |
| whereas the Swiss cheeses are bittersweet and | | | | |