Some people love to absolutely pile on the parmesan whenever they have a pasta dish. But, it appears a lot of people aren't actually aware of what it's made from.
Certain former lovers of the cheese say they'll never touch it again. One horrified woman went as far as to say that she would “go full vegan” after learning that Parmesan isn't actually vegetarian, Lancashire Live reports.
A recent post on social media alerted many people to the strange ingredient, which it's clear that many were completely unaware of. Others were also unaware that the cheese is made with a meat product, according to Leicestershire Live.
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The hard Italian cheese contains rennet, which is an enzyme found in the lining of mammal stomachs which helps young animals digest their mothers' milk. Parmesan production generally uses rennet from young cows, sheep and goats.
It is an essential ingredient in traditional Parmesan, but as it means animals have to be killed, it is unsuitable for vegetarians the Mirror reports. A woman going by 'D' on Twitter wrote: “Today years old when I found out Parmesan cheese is made from baby cow's stomach and I could go cry. I'm just gonna have to go full vegan at this point.”
Other social media users were then sent into a frenzy, with many saying they didn't want to eat the cheese again now they know what's in it. ValVal wrote: “I did not know. This makes me very sad . I like Parmesan but don’t think I can ever eat it again.”
CloudCOWBOY replied: “Wow I had never heard that! Dairy is scary fr [for real].” And Marlene added: “That's the LAST time I buy this!”
The original poster then responded: “I feel violated.” Other commenters pointed out that there are several other types of cheese that use rennet, including Manchego, Gruyere, Gorgonzola, and Camembert.
However, veggie cheese lovers will be happy to know that classic Cheddar does not contain rennet, and not dies Feta, Mozzarella or Wensleydale. There are also vegetarian and vegan versions of Parmesan now available.
If you buy something called Parmigiano-Reggiano, then it will be a traditional cheese that is highly regulated and must contain calf rennet. But other types of Parmesan may be veggie – it is always worth checking the ingredients.
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