Although you can buy parmesan from Holland and mozzarella from Denmark, purists say impostors can never capture the taste of the original cheeses, because the milk used comes from animals that graze far away on different grasses, grown in different soil and in a different climate. If you want to taste the real mozzarella or cheddar, make sure it's produced in the country that's famous for it.
France
The world's premier cheese producer, France, has close to 400 different varieties of cheese. Of its hard cheeses, the most famous are: Comte, which has a nutty, full flavour and originates from eastern France; and Beaufort, which has a creamy, fruity taste from the milk of cows grazing in the Alps.
Italy
One of the world's most popular cheeses, Parmigiano Reggiano is made from the best milk from northern Italian provinces. Aged for a minimum of 12 months, Parmigiano Reggiano is a protected name, so parmesan and grana padano are inferior cousins.
Really fresh mozzarella is hard to find in Hong Kong, but, at its best, its delicate, melt-in-the mouth flavour is a delight. It's made in southern Italy from the milk of water buffaloes that were introduced to the country from India in the 16th century.
