Reddit reviews Italian Grana Padano - 1 Pound + Free Membrillo - Quince Paste - 1 container, 14 oz by Carmen & Lola
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2 x 0.5 LB Piece Cut From Whole WheelDelicious imported Italian cheeseHas a unique and grainy consistency
I know you said online, but cheese is one of the last food items I'd want to buy online. I also know you said you weren't close to a big city, but you should be able to find good parmesan in smaller-than-big cities. Even in most larger-than-small cities, I'd hope.
In any case (even if you do buy your cheese online) the easiest thing is to look for one of two specific kinds of parmesan: Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano. They are both made in Italy to particular specifications and they are both truly excellent.
You will find plenty of places selling Reggiano online, and at least a few selling Grana Padano too. If you buy online, however, you get the piece that somebody else picked out for you, instead of the one you picked out for yourself.
Both of these excellent cheeses are delicious right up to the rind, but (like most round foods) they are at their very most delicious in the center. A small crumble from the center of a freshly-cut wheel of Regiano is my very favorite cheese I've ever tasted.
When I sold cheese, I used to cut Reggiano in wedges, to distribute the rind among as many pieces as possible The wedges from the top and bottom of the wheel always sold well (maybe because they looked sort of like a piece of pie?) but those would be my last choice.
My first choice would be a piece with the lowest rind-to-center ratio. You can only find those by going out to the store and looking for them, though.
My local, non-big city chain grocery store doesn't sell Grana Padano, but it always has Reggiano for a regular price of $19/pound. A half a pound of Reggiano (or Grana Padano) will go a lot further than $8.50 worth of that Kraft cardboard-in-a-can crap would. But even if you buy some other domestic parmesan (Bel Gioso doesn't suck) at least buy a chunk of it and grate it yourself.
Try the Babylon Cheese Cellar
EDIT: TIL you can order cheese off Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Grana-Padano-Aged-Over-months/dp/B000ZV7CWI