Buzz
Grated cheese, whether it's freshly sliced from the block or scooped from a bag, plays a key role in many dishes. The sharp teeth of a grater turn it from a solid into airy, delicate parmesan or piles of cheddar that instantly melt when they touch something hot.
But why stop with cheese? Many foods can be grated into soft, cloud-like textures, or shredded to make them melt faster. Plus, grating an egg yolk is a party trick that's sure to impress. Here are five other foods that are just as fun to grate.
Egg yolks
Grating butter and eggs brings a similar sense of satisfaction as grating cheese. While egg yolks aren't dairy, immersing them in a mix of salt and sugar creates an almost dairy-like experience. The curing mixture draws out moisture, flavoring the yolk and turning it into a firm, bright orange disc with a deep, salty umami. After a week in the fridge, the yolks will be firm enough to grate. Simply remove them from the mixture, wipe off the excess with a paper towel, and start grating. You don't need much inspiration for serving, as egg yolk complements anything. Personally, I enjoy grating it on avocado toast, salad, pasta, popcorn, and as a garnish for extra yolky deviled eggs. If you'd top a dish with grated parmesan, there's a good chance grated egg yolk will do the trick.
Butter
On the other hand, grating butter is just practical. We all strive to have room-temperature butter ready to go, but we’ve all experienced the struggle of needing butter but only having it cold. If you find yourself with hard butter and a dish that requires softened butter, don’t worry—grate it. Grating makes butter soft and easy to incorporate into recipes or spread on toast without tearing your bread or ruining your baked goods.
Tomatoes, chili peppers, and raw garlic
One of my least favorite sandwich mishaps is the dreaded tomato slip: You take a bite, and the slick tomato slice slips out of your sandwich and lands in your lap. However, grated tomatoes don’t have this problem. That's why I love grating them on breakfast sandwiches and small tomato toasts. When grated, tomatoes act like a spread, sticking to the bread and mingling with the other ingredients instead of just sitting there, ready to escape.
Frozen chili peppers also grate really well. Freezing them firms them up, and you can then microplane just the right amount of spice for your dish. The finely grated pepper melts into the food, spreading the heat and flavor evenly throughout, unlike large slices or chunks that sit on top.
Grated garlic adds heat and an incredibly intense, raw flavor. Mytour’s A.A. Newton discovered this trick while battling a cold. While it didn’t cure her completely, it did help clear her sinuses for a while—and made everything she ate taste better. “Everything from homemade chicken stock to instant miso to an ancient pack of kimchi ramen instantly became more savory, with just enough of a raw garlic bite to (temporarily) clear my sinuses,” she wrote. (You don’t have to be sick to appreciate raw grated garlic; try grating a clove into your marinara just before serving and witness its magic.)
Dried mushrooms and jerky
Truffles tend to steal the spotlight. While they do have a delicious flavor, their steep cost makes them unattainable for many. Personally, I lean toward a more budget-friendly option like dried shiitake mushrooms, which are packed with a rich, savory taste. You can finely grate them with a microplane over soft scrambled eggs, then continue grating and sprinkle the powder on a hearty bowl of popcorn. Once you try these simple uses, your imagination will surely find even more creative ways to enjoy them.
Dried meat also deserves more attention. Jerky, whether beef or another variety, can be finely grated and sprinkled over salads, pasta, mashed potatoes, or anything you might usually top with grated cheese. Much like Parmesan, it will bring a burst of saltiness and umami, but with the added benefit of more protein (and it gives your salad a meaty boost).
Apples
I don't typically eat oatmeal, but Allie enjoys it. Her twist on overnight oats, inspired by a traditional 'Bircher muesli' recipe, incorporates raw apple slices mixed into the oats and your choice of liquid. This creates a delicious, fruity breakfast that adds an extra serving of fruit to your morning routine. (At the very least, it'll leave you feeling just a bit smug as you start your day.)
