FAQs

Q: I gave my boss a piece of this wonderful cheese called “Grana Padano” and then his wife brought him a cold-cut sandwich for lunch. Is there anything wrong with eating the meat sandwich immediately after the cheese?

A: The general rule is that after eating a “standard” cheese, one may eat meat after rinsing their mouth, eating something pareve, and checking their hands to be sure there is no cheese residue (Shulchan Aruch YD 89:2). However, Rema rules that after eating a “hard cheese” one must wait 6 hours before eating meat, and Shach 89:15 clarifies that cheeses which are aged for 6 months are classified as “hard cheese”. Grana Padano cheese is a variation of parmesan cheese produced in a specific region of Italy (see http://bit.ly/f30TYk), and since such cheeses are generally aged much longer than 6 months your boss will have to wait 6 hours before eating his meat sandwich.