The first stop was to the Parmigiano Reggiano factory, which was incredible. We took a tour through the factory, watched the master cheese maker take the whey from the previous fays cheese, and start a new batch for today. A little history, this cheese has been made for over 8-- years, and the process has changed very little. It is truly an exact science, and the techniques were like watching hands of magic. The important part that sets this cheese apart from other varieties, such as parmesean cheese, is the cows are raised in Parma, the feed that is fed to the cows is grown in Parma, and the only way this cheese can be called Reggiano is because of this local process. We stood in the warehouse room where the cheese is aged, shelves stacked floor to ceiling with rounds of cheese weighing up to 90 pounds each. They are checked very regularly with specific tools to check the aging process and make sure nothing is going wrong with the cheese.
The second stop was in the town of Parma, we walked around for an hour or so, had some lunch and wandered though a chocolate festival that was going on this weekend. I tasted some yummy treats!
Back on the bus, we were on our way to Modena. Here, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar is made. It is a rather simple process, but the aging time is very long! The vinegar sits for a minimum of 6 years, and there really is no maximum. We tasted 6 year old white balsamic, made from white grapes, 12 year old Traditional and 25 year old Traditional. All I needed was some fresh strawberries and vanilla gelato to go with the balsamic and it would have been heaven.
Next weekend we are off to Rome, for a hopefully sight-filled and INEXPENSIVE trip around the city!
Love you you- Ciao Bella
1 comment:
How very fun!! All the talk about cheese and wine and vinegars makes my mouth water. Wish you could ship it all back home.
Glad to hear you're feeling better!!
Love
Ann Marie & Malyn
Post a Comment