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Day 17, Thursday, May 29
See the pictures from the previous blog, Jim jumped the gun on posting the pictures from our day, he was on a meat and cheese high!
This is our first full day in the area and it has been reserved for a full-day food tour to see how Parmesan cheese, prosciutto, and balsamic vinegar is made. The email we had received advised us to meet our personal guide at a restaurant just off the Autostrada in Parma but the instructions were not very clear so we left a little early just in case. There are three exits for Parma and our instructions were to exit off the Autostrada in Parma and look for a particular restaurant and wait in the parking lot for our guide. We decided to split the different and take the middle exit and to our amazement we found the restaurant and a parking spot. After waiting for 15 minutes our guide, Elena arrived and introduced herself.
Our first stop was a Parmesan cheese factory just across the Autostrada from our meeting place. This factory is considered one of the larger of the 180 Parmesan cheese factories in
the area. There are certain criteria that must be met by a cheese factory to be considered a parmesanio-reggionio cheese. A consortium is responsible to make sure the product each factory produces meets the standards to be called Parmesan-Reggiano.
Before we could enter the factory we had to put on plastic overcoats, hairnets, and shoe covers. All was fine until Jim tried to put on the shoe covers. There must not be too many big foot Italians because he had a hard time making the covers fit his size 12 shoes. He ripped the first pair trying to get them to fit. All our guide could do was laugh as she mentioned big Americans. She had to get a second set so that he could try it again. Hopefully Jim won’t have to buy shoes here.
The process to make the cheese is labor intensive and mostly done by hand. We were able to witness the complete process of breaking up the curd, draining the whey and draining the young cheese in cloth, and then forming in wooden rings to begin shaping of the typical Parmesan shape. Once the cheese is put in the
wooden molds it stays there for a day and then is put into a stainless steel mold with a plastic liner that put the distinctive writing on the side of each cheese. After a week in the steel molds it is put into a salt bath for a month. Then the cheese is stored in the aging room for 12 to 24 months. The different ages are called different names and the older the cheese the more it costs. Each wheel must weigh between 36 to 42 kilos and is inspected when it reaches maturity by an inspector from the consortium before it can be stamped as official Parmesan-Reggiano cheese.
As we entered the aging room we were both amazed by the amount of cheese in the room. Stacks and stacks and rows of cheese filled two large aging rooms. Each cheese must be turned and brushed ever so often to keep its shape and keep dust and mold to a minimum. This used to be done by hand but now done by an automated machine. After the tour we tasted some of the cheese and it is nothing like what we get back home. Even though
we enjoy the cheese we get at home, this is very good – we mean very, very good.
We followed our guide to the next stop, the prosciutto factory, and as luck would have it fresh pork legs were being delivered. There is a small crew that works at the factory and the fresh legs were being trimmed before getting a salt treatment that lasts about 30 days. The salt is then removed and the legs are then aged in a second room for 2 months before going to the aging room. Once they arrive in the aging room a mixture of lard and rice flour is applied to the exposed raw meat, the rest still has the skin of the pig to protect it from drying out too quickly. In the aging room the legs hang for at least another 13 months before they can be certified Prosciutto de Parma. Again an inspector from another consortium checks each ham with a sharpened horse bone by sticking the bone into five distinct areas of the ham and then smells the bone to make sure the ham is not spoiled and meets the designated standards. The aroma in
the aging room is a combination of sweet, salty, humid, moldy, but very pleasant.
Our next stop was a local winery not far from the prosciutto factory where we tasted three wines, two grappas, and were served a very nice lunch. Our first course was a plate of five cured meats, Prosciutto de Parma, Culletto, Salami, Pancetta, and Coppa. This was served with a white sparkling wine called Malvasia Forte Rigoni, made with Malvasia grapes. The second course was a huge chunk of Parmesan cheese served with sparkling Claudia Rose Spumante made with Chardonnay and Pinot grapes. The third course was raviolis filled with ricotta and spinach served with Marcello Lambrusco that is made only with Lambrusco grapes, another sparkling wine but with a deep ruby red color and very tasty. This wine won best honors at a recent wine competition in London. Dessert was cheesecake bites with a Lambrusco jelly layer on top. What really made this lunch special is we were seated at an outdoor table overlooking the vineyards and the valley beyond. This was another highlight of our trip.
Our guide said good-bye and it was time to drive south to
Chicco, Jim's little helper
Actually he was just begging for food.Modena to meet up with the owner of a balsamic vinegar producer. Again we were given instructions to pull off the Autostrada and park next to a restaurant but this time we had to call the owner to come meet us. Once we arrived at the estate we officially met the owner and he gave us a personal tour of the facility and did a great job explaining the difference between what we know as balsamic vinegar and traditional balsamic vinegar. Traditional balsamic vinegar uses only must from grapes (no wine vinegar) and takes 12 years. The wine must starts in large barrels and each year is moved to smaller barrels. The smallest barrel is 10 liters and he only takes one liter from that barrel to sell each year. The small barrel is then topped off with vinegar from the next largest barrel with one liter and so on for the larger barrels. As we tasted all the different vinegars he produces it was easy to tell he has passion about his product and loves to educate others on how the product is made. We even tasted a 25 year old balsamic that was amazing. To finish off the
tour he left for a moment and returned with two small cups filled with ice cream and then poured balsamic over the top, a wonderful combination of sweet and sour.
Day 18, Friday, May 30
Today we went into Salsomaggiore to explore the town and see what it offers. It just so happened it was market day and as we walked through. Most of the items for sale were clothes and household wares. However around the perimeter of the market were trucks with amazing canopy systems that covered a much larger footprint than just the truck. These trucks were selling fried foods, vegetables, cheeses, cured meats, and fresh meats. Unlike at home customers are not allowed to touch the fresh fruits and vegetables. The custom is to tell the person running the stall what you want and when you will eat it and they will fill your order. Jim was so tempted to buy cheese and cured meats but since our days in Italy are getting short there is no way we could eat it all. The sad part is no cured meats are allowed into the U.S., cheese is OK but our experiences
from the past is customs asks a lot of questions when you come back to the U.S. with five pounds of cheese. This is what we did when we returned from Spain.
The rest of the day we walked around among the locals and had a beer in a couple of the cafes with outdoor seating. Every afternoon between about 1:00 PM and 3:30 PM all the stores close for the afternoon except for the bars and some cafes. Since we did not have Internet connection at the farm stay we searched for an internet connection and the only spot we found was next to a parking lot with an open connection. Jim took our laptop and sat on a bench to post our blog, so from this point forward this is now called the “blog bench”. After posting the blog we headed back to our farm stay and had a couple of beers and Jim grilled burgers on the outdoor grill.
Yesterday the kitty visited and today a small little dog with bent ears. He runs up to us and checks out whether we have food. Since he has a collar we believe he belongs
to the owners but are not sure. Jim checks his collar and his name is Chico. He sticks by Jim’s side the entire time he BBQs. We bring the food back to the apartment and he politely sits outside our door waiting until we are done and then does the “big eye” look and we relent and give him a few scraps. Tomorrow we go to Parma to eat our way through the city.
Day 19, Saturday, May 31
When we woke up the weather was nasty to say the least as it was raining, windy, and a little cold. Jim turned on the TV and looked for a weather report, which of course was in Italian, but there was a little sun symbol over the city of Parma. So we waited until about 11:00 AM and asked our friendly GPS to get us there. In northern Italy there is a north-south road called the Via Emilia that was originally built by the Romans and it runs parallel to the Autostrada and does not require payment of a toll. As luck would have it the GPS took us right in
to the city center and we found a parking lot, (parcheggio in Italian). We followed the crowd and within about a 10 block walk we found ourselves in the center of Parma. After a stop at the Tourist Information office and getting a map we were on our way to see the Farnese Theater which is inside an old castle and built entirely of wood built in the 1400’s. Unfortunately it was heavily damaged by allied bombings in 1942 but later rebuilt from 1956 to the early 60’s. As we entered it was nothing like we expected. Since there were only four other tourists in the theater we felt we had the space to ourselves. The stage was very big and slanted from the rear to the front to give the illusion that it was larger than it is.
The city center of Parma is a pedestrian zone so Lisa was very happy not having to worry about some crazy Italian driver running her over. It was not long before we came an open market just closing up so we found a small pizza shop offering thick crust pizza so we ordered a slice and a couple of beers. Now it was time for a Gelato so we found a small shop and even though we each ordered a small cone we had to select three flavors. Lisa was hoping they had a salted caramel choice and they did. After enjoying our Gelato Jim spotted a nice looking salumeria and had to go in. One of the guys behind the counter could speak a little English and Jim ordered 200 grams of prosciutto crudo, about 7 ounces. But before he filled our order he sliced two large slices and put them on a paddle and offered them to us to try. Lisa had a little taste and gave the rest to Jim and of course he did not complain. Prosciutto in Parma is not salty and is somewhat sweet. It is amazing what is done with tasty pig parts in this part of the world.
It was time to leave Parma so Jim suggested we go back to a brewery we passed on our food tour but as we arrived it was closed. So we took the back roads back to Salsomaggiore. The farm stay opens their restaurant only on Saturday nights so we decided to check in to see what was on the menu otherwise we would go back into town for dinner.
The husband and wife that run the farm stay do not speak any English and Jim speaks very limited Italian. Through a series of words and hand gestures we made a reservation for 8:30 PM for dinner. A fixed menu including antipasti, first and second courses, water, wine, coffee, and dessert all for 25 Euros per person. We went back to our room and had a Manhattan before dinner, (actually we had two but who is counting). Once in the dining room we were welcomed and sat at our table. Both the husband and wife said a lot of Italian to us but all we could do is smile and look like we knew what they said. Jim understood when they asked if we wanted red or white wine and that was about it. The first plate was sliced sausage encased in a crispy bread loaf. Next was fried polenta topped with blue cheese. Then came the salumi plate with prosciutto, culatta, coppa, pancetta, and salami served with a fried bread that was crispy and savory. Next was raviolis filled with ricotta cheese and spinach with a butter sauce. At this point both of us were getting full but the wife then brought out gnocchi with sausage gravy that was amazing. At this point we both looked at each other and said if there is any more we are both going to burst. Next was roasted pork loin served with roasted potatoes seasoned with rosemary. Then the dessert cart came out with semmifreddi, panecotta, and a berry tart. At this point we were both starting to feel uncomfortable, as we have eaten way too much. As we got up to leave we were not allowed to leave until we each had a shot of limoncello just to settle our stomach. As we hobbled back to our room we both said we are not going to eat the next day. Everything on the menu was outstanding and the whole meal lasted over two hours.
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Max
non-member comment
So sorry
I'm trying very, very hard to feel sorry for you as you hobble back to your room, toting your stomachs in your hands after yet another fabulous feast--NOT!! Keep having fun for us!