We deliberately picked Parma for the next portion of our trip for the gastronomic opportunites from the area: Parma ham, Parmiggiano-Regiano cheese and Balsalmico de Modena vinegar. These were all foods that A. could eat without having to worry about her dietary issues.
Our first adventure was a day long food tour with a guide and driver. While not cheap, it was a worthwhile investment to have someone to knowledgeably explain the process as well as provide access to family run places that wouldn’t normally be open to tourists.
The guide picked us up at 8 am and we drove immediately to the cheese factory. After gearing up, we entered the factory as the cheese master and his team of four were slowly warming the milk that had arrived that morning in large copper vats. The cheese master walked between the cauldrons looking at the thermometer and testing the texture of the milk with his hand.
At a certain point, the milk started to come together in little grains and the workers started to use giant wisks to facilitate the process. Then, the milk needed to rest to allow further coagulation.
As the milk rested, we looked around the rest of the factory where the cheese rounds were slightly dried, then salt bathed, stamped and tested for quality. The oldest rounds would stay for up to 30 months, making a sharp-flavoured, slightly crumbly cheese.
The consortium of Parmesan cheese producers send inspectors to every factory with a special hammer to test the quality of the cheese. Based on the sound the cheese makes after bein hit with a hammer, the inspector can tell if there are any internal cracks that would make the cheese wheel second quality (still good but generally used for grated Parmesan or discount chains).
We then returned to the main room where workers used wooden paddles to lift up the ball of cheese that formed at the bottom of the cauldrons. The base of the cauldrons are actually below the floor and end in a slight point. Then, the workers used layered cheese cloth to suspend the cheese balls and drain the liquid out before cutting them in half and putting them in molds for salting and drying.
Then, we had the chance to sample three types of Parmesan: 12 months, 24 months and 30 months. They were all delicious and unanimously our family preferred the oldest cheese.
Then we hopped back in the car and drove to the Parma ham factory, another smaller family run enterprise. On the way there, we stopped for a photo in front of Torrechiara castle. Apparently, this castle was the site of a torrid love affair between one of the Dukes of the area and a local woman (who happened to be already married to someone else).
We arrived at the ham factory and watched the large pork legs being salted and hung to dry. A team of workers then rub a paste of lard and salt onto the exposed part of the ham by the bone.
And then, they hang. And hang. Usually for at least a year and even longer.
Then, we went for a delicious lunch at a local vineyard. We had the entire restaurant to ourselves as it was a Monday afternoon. We started with a generous appetizer of Parma ham and other cured meats, as well as Parmesan cheese. Then fresh pasta (mushroom risotto for A.), followed with home baked cakes and fresh fruit. The food went well with the local sparkling wine and A. and D. also had the chance to sample some of the vineyard’s red and white. We also enjoyed talking more to our guide and learning about the region and her background.
After lunch, we made our way to a traditional acetaia, or vinegar “loft”. The acetaia originally was started by a chef who wanted quality basalmic vinegar for his restaurant. Two generations later it is still going strong!
The number of barrels indicates how many years the balsalmic has been fermenting. The more barrels, the longer the time. The barrels are in different shapes and different wood types, each providing a different impact on the flavour profile of the vinegar.
Each barrel has a hole on the top, covered by a muslin cloth. As the liquid in a barrel concentrates, the balsalmic maker decants an amount into sequentially smaller barrels. The final barrels are the smallest, with the oldest and most concentrated balsalmic.
We sampled a range of balsalmic, from very young (a year old) to incredible old (over 30 years). We even got to compare the taste of the plain, old balsalmic and the same on fresh custard. Quite a difference! The acetaia even exported their vinegar to Canada.
Having someone else do all the driving meant that we could concentrate on the scenery and talking with our guide rather than navigating. The area we travelled through was very pretty, with rolling hills and poppy fields. We returned home, stuffed with delicious food and with a better understanding of how some of our favourite food is made.
We enjoyed the rest of our time in Parma. It is a very walkable city and our apartment was close to the centre via a short walk through the city’s main park. The park had a large pond in its middle with giant carp and turtles which we liked to watch swim around.
We visited the Palazzo della Pilotta, which is a collection of museums and the Teatro Farnese. The theatre is amazing with an intricately carved wooden stage and interior. It is a hug space and was built to welcome dignitaries to Parma.
We also visited the National Gallery of Parma, with some impressive sculptures and historical art. We even took a quick tour through the Archealogical Museum where we saw Egyptian mummies beside Greek and Roman statues. We were there in the afternoon when prices are half price. Unfortunately, it is also when they close the part of the museum with the da Vinci paintings we had wanted to see!
Our apartment was very comfortable and the first time we needed to use air conditioning. The weather in Parma truly felt like our first taste of summer. Our Airbnb host even provided A. with the best coffee of our trip – Nespresso Roma!
We also got caught up in the latest global toy fad when the kids bought their first fidget spinners. The spinners helped to keep them occupied when the internet at our Airbnb stopped working due to the global malware attack that disrupted the internet service provider.
Next stop – Florence!