A passion for Parma
15:06:2010Two of my most favourite foods are Parmesan and Parma ham. Both must be produced, by law, within the Emilia-Romagna region, close to the attractive city of Parma. So it was without question that I hit the road and headed directly for it.
The countryside surrounding the city is dotted with medieval castles, vineyards, orchards and grazing pastures, making the journey very pleasant indeed. I had called ahead to arrange visits to makers of both Parma ham and Parmesan – something that anyone can do via the contacts in the address book below.
Whilst south of Parma I visited Langhirano, one of the most famous areas of production for Prosciutto di Parma. It is here that fresh pork legs are salted and left to hang from racks in vast rooms with large windows. These windows are thrown open when the conditions are just right, and it is this part of the process, where the hams are surrounded by aromatic, humid local air, that many think gives Parma ham its unique characteristics. I arrived as the small town was bathed in afternoon sunlight, with a sweet-smelling breeze in the air – I can understand why such clean country ozone would produce such great hams, and more importantly such high-quality, happy pigs to start off with!
After being lavished with care and attention in dark cellars for a minimum of 12 months, the hams are tested for quality in a most curious fashion. By smell. Inserting a small piece of horse bone into five critical points, an expert nose will ascertain if the ham is good enough to be a true Prosciutto di Parma. Those that pass are destined for the finest stores and restaurants around the world, and of course locally in the many Salumeria.
If you’re salivating from the moment you emerge from the cellars as I was, then visit Mr Gardoni (details below). His shop is set in a pretty little village between Langhirano and Parma, under the protective battlements of a medieval castle. What Mr Gardoni doesn’t know about prosciutto, salami and Parmesan isn’t worth knowing!
Parma itself is a very attractive town – once one of the most affluent in the whole of Italy. It still boasts numerous designer shops; grand, historical buildings; and beautiful Piazza. There are also multiple galleries and exhibitions, and the Opera house is considered a close rival to La Scala.
The following morning I visited Bruno Monica, a master cheesemaker who has been handcrafting Parmesan all his life.
I arrived at 7.30am as the last of the morning’s milk was delivered from one of 12 local farms – Bruno and his team had been up since 5am, as they are every morning, 365 days a year.
The milk was poured into vast, copper-lined vats where it joined the results from the previous evening’s milking. This evening milk had been resting overnight and its fat partially skimmed. Refreshingly not a thing is wasted. The skimmed fat goes to a local butter maker, and after the Parmesan is made, the whey is re-cooked and the coagulated solids put into moulds to make ricotta. Any extra whey is used to feed Bruno’s pigs for making into hams and salamis.
Watch some of the process here.
It’s such a joy to see these products being lovingly crafted, still largely by hand, with techniques that are hundreds of years old, passed on from generation to generation, and being continued without question now by the next generation. The work is hard and laborious, but there’s a real sense of responsibility to the land – ‘the cow’s need to be milked twice a day, every day, so we must be here making cheese every day.’ Bruno had his first ever holiday just two years ago!
The new cheese is rested before being soaked in a saltwater bath. Then they are stacked high on wooden shelving, turned frequently, and their quality checked by means of sound – tapping that produces a hollow note suggests that something is wrong in the cheese.
Now I know about the years of expertise, time, and commitment that go into making these extraordinary products, I will never quibble over the price of a pack of Prosciutto di Parma, or Parmigiano-reggiano again.
Address book:
For a free tour of a Parmesan factory, or for more information contact:
Consorzio del formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano – email: sezionepr@parmigiano-reggiano.it
For information on the city of Parma: www.turismo.comune.parma
For the rest of the region (castles, festivals, gastronomic events etc.): www.turismo.parma.it
For information about Parma ham: www.prosciuttodiparma.com
To buy the best quality, authentic Proscuitto di Parma near Langhirano visit: Gardoni Salumeria (pictured), Portici della Piazza Leoni 5, Torrechiara di Langhirano
For more photos from my trip click here.
- Category:
- Food, Italy, Modena, Parma, Sights & Travel
COMMENTS
lyn
05:08:2010 at 5.52pmi hoped there wd be recipes
linda farnworth
05:08:2010 at 7.00pmwow, we have just enjoyed our diner and with football being on tv i have justlooked at the bertoli website. how it makes you think of holidays and food past. our favourite is parma ham wrapped round chicken roasted and sprinkled with parmessan. roll on the holidays. all the best. linda.x
kelly walker
06:08:2010 at 7.52amcompletely jealous!!
so interesting parma ham looks amazing, my mouths watering just watching
allan crockett
06:08:2010 at 11.10amthis is also very good if you can enjoy a orange or apple or some mixed nuts as a side salad as with every one of the any soft or hard cheese .
Katie
06:08:2010 at 6.57pmHi Linda thanks for your message – I love your parma ham and chicken idea. I do a version of this with monk fish too (without the parmesan) it tastes great. Best wishes Katie
Katie
06:08:2010 at 7.00pmHi Lyn thanks for your message – I agree with you! I’m going to be adding some little serving suggestions and quick recipes to the blog to give you a taste of each place I visit from now on. Thanks Katie
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