We were up at 5am today in order to catch the bus for our two field trips. We drove to Parma, which is about 2-2 1/2 hours from here. Rosanna came with us. Aside from the large trucks, I think everyone who drives on the Autostrada thinks they drive a Porsche! One of the students asked if the red signs with numbers in the middle were speed limit signs and was told that these were more like suggestions! This would appear to be true, watching how people drive, lol (our own Kim had our minivan up over 90 miles an hour!).
Our first stop was the cheese factory where they make Parmigiano-Reggiano. The factory is owned by three farmers, who are a part of a larger consortium called the Consrzio del Formaggii Parmigiano-Reggiano. Their motto is "Never manufactured, always handmade". In the land between the Po River and the Apennine Mtn, Parmigiano-Reggiano was born if ancient roots. During the Middle Ages, Benedictine monks began aging large blocks of cheese. Steeped in ancient history and tradition, this cheese owes it's value to the cooperation between the producer of the milk, the cheese maker who transforms it and the ager who refines it. Some 270,000 cows produce the milk that goes into making Parmigiano-Reggiano. They are milked twice a day and their milk is taken to the cheese house within two hours of each milking. The milk is produced by cows fed according to strict regulations that require the use of grasses grown only in the place of origin and natural vegetable feed. In the feed given to the dairy cows the following are forbidden: any kind of silage or tormented food and food of animal origin or any by-product of the food industry. Milk from the evening milking is held in holding basins. The separation of the cream takes place naturally overnight. The morning milk is delivered the morning if the milking. It takes about 600 liters (158.5 gallons) of milk to make one wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano. The milk from the evening milking, partly skimmed thru natural separation of the cream, is poured into the Copper cauldrons where it is mixed with whole milk from the morning milking. After warming the milk in the copper cauldron, natural whey starter is added. It is a culture of natural lactic ferments obtained from the cheese-making process of the day before. Next, rennet, a natural enzyme from the stomach of suckling calves, is added. It causes the milk to cuddle. The cuddled milk is broken down into small granules with a huge balloon whisk called a "spino". The next step is cooking. The heat is skillfully controlled by the master cheese maker to expel water from the granules. Once the heat is shut off, the granules sink to the bottom of the cauldron, forming a compact mass. The cheese mass is then lifted from the bottom of the cauldron and divided into two parts. Each part is placed in a special mold called a "cascara", where it rests for 2-3 days. The cheese is then marked with the marks of origin- which stamp the words Parmigiano-Reggiano in a repeating pin dot pattern along with the identifying number of the cheese and the month and year of production and a casein disc is applied to the top
surface which contains a unique alphanumeric code used to identify each cheese wheel individually. The cheese is then immersed in brine (a solution of water and natural salt) for about 20 days to allow the absorption of the salt needed to flavor the cheese and permit it's long aging. At the end of the salting process, the cheese wheel is ready to be aged. The aging process continues for 24 mo the or more, during which time the cheese develops it's fragrance, texture and digestibility. At the end of the minimum aging (12 months) each and every wheel is inspected. An expert evaluates the appearance, structure and characteristics if the cheese. The certification mark is applied only to the wheels that pass inspection. This mark is then branded into the surface rind. Two by-products if this process are ricotta cheese (which is not actually a cheese) and whey- which is fed to the pigs in this district that are used to make Proscuitto de Parma and culatello.
Our next stop was Antica Corte Pallavicina, to see how culatello is made. This is an old castle situated on the banks of the Po River. It was built in the 1400s by the Pallvicino marquesses and converted into a farm in the 1700s. It is here that the culatello is made from white and black pigs. Culatello is a delicately flavored ham and us Italuan for "little rump". Culatello is considered a delicacy among cured meats and is taken from the upper part of the pig's hind leg. The salting mixture contains only salt, whole and cracked peppercorns, a bit of garlic and dry white wine. The fresh ham must be tightly tied with string to ensure that no air bubbles get trapped inside. As the curing process takes place, the string becomes looser. The cured meat is then aged anywhere from 15 to 36 months. It is so good that many people reserve their meat ahead of time. People such as Armani and Prince Charles!
Once we finished our second tour, we were taken to the Spigaroli family restaurant and given a lunch if cured meats and sausages as well as cheese ravioli in a butter sauce and pasta gnocchi in a tomato meat sauce. Dessert was hazelnut semi-feed and a strawberry torta. Molti benne!
After this, the long ride back to our Hotel on the bus. I think we will all sleep well tonight!
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