Day 6
Monday. My last full day in Parma. The time has really flown by. I had to set my alarm for this morning, because I was going on a food tour. I needed to be at the meet-up point at 9:30 a.m. When planning my trip I had investigated several types of similar tours. In reading the promos, the one offered by Maestro Travel Experiences seemed like the most in-depth, though the “Tasty Bus” moniker was rather silly. (Italians have a fondness for dropping little bits of English into publicity. I am not sure why.) I also liked that no pre-payment was due until 48 hours before the day of the tour. I liked having the option to change my mind. I was, at best, ambivalent about this kind of tour, because I assumed that I knew quite enough about Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, prosciutto and balsamic vinegar. My ambivalence was reinforced, when I received a message from the company on Thursday, that there were no other takers for the tour on Monday (today), but they were still willing to do the tour for one - me. I wrote back and said that I would have to think about it, which I did. In the end, I decided to go for it. The weather forecast for Monday was lousy, most museums and restaurants were closed and I would get to see something of the surrounding countryside.
I reached the meeting point and saw a black mini-van waiting. As I
approached, the young woman in the passenger seat rolled down the window and
asked, “Paul?” “Yes, that’s me.” She introduced herself as Marika (she is the
one who had been in touch) and she got out of the van to greet me. Since we
were not waiting for anyone else, I got in and we set off. As we headed out of
the city, Marika, told me a bit about herself. She was not originally from
Parma, but from a town close to Milan. She was a student at the University of
Parma studying Gastronomic Science (a broad subject embracing almost any aspect
of food culture.) She enjoyed helping people appreciate better the food culture
of Parma. I had a sense that she would be a very good guide. As I looked out
the window, I realized that we were taking essentially the same route that I had
with Antonia on Thursday. When I saw the signs for Langhirano, I knew that I
was right.
Our first stop was the Caseficio Basilica Nova, where authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano is made. It was not a very large place; and, as Marika explained, it was still a family-run production. We donned our sanitary gear and entered the room where the cheese comes into existence. We arrived just as two workers were extracting large bundles of curds from a kettle. I was allowed to taste the very raw product, which, honestly, did not have much taste at all.
Without explaining every step of the process, it is extraordinary how this basic milk product evolves into one of the most prestigious cheeses in the world. Of the facts that I learned here, I think the most interesting one was about the salt used in the curing process. Originally, the salt used in the production of Parmigiano-Reggiano only came from the town of Salsomaggiore, where saline water issues from a thermal spring. There the water was collected, dried and the salt gathered. In the late 20th century, regulations permitted salt from the town of Cervia as an acceptable salt for the production of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Who knew? After the tour, we were treated to a taste of Parmigiano of four different ages - 12 months, 24 months, 36 months and 40 months. The difference is incredible. We also tasted a caciotta (fresh milk cheese) and some panna cotta (yummy!) I will now be sure to try to find the age before purchasing any cheese here in the States.
After Parmigiano-Reggiano, the next stop product was prosciutto. As we headed towards our destination, Marika pointed out the castle of Torrechiara, which Antonia had tried to show me. This time, however, I could actually see the castle!
The Castle of Torrechiara
As we got closer, Marika explained that most of the prosciutto di Parma was actually produced in the town of Langhirano. To simplify matters, however, the prosciutto of this region is called ‘di Parma’. Like Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto must meet rigorous standards to be called prosciutto di Parma. Perhaps the most interesting feature of this ham is that it spends a certain amount of time exposed to the air via open windows. The producers maintain that exposure to air coming in from the sea imparts to their prosciutto its particular flavor. As a result, prosciutto factories are clearly recognizable because of their distinctive windows on the upper floors. What amazed me the most was the fact that the local people figured all this out centuries ago without the benefit of modern science. Perhaps the greatest difference between the past and now is the shear volume. At the Conti plant that we visited, they prepare over 400 prosciutto a day. In addition, Conti produces another cured meat called ‘culatello’ prepared using the buttock muscle of the cow. At the tasting following the tour, I was amazed at the flavor of this meat. I almost think it was better than the prosciutto. I’ll have to go back to do another taste test!
Crossing the Parma, we headed back across the river Parma towards our final destination to explore balsamic vinegar. First, however, it was time for lunch. I was excited when we pulled off the road into the parking area of “Osteria la Maestà”.
Osteria a Maestà
There were quite a few work vehicles in the lot. That boded well. If workers frequent the place, you can rest assured that food will be excellent and the prices reasonable. The tour company obviously has an arrangement with this place, because all the staff knew Marika and greeted her warmly. She went into the kitchen to greet the ‘padrona’. The waiter quickly brought us water and wine and then our antipasti - a wedge of squash tart and piece of ‘erbazzone’, a kind of vegetable pie. Both were delicious. Then a plate with two types of pasta appeared - the ubiquitous tortelli di erbette and fettucine in a kind of brown sauce that I learned was actually radicchio. Again, simple but great. A few pieces of fruit torte and coffee completed the meal. This was the kind of restaurant and the kind of food, which make me love Italy so much. I was sorry to have to leave!
Now it was time for balsamic vinegar - the last of the holy trinity of Emilia-Romagna - Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto di Parma and balsamic vinegar. We arrived at the door of “Acetaia Picci” in the town of Cavirago and rang the bell. The door was opened by a giant of a man, whom Marika introduced to me as ‘Marco’, the proprietor. He let Marika take me on the tour unaccompanied and she explained the traditional process of making true balsamic vinegar. Again, I was struck how the process for creating balsamic vinegar was worked out centuries ago, again, without the benefit of modern science. It is too involved to describe in detail, but suffice it to say, it is quite elaborate. Also, it takes a minimum of twelve years to produce authentic balsamic vinegar. Marika explained that almost no one makes a living producing this authentic vinegar. Individuals and families do it as a passion, but not to make a living. It simply is too time consuming and labor-intensive to be profitable. At the end of the tour, Marco offered a tasting of his balsamic vinegar at various stages of maturation. The transformation of this nectar over time is nothing if not incredible. We finished by having some pastry cream drizzled with 25-year old balsamic vinegar. I could have died a happy death right then and there.
So we climbed back into the van and began to head back to Parma. It had been a great day and I was so happy that I had decided to take this tour. Marika and Massimo (the driver) were chatting and I was texting. At a certain point, Marika exclaimed, “It’s snowing!” and sure enough, it was. Big flakes of snow mixed with the rain. I hadn’t expected this! When we reached the drop off point, they offered to drive me to the apartment, but I declined. I told them that I wanted to see how the residents of Parma reacted to a little snow, since they were already dressed like eskimos because of the cold. This got a big laugh! We said our good-byes and I set off into the city.
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