Emilia Romagna – Deep Red Cellar

Parmigiano Reggiano – The King of Cheese!

A couple years ago I traveled to the Emilia Romagna region in central Italy to visit a Parmigiano Reggiano factory. I fell in love with Parmigiano Reggiano well before this trip. I don’t remember when exactly but know that I have never looked back on the days when I used to spend hard earned money on “shaky cheese” as my college roommate called it. You know the stuff, it came in the green container and was all the rage when our parents were preparing homemade pasta sauce that we destroyed by shaking this artificial concoction all over – such a waste.

My visit took me to Collecchio – Montecoppe Cheese Farm, a medium sized factory, but as is the case of many companies in Italy seemed quite small compared to “companies” in America. The rule of lengthy, highly skilled training for most gastronomic professions in Italy was definitely true for the training involved to become a master cheese-maker. They are trained approximately 10 years before they are considered a professional. The workers are focused, buff and passionate about what they do. Collecchio – Montecoppe produces about 12 wheels of cheese a day using approximately 600 liters of Italian cow’s milk. The cows get milked once at night and once in the morning. These two milkings produce what is referred to as a “lot” of cheese. I went to see the cows grazing in their pasture and they seemed quite content munching on their diet of fresh grass and hay.

In the factory, Montecoppe begins with a starter much like a sour dough starter. They use very large copper lined cauldrons which are partially buried in the ground so the workers are at waist height when working with the cheese. About 2 teaspoons of cow rennet is placed in the cauldron. Besides causing the cheese to curdle, the rennet is bacteria that eats the proteins and turns into enzymes. The result is teeny little crystals – if you’ve been lucky enough to taste these crystals you are among the fortunate to have eaten very fresh cheese as the crystals go away in time.

After the rennet is added, the workers pull the cheese to the side of the cauldron with a large wooden paddle. To lift the cheese out of the cauldron a burlap cloth with two sticks on both ends work as extensions of the workers arms to help pull the cheese up and out of the cauldron. This is where being buff comes in handy as the cheese weighs approximately 200 pounds! Once out of the cauldron the cheese in it’s burlap cloth is tied to a large metal rod – much like one would tie a pig for roasting. The cheese rests a bit before it is divided in half with a long, blunt edged knife. The halves are wrapped in cheese cloth and shaped.

Once the cheese has properly drained it is placed in large white drums lined with a band that has the infamous “Parmigiano Reggiano” designation written all the way around it along with several other important markings – the month and year the cheese is produced, and the DOP designation (the food equivalent to DOC for Italian wine), the Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano issued number specific to the cheese factory, a space for the application of the certification mark once the wheel passes inspection and a “tag” that gives a specific number to each wheel of cheese. This “tag” is put into a database so it can be identified and tracked at any given moment until purchased by the consumer. The cheese in it’s drum is then wrapped in the cloth and a very large, very heavy round disk is placed on top to help press out moisture.

The cheese sits 2-3 days on wood that has carved grooves in it to hold excess water that has been pressed out of the cheese. The cheese then goes into a salt brine where it is turned by hand everyday to get even salting. It stays in brine for 20 days then the cheese is moved out of the brine and aged another 24 months or more in a warehouse.

Some factories have their own warehouse to age their cheese while others use rented warehouse space. Since Montecoppe wouldn’t allow me to visit their warehouse, I visited a warehouse that houses 3-4 factories cheeses. This warehouse had 20,000+ wheels in it. It used a clever robot to go up and down each aisle, take each wheel of cheese off the shelf, vacuum the shelf, dust the cheese, flip the wheel and place it back on the shelf. Workers inspected the cheese daily for flaws, mold, etc. If the cheese had a flaw or mold, a master would use several kinds of utensils to cut, gouge, or scrape the flaw or mold and then when warranted a blow torch to reseal the flawed part.

If a cheese has a flaw, mold etc. and even if fixed by the master it is no longer perfect and can no longer be marked as Parmigiano Reggiano. In this case, the cheese will either be branded with grooves horizontally all over the side of the wheel and sold as prima stagionatura (young Parmigiano Reggiano) or if the flaw is severe enough, the entire rind of the wording “Parmigiano Reggiano” would be cut off and the cheese would be sold as table cheese.

After 12 months of aging, inspectors knock on the cheese with a hammer type tool and if it sounds good (this is where some of that training kicks in) he passes it and it gets branded with the certification mark. The cheese continues to age anywhere from 13-30 months total. If the cheese is aged at least 18 months, it can be inspected again and if approved can get a stamp saying “extra” or “export” which means it is of superior quality.

In case you’re wondering the dark coloring on the outside, particularly the markings, and the natural rind that forms in the aging process is edible and good to grate in dishes or place in minestrone, etc. for extra flavor (pull the rind out before serving).

The process is extensive and the workers highly skilled but the pay off is worth it and is why Parmigiano Reggiano has earned the name of “The King of Cheese!”

If you’re interested in purchasing some authentic Parmigiano Reggiano it is available in the Deep Red Cellar store or you can buy from my affiliates, DEAN & DELUCA or Worlds Foods.

Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale

***This is being re-posted due to some minor changes/updates thanks to the help and kindness of the Consorzio di Reggio Emilia***

Wine is both a passion and a business but some would argue that the most passionate job in the vineyards is not in making wine but in making Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale.

The simplest explanation of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale (hereafter mostly referred to as ABT) is balsamic vinegar….. but not just any kind you’d find on the shelves of your grocery store. In fact, much like Itay’s DOC wine, it has it’s own consortium with strict guidelines and tasting to insure superb quality. The end result is a thick, syrupy vinegar that is both sweet and sour with a palate pleasing, velvety sensation – an experience all to it’s own.

About a year and a half ago, me, my husband and daughter took a trip to the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. This is the region famous for Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano and Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale. WOW, talk about having something to boast about – three of the greatest gifts a foodie could ask for from this country all in one region! We spent several days in Emilia-Romagna and toured all three productions but were most inspired by the production of ABT and in fact, ended up visiting several places that produce this extraordinary elixir.

ABT is only produced in two towns in the whole wide world. To me, that is utterly mind-boggling! But I guess when you consider the production process and that fact that it isn’t, what most would say, a lucrative business, it would make sense. And it makes even more sense, this syrupy potion comes from Italy because the beautiful people of Italy have done an outstanding job of upholding old-world tradition.

Reggio Emilia and Modena are the two towns that produce ABT and each have their own consortium (but the requirements are basically the same) and both fall under the denomination of protected origin or DOP. Ask anyone from Modena, and they’ll say they produce the best ABT but ask anyone from Reggio Emilia, and they’ll assure you they produce the best. To me, it’s a toss up, but I tend to agree with Reggio Emilia.

ABT is made from the must of grapes. Many different varietals can be used including: Trebbiano, Occhio di Gatto, Spergola, Berzemino and all the various Lambrusco Reggiano DOC varieties, namely Marani, Salamino, Maestri, Montericco, Sorbara, and Ancellotta. The must is aged in wooden barrels.

Often, the barrels are old wine barrels that are no good for producing wine but flavorful for producing vinegar. The origin of the wood can vary – oak, cherry, chestnut, acacia, etc. Anywhere from 5-7 barrels are used varying in size from large to small. Each barrel has a small, cloth covered hole on top to access the product. The production starts by filling the barrels with the must where it remains for a year. During that time, approximately 10% of the vinegar is lost to evaporation. After one year, the smallest barrel gets topped off with vinegar from the next size up, and that barrel gets topped off with vinegar from the next size up and so on until the largest barrel is reached and gets topped off with the new production. When another year passes, the same topping off occurs again. This happens for a minimum of 12, yes….count them, TWELVE years! After 12 years, a few liters of vinegar can be extracted from the smallest barrel and sent to the consortium for tasting and approval. Once the vinegar has met all the requirements, the consortium numbers, records and brands it. Then, and only then, can the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale be sold.

In Modena, ABT has two levels of quality – a cream colored cap indicates 12 or more years of aging and a gold colored cap in addition to the wording “extravecchio” (extra mature) indicates 25 or more years. Both are individually numbered and sold in a bottle specified by the consortium. In Reggio Emilia, ABT has three levels of quality – a red label for 12 or more years of aging, a silver label for 20 or more years, and a gold label in addition to the wording of “extravecchio” for 25 or more years. These are also individually numbered and sold in a uniform bottle specified by the consortium along with a wax seal and “AB” (aceto balsamico) on the label. Generally, ABT is not aged more than 30 years.

The prices of the different levels of quality range considerably. From Reggio Emilia, we purchased a silver label ABT for about 40 euro ($52) and a gold label one for about 50 euro ($65) although, I’m told that is a very good price so maybe my memory serves me incorrectly on that price. From Modena, we stumbled on a bottle that was allegedly 56 years old – according to my calculations, the beginning of it’s production occurred about the time television was being introduced into the homes of Americans! That one was a splurge at 150 euro ($195).

Of course with something this prized, the suggested consumption is to show it off as much as possible. We often just serve ours on a small spoon as an aperitif to our guests. It is also very good drizzled over Parmigiano Reggiano, a fresh salad, risotto or a good steak. For a unique twist, drizzle it over strawberries or ice cream. No matter how it is consumed, I bet the experience will seem like you’ve just plunged into the best condiment on the planet!

To learn more about ABT from Reggio Emilia, please check out the website for the Consorzio di Reggio Emila: http://www.acetobalsamicotradizionale.it/home_en.php

Proscuitto di Parma

I knew when I moved to Italy 2 1/2 years ago, one of the things I wanted to do was visit as many regions as I could. For me, one of the more important regions was Emilia-Romagna. It is the region that has the distinguished title of being famous for Parmigiano Reggiano, Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale and Proscuitto di Parma.

We tracked down all three of these delicacies but this story is about just one – the ever enticing Proscuitto di Parma. We visited a plant in a neighboring town of Langhirano. Langhirano is said to be the heart of the Proscuitto di Parma region. Like many of the products in Italy, Proscuitto di Parma has it’s own consortium that regulates the entire process from the precise raising of the pigs, to specific regulations on aging the meat, and everything in between. The plant we visited did not slaughter the pigs but received just the thighs – the only part of the pig used for Proscuitto di Parma.

When the meat first arrives at a plant, it is immediately salted by highly trained masters who have 10+ years of experience (just for salting a thigh!) and placed in a refrigeration holding area for one week. After a week, the salt is brushed off and the thighs are fed into a machine where they are massaged (subliminal message…book a massage). Once adequately massaged, the thighs are salted a second time by the same “salt masters.”

Let me take a moment to point out my amazement at how exceptionally trained every person is for their specific tasks. The tasks all seem simple to the untrained eye but to pass consortium regulations, every single one of these jobs have precisely trained individuals working their specific task for many, many years to be considered masters of their trade.

OK, back to the star of this story……the meat is then hung and put in another refrigeration area to continue the aging process. Once successfully through this aging, the meat is moved to an area where it gets a silver tag designated by the consortium for Proscuitto di Parma. This tag states the month and year the meat was made. In 2007, these tags cost about 18 euro cents a piece. As you can imagine, producers are incredibly dedicated to the art of Proscuitto di Parma production as this particular step can be quite costly.

After the tagging, the Proscuitto di Parma is moved to another location where, again, highly trained professionals apply the protective lard on the exposed meat area. Often, the lard has black pepper in it. One would assume the black pepper would be added to enhance flavor, but in actuality, it is thought that the black pepper keeps the flies away. At this stage, the proscuitto changes from refrigeration aging to climate and humidity controlled aging for the remainder of it’s aging process.

After the lard applied aging segment, a profoundly trained tester comes through to test the meat. Now, this guy essentially uses only his ability to smell to judge whether the meat is aging properly. You’re probably imagining a guy with a rather large nose, right? I don’t know about all of the professional “sniffers” out there, but the guy we saw definitely had a nose that looked like it had it’s own profession. The “sniffer” uses a thin pick made out of horse bone to sniff the meat. Here’s another example of scrupulous attention to detail. Horse bone is specifically chosen because it is very porous and it has the unique ability to take in the smell and then dissipate it very quickly. So, this tester guy goes through and pokes the proscuitto thigh in about 5 places. Each time he pokes the meat, he smells the pick. Then he uses his finger to smear the lard back over the slightly exposed area. If the tester believes the meat is acceptable, it will get branded with a 5 pronged crown that states the month and year of production. The brand is placed so that anyway a butcher slices it, the branding will always show and the consumer will always know they are getting the “real deal.” This branding and the aforementioned silver tag symbolizes that the meat is, in fact, authentic Proscuitto di Parma.

Once it has passed the “sniffer” test, the meat is moved into it’s last climate and humidity controlled room where it finishes out it’s days aging to perfection. When all is said and done, Proscuitto di Parma is aged about 70 days and reduced by about 30% of it’s original size when finished.

I can’t say the process was a glamorous one to see. I mean, after all, it is a meat plant. I can say, the almost finicky attention to detail and the training the experts are required to go through guarantee that if you’re eating Proscuitto di Parma, you’re eating authentic Italy at it’s best!

Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale

Wine is both a passion and a business but some would argue that the most passionate job in the vineyards is not in making wine but in making Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale.

Reggio Emilia and Modena are the two towns that produce ABT and each have their own consortium with their own specific requirements, but both fall under the denomination of protected origin or DOP. Ask anyone from Modena, and they’ll say they produce the best ABT but ask anyone from Reggio Emilia, and they’ll assure you they produce the best. To me, it’s a toss up, but I tend to agree with Reggio Emilia.

ABT is made from the must of a white grape called, Trebbiano (a grape also prominent in Tuscany) and aged in wooden barrels. Often, the barrels are old wine barrels that are no good for producing wine but flavorful for producing vinegar. The origin of the wood can vary – oak, cherry, chestnut, acacia, etc. Anywhere from 5-7 barrels are used varying in size from large to small. Each barrel has a small, cloth covered hole on top to access the product. The production starts by filling the barrels with the must where it remains for a year. During that time, approximately 10% of the vinegar is lost to evaporation. After one year, the smallest barrel gets topped off with vinegar from the next size up, and that barrel gets topped off with vinegar from the next size up and so on until the largest barrel is reached and gets topped off with the new production. When another year passes, the same topping off occurs again. This happens for a minimum of 12, yes….count them, TWELVE years! After 12 years, a few liters of vinegar can be extracted from the smallest barrel and sent to the consortium for tasting and approval. Once the vinegar has met all the requirements, the consortium numbers, records and brands it. Then, and only then, can the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale be sold.

The prices of the different levels of quality range considerably. From Reggio Emilia, we purchased a silver label ABT for about 40 euro ($52) and a gold label one for about 50 euro ($65). From Modena, we stumbled on a bottle that was 56 years old – according to my calculations, the beginning of it’s production occurred about the time television was being introduced into the homes of Americans! That one was a splurge at 150 euro ($195).