Listen to “241. Parmigiano Reggiano: A Story of Precision and Passion” on Spreaker.
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Parmigiano Reggiano, often called the King of Cheeses, comes from the Northern Emilia Romagna region and is popular and beloved across Italy. With its rich history rooted in tradition and the meticulous, artisanal processes and criteria used in its creation giving it its unique flavor, this iconic cheese has captured the hearts and palates of food lovers worldwide. We uncover the secrets behind Parmigiano Reggiano, from the pastures to your plate, and learn what makes it so much, much more than just a topping for your pasta.
Summary
We are talking about the King of Cheese in this episode, where we are joined by experts Giulia Tamarri and Alessandro Stocchi to unravel the secrets of Parmigiano Reggiano. From the unique cow breeds and traditional artisanal methods to perfect pairings and how to spot the real deal. Discover the meticulous craft behind each wheel and learn why this iconic cheese is truly a treasure of Emilia Romagna!
What you’ll learn in this episode
- Alessandro is a skilled ‘battitore‘ – a Parmigiano Reggiano tester who guarantees the quality of the wheels. He is Giulia’s teacher as she studies to be a Parmelier Level 1 course, akin to a sommelier course but for cheese
- The use of specific cow breeds, and how they are fed and kept are all important in the making and the designation of the cheese as PDO
- The cheese-making is truly artisanal with an emphasis on human intervention. Each wheel is tested by hand. Alessandro checks approximately 1,000 wheels of cheese daily
- Using raw milk and only 2 other ingredients, the Parmigiano Reggiano is a pure product and the perfect example of “slow food” culture
- The various maturing ages create a different texture and strength and so pairings change depending on the age
- On a visit to Emilia Romagna, you can taste Parmigiano Reggiano at a market like Modena’s Albinelli Market or on a food tour, but a visit to a dairy farm is a truly unique experience
- It is important when buying Parmigiano Reggiano in your home country that you make sure of its authenticity which you can recognize by the dots and numbering on the wheel. There are many copies of Parmigiano Reggiano, but there is nothing like the real thing. You can use it not just with your pasta, but on its own, paired with jam, honey and of course balsamic vinegar, or in sauces, even BBQs and don’t forget to eat use the rind too – no wax, just pure ingredients used there
Timeline Overview
- 06:04 PDO Parmigiano Reggiano production is linked to a specific area and criteria, such as the breed of cows and what they eat
- 10:48 Cheese makers work with the traditional process and with raw milk and adapt daily depending on the needs. It is a slow, precise process that initially creates a creamy cheese
- 26:01 It requires passion, patience and striving for perfection to be any part of creating the cheese using the natural artisan processes
- 30:38 Parmigiano Reggiano tastes very different at the different ages of maturity, 12 months, 24, 36 and upwards. It is versatile, adds flavor to dishes as well as being delicious on its own
- 37:14 You can book tours to dairies to witness the cheese-making, but there is strong demand. You can also do tastings at markets like in Modena, or on food tours
- 40:14 If looking for the real thing in your home country, you can identify real Parmigiano Reggiano by the dots and logo on the wheel
About our guests – Giulia Tamarri and Alessandro Stocchi
Giulia Tamarri from Travel with Rezdora is a qualified Tour Manager, Food Guide, and Personal Itinerary Consultant, born and raised in Castelfranco, on the Via Emilia, halfway between Modena and Bologna.
After achieving her degree in Foreign Languages at the University of Bologna, she built an international career, living between Australia and New Zealand working as an English teacher and events organizer before going on to work in London working as a manager in the education industry.
After spending almost 10 years traveling and living abroad, she decided to move back to her region and chose the town of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar, Spilamberto, as the place to call home. The same year, she got her qualification as Tour Manager and has since led more than 40 tours around Italy and Europe and during the pandemic, she got the opportunity to attend a year’s course to become an expert and promoter of food and wine of Emilia Romagna.
Giulia loves to help people discover her charming region with the same passion and dedication of a rezdora in the kitchen. Tortellini, tagliatelle, cappelletti… a rezdora is the artist of these hand-rolled works of art. From the Latin “regere“ (to direct), she is not only a good cook but the real manager of the family. Like a rezdora in the kitchen, Giulia follows the same values and practical approach to travel. After a long testing of the best “ingredients”, she owns her personal recipes for crafting unique and memorable experiences for her clients.
Follow Giulia here
Alessandro Stocchi is a ‘battitore‘ – a Parmigiano Reggiano tester and expert for the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium. He is one of only 21 in Italy (and therefore the world) and has been doing this essential role for a decade, testing up to a thousand wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano a day. He uses a traditional handmade hammer, and his hearing and experience to test for imperfections in the wheels so that only the very best get the official designation.
Follow Alessandro here
Italian places, foods and concepts mentioned
Places
- Modena – city in Emilia Romagna region home to Italian car manufacturers Lamborghini, Ferrari and Pagani
- Bologna – Universtiy city known for it’s porticoes and food culture
- Parma – city nominated the UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy
- Reggio – where the Italy flag was created. The old town has a hexagonal form, which derives from the ancient walls, and the main buildings are from the 16th–17th centuries
- Reno River – starts in the Apennines mountain range in Tuscany but flows mainly through Emilia-Romagna
- Po River – runs through Emilia Romagna and is the longest in Italy
- Mercato Albinelli – fabulous market in Modena
Food / Drink
- Parmigiano Reggiano – the king of cheeses – created to exacting standards to get the official stamp
- PDO – means protected designation of origin and this stamp guarantees that all parts of the production, processing and preparation take place in the specific, designated region
- spinatura – used to break the cheese urd into many fragments
- L’Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale – this vinegar from cooked grape must, has to age at least 12 years in wooden barrels to be classified in this way
- Lambrusco – the sparkling wine from Emilia Romagna that got a bad reputation due to bad exports, but when tried locally is delicious and pairs with the local delicacies perfectly
- Rosa di Parma – a dish of tenderloin beef stuffed with Parmigiano Reggiano and prosciutto
- Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium – the consortium of Parmigiano-Reggiano where you can find information on standards, stockiest and farms etc
Words / Concepts
- Parmelier – the equivalent of a sommelier for tasting Parmeggiano Reggio
- Bianca Modenese – the white cows of Modena
- Vacche Rosse – the native red cows found mainly in Reggio Emilia
- Massimo Bottura – famous, ingenious chef with a three-Michelin-star restaurant based in Modena – Osteria Francescana
Related content on Untold Italy
Podcasts
- Ep 152 – Dishes to try in Bologna and the Emilia region
- Ep 114 – Welcome to Emilia Romagna
- Ep 094 – 8 Cheeses you need to try in Italy
- Ep 034 – Lifting the lid on Bologna’s Food Culture
Articles
- Emilia Romagna travel guide
- What to Eat in Bologna
- 3 day Bologna itinerary
- Where to stay in Bologna
- Best day trips from Bologna
- Best things to do in Parma
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