Travels in Italy--Parma (Part 2 of 2)

What famous cheese comes from Parma? 

That's easy--Parmigiano-Reggiano, the King of Cheeses. 

While visiting Parma, we went on a farm tour to watch Parmigiano-Reggiano being made.  It was a fun and tasty tour. 

Our very knowledgeable guide Pietro took us a farm west of Parma, where they produce organic parmesan cheese.  Pietro grew up near the farm and he is a lifelong friend of the son of the owner.  So, he knows most everything there is to know about making parmesan cheese. 

The farm's brand is Ciaolatte. 

The farm's brand is Ciaolatte

During the tour, we visited one of the locations where the dairy cows are kept.  The cows eat in the pens or in the adjacent fields. 

Lunchtime:  "Ladies, am I crazy or is this same thing we were served yesterday?"

Dairy cows in training

Greg was fascinated with the machine that removed the muck from the pens. An automatic large metal scoop (pictured below) pushed the muck to the end of the pen.  From there, it traveled on a conveyor to the muck pond, which was about 15 feet deep.     

The milking station was clean and modern: six cows milked at a time, twice a day, every day of the year.  No matter what. 

"The animals are very much loved."

We met two friendly dogs who seemed to be in charge of the operation.

After milking, a truck carries the milk to the small factory where the cheese is made. 

The milk is pumped into large flat trays.  The butter rises to the top and is skimmed off.  The rest is poured into large copper cauldrons that are heated under the floor. 

Tools of the trade:  A paddle for lifting the ball and a stir for mixing the ingredients

Next, a coagulant is added, the mixture is stirred and the process begins.  After a while, a huge ball of cheese forms in the bottom of the cauldron.  A large wooden paddle lifts the cheese to the surface and a cloth is wrapped around the ball.  The cloth is suspended from a wooden pole, sort of like a hammock.  All of the labor is done by two strong guys. The photos below illustrate the process. 

The mixture is heated in the cauldron (to 55 degrees C) and a large ball is forming in the bottom.  (Behind, the large flat tables where the butter and milk are separated.)

Next, the large ball is divided into two equal parts and allowed to drain.  The excess liquid is pumped out and taken to a nearby pig farm.  Apparently, pigs love the leftovers. 

Cutting the cheese

Next, each half is placed into a circular mold.  The cheese is wrapped in a cloth that extracts more moisture.

The cheese is then moved into a cooler for a few days of drying.  During the process, a plastic form is wrapped tightly around the cheese, stamping the sides with important production information--type of cheese, producer, month produced, etc.   

 

Expert guide Pietro in the cooler with slowly drying cheese

The plastic that will be wrapped around the cheese

A view of the production information around the side of the cheese

After a few days in the cooler, the cheese is then preserved by submerging it in a salt brine tank for  one month. 

One of the large, deep tanks emptied for cleaning

A view of the tank filled with cheese sitting in salt brine

A view of the cheese under the surface in the salt brine

After a month, the cheese is removed from the tanks and dried outside for several days. 

After drying outside, the cheese is then moved into a large building for aging over 1-3 years.  The building is large and tall, with cheeses placed on shelves floor to ceiling.  Because of the high value of the cheese stored in the building, the building is secured with metal bars and alarms.

At the end of the aging process, independent inspectors arrive to approve or reject the cheese.  Standards are strict.  If there is any problem with the cheese, it is specially marked as rejected. If the cheese is approved, it receives a special brand, like branding cattle. 

To evaluate the cheese, an inspector taps the cheese with a special hammer.  Apparently, an experienced inspector can detect problems by sound. Who knew? 

If approved, the inspector brands the cheese with the special mark above.

If rejected, an inspector will score the side of the cheese.  Above, the cheese has horizontal lines on the side, indicating it has been rejected.  The cheese can  still be sold but it cannot be called parmigiano-reggiano.  The retail value of rejected cheese is about half of parmigiano-reggiano.

At the end of our tour, we sampled some parmigiano-reggiano that was aged 1 year (left) and 3 years (right).  Both were excellent.  The 1 year cheese is best for eating plain and using in food (such as tortellini) while the 3 year cheese is ideal for grating over food. 

During our tour, we learned about cheese specially produced for a Swiss supermarket chain with stores in Zurich.   Known by the brand name Bio Suisse, the cheese is produced in the same way, but the cows are segregated on a separate farm, the milk is transported in a separate tank and separate vats and cauldrons are used.  So, inspectors from the Swiss company can document the entire process as being separate and 100% organic. 

After taking the tour, we concluded that Italians take their cheese making seriously.  Very seriously.  In a brochure we picked up, we noticed an artistic photograph that is reproduced below.  If the photograph from the brochure seems vaguely familiar, then you will understand why we concluded that Italians believe making great cheese is like making great art. 

Brochure photograph

The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo (1512) (from the Sistine Chapel)

Thanks for joining our farm tour.  We hope you didn't find it too cheesy.

P.S.  The people population of Italy is about 60 million.  The cow population is about 20 million.  With a ratio of 1 cow for every 3 persons, that's a lot of milk and cheese being consumed.