Day 10: Bologna Food Tour part one.

Okaaay, let's try this again. So we were up and out the door to be picked up at 7:00 am for our ten hour Bologna Food Tour. Wahoo! Our van had three couples (us, one from Brooklyn, and one from North Carolina). We drove out of the city and to the country where we joined two other vans at the Parmiggiano-Reggiano factory. This was the reason for the early start: they only make this cheese early in the morning. 

Those who chose had a cappuccino while we dressed in factory tour outfits. Inside, where the barnyard odor was less than pleasant, we began near many copper vats. In them, milk was being heated, mixed, and cooled. Each vat was at a different stage of the process. One master cheese maker determined when each was ready, at which point the 220 lb cheese was lifted, turned, and cut in half.


The copper vats with milk


The master at work


Heavyweight cheese

Next we toured a room where the cheese was molded and imprinted.


Molding


Imprinting, done with a belt in the mold

After that, we visited the aging room. To be DOP Parmigiana-Reggiano, there is a minimum aging time off twelve months. Then the cheese is inspected and classified.


Aging in storage


An offering (objects in photo are heavier than they appear)


Coming up next, the balsamic vinegar factory.

Comments

  1. UnknownJune 8, 2018 at 10:50 AM

    Okay fellas, you both look way too happy holding the cheese which means, you are brining some of that great cheese home right?

    ReplyDelete

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