Remember
when I said visiting the Museum of Balsamico Tradizionale was the
highlight of my trip to Italy? Well... it was but what was even better
was the private tour I received of a local Parmigiano-Reggiano
producer. Fiona knows the couple who make the Parmigiano-Reggiano so
she arranged a tour for us on our last day in Italy. But the night
before S changed his mind and decided to not to do the tour in exchange
for sleeping in. There was no way I was skipping the tour for an extra
hour or two of sleep. So I went by myself.
Watching how
Parmigiano-Reggiano is made gave me a new found appreciation for the
art of cheese making. The amount of dedication needed to produce this
cheese is incredible. Once you see the amount of work & time it
takes to make Parmigiano-Reggiano you understand why this cheese can be
so expensive.
Parmigiano-Reggiano is produced in accordance with
strict regulations very similar to the Balsamico Tradizionale. True
Parmigiano-Reggiano must be produced in a distinct
region of Italy, by a cheesemaker who is a member of the Consorzio
Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano, a self-governing body of dairies.
According
to the Consorzio’s regulations, cows producing milk destined
to become Parmigiano-Reggiano can be fed only grasses and hay. Because
Parmigiano-Reggiano is always a raw milk cheese, milk quality
is of great importance and is checked frequently. There are roughly 600
dairies allowed to produced “Parmigiano” and about 7,000 farms sell
milk to
these dairies, the milk coming from some 200,000 cows daily. The bulk
of these cattle are Friesians, famed for their high milk yield. The
cows are milked twice daily.
Milk
from the evening milking is allowed
to stand overnight. By natural processes, this milk will have partially
separated during its overnight standing period. The cream is skimmed
off, and the partially skimmed milk is combined with whole milk from
the morning milking. You can see the large flat trays in the background
of this photo. By the time we arrived that morning they had already
combined the partially skimmed milk with the morning milk.
The
milk is then heated in large copper cauldrons (some hold up to 1,200
kilograms, or over 2,600 pounds, of milk). The Consorzio mandates the
use of copper cauldrons due to their superior thermal conductivity.
They also believe the copper doesn't pass on any taste to the cheese.
The Consorzio is so concerned with keeping the good name of Parmigiano
that it even regulates how many heating kettles each certified
cheesemaker can oversee (a maximum of seven). These certified
cheesemakers undergo between ten and fourteen years of apprenticeship.
The milk is gradually heated to 30 to 35°C (86 to 95°F) before starter
culture and rennet (a natural complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest the mother's milk) are added.
The starter culture is made from the previous day’s whey, which is allowed to ferment
overnight. The only rennet allowed is from calves and is used as a coagulant.
The curd forms and is
broken down into smaller particles traditionally by stirring with an
enormous balloon whisk called a spinatura or spino (see photo
below) The mixture is heated to allow further separation of the whey
and development of the correct acidity level. When the latter is
reached, stirring stops, and the curd settles into one mass at the
bottom of the cauldron.
Cheese makers use thermometers and gauges to measure cooking temperatures, and the milk
density.
But it's really the artisans hands and eyes that are the
ultimate measures. It was really interesting to see them scoops up a handful of curd and rub it between his
fingers.
With the left over whey they made ricotta. Here you can see the cheese maker taking some of the whey out of the vat.
The
cheese makers poured the liquid into a medium sized vat to boil for
about 10 minutes. I couldn't believe how easy it was to make the
ricotta. Look how creamy the whey becomes after heating it for such a
short period.
The cheese owner let me sample a little while she was spooning the cheese into two different sized molds.
Oh,
that ricotta looks so yummy. I adore this cheese served hot but on this
trip I've discovered I love it even more when it's served at room
temperature with honey drizzled on top.
I
actually took some of this ricotta back home with me to Belgium. It was
still warm when I unpacked it from my suitcase. And on Tuesday morning
Peace Corp grrrl and I enjoyed some for breakfast. I'm completely
spoiled now that I've had the homemade stuff! ;) Now if only I could find someone in Belgium that made homemade.
Once the curd cools a bit it is hauled up from the bottom of the cauldron in large squares of
cheese cloth and allowed to drain.
Can
you imagine how heavy this huge wheel of Parmigiano is? These guys are
definitely getting a work out! Fiona said this part of the cheese
making process reminded her of a little dance since they roll the
cheese back & forth until they get it completely in the cheese
cloth.
The cheese is then divided into halves, and
each half is placed into a straight-sided, cheese cloth-lined mold,
called a fascera.
Once
the cheese is sliced in half there is a litte more dancing that occurs
so each slice of cheese can drain in it's own cheese cloth.
After more draining, the cheese is placed in a mold bearing the words “Parmigiano-Reggiano” in
a repeating pin-dot pattern, as well as the identifying number of the
producing dairy. The month and year of production are placed
between the sides of the forms and the cheese (which is still soft
enough to take on such impressions).
Extreme
care is taken when the cheese is placed in the mold. Even the slightest
wrinkle or dent could cause this wheel of cheese to be classified as
unacceptable costing the producers hundreds of Euros.
A disc made of casein is applied
to the top of the cheese; this disc contains a unique code which is
used to identify every wheel of Parmigiano individually.
Only now is
salt added, and this is accomplished by immersing the cheese in a brine
solution for up to four weeks.
Gradually, the salt in the brine will
work its way into the center of the cheese, but that requires months of
aging.
The
minimum aging period for Parmigiano is twelve months & most are
aged for at least eighteen months. These particular producers had some
wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano that were aged up to 30 months. At the
end of
that time, each wheel is inspected.
The
moment I entered the room where all the wheels of cheese are kept I was
completely Wow'ed. What an amazing sight to see hundreds of
Parmigiano-Reggiano wheels stacked to the ceiling. I can't completely
explain the emotions I felt when I walked into this room... It like in
the movies when someone sees something so incredible they hear people
singing and their mouths drop because they just can't believe their
eyes. That's a bit how I felt. lol!
As
I was wondering around the aisles taking photos I noticed a group of
old men talking and handling wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Fiona came
over to me and said, "You came on a very good day, these men are
buyers and they've brought in their private inspector to inspect the
cheese before it's purchased." Fiona also mentioned that buyers usually come about 5 times per year. I couldn't believe my luck!
Watching
these men gathering around joking, talking and inspecting each wheel of
cheese reminded me of a group of "good ole boys". Seriously, seeing them take
these wheels and load them on the truck was like a scene from "Good
Fellas" or "The Sopranos". But make no mistake these men were serious
about making sure they chose wheels that met their qualifications.
The
inspector tapped the exterior of each & every
wheel that was carted out to the truck listening for certain sounds. I
learned that if a wheel sounds hollow, that indicates physical flaws in
the cheese. Sometimes, a
thin probe will be inserted to draw out a small interior “core.”
Cheese inspectors are well-versed in their art and they can detect
with ease flaws that would elude the average person. If flaws are
found, the pin-dot pattern on the sides is scraped off. The cheese can
be sold as cheese for grating, but not as Parmigiano-Reggiano. If a
cheese passes inspection, the Consorzio certifies it with a brand on
the side of the cheese wheel.
Like the Balsamico Tradizionale, Parmigiano-Reggiano is also a D.O.P. (Denominazione d’Origine Protetta, or
Protected Designation of Origin) product, meaning that it can be
produced only in a limited geographic area and that its qualities or
features are due to a combination of natural and human factors existing
within this area.
After
the tour I sampled chunks of their Parmigiano-Reggiano aged from 12 to
30 months. They were all delicious but the flavors in the young cheese
were more delicate. I preferred the 30 month due to its stronger taste
& more complex flavors. I went home with a wedge of their 30 month
Parmigiano-Reggiano along with a container of Ricotta. Since the
producers were so gracious to let me see how they made the
Parmigiano-Reggiano out of a courtesty to Fiona I brought them each a
box of Belgian chocolates
from our local chocolatier. It was a small price to pay for such a memorable experience.
