For Italians, the Emilia-Romagna region is synonymous with good eating. In 2015, the American magazine Forbes conferred an international award to the region for its gastronomic excellence, further confirmation that Parmigiano Reggiano, Parma ham, balsamic vinegar and tortellini are gastronomic treasures. Reggio Emilia is one main city of the Region: 150 km from Milano, 120 km from Verona, 220 km from Venice and 160 km from Florence.
WalkItaly believes that “less is best”, so we focus on two gems: Parmigiano and traditional balsamic vinegar and walking between two places where they are produced! This is the reason why we just tested this one day tour.
The tour takes place in an area not far from Reggio Emilia and includes a visit to a top-rated exclusive acetaia (a place where vinegar is produced and aged) and a Parmigiano Reggiano dairy founded in 1900 and member of Slow Food Presidia.
This is a walking and tasting tour in the world of traditional balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano: two key ingredients in Italian cuisine. The tastings at the acetaia and caseificio (Dairy) are led by a certified taster and ranked as ‘Grade 1 – Tasting for the General Public’ (a ‘Grade 2 – Tasting for Professionals’ can be organized on request). The acetaia is officially recognized as a learning center by The University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo.
Balsamic vinegar is now consumed the world over, in fact 95% of the product is exported overseas, and it is not used just for salad dressings! During the visit, you will learn how it can enhance the flavor of a wide variety of sweet and savoury dishes.
If you would like to learn more about vinegar, we recommend the book Acid Trip by Michael Harlan Turkell, winner of the IACP Cookbook Award for Culinary Travel.
Parmigiano. The concept of naming foods after their place of origin dates back to the Roman Empire. Even after the fall of Rome in 476 AD, people on the Italian peninsula continued to follow that practice. During the middle ages, monks in the area around Parma were the first to produce a distinctive hard cheese. ‘Casaro’ is the name of the head of the team in charge of Parmigiano making, the origins of the word probably being related to the name ‘Caesar’. A visit to a Parmigiano dairy is a serious matter: operations start at 8 am and the temperature inside the dairy is between 21 and 23 °C; disposable gowns will be provided.
Are you curious? Contact us by using this form. No payments are need at this stage.
By the way, are you interested for the October tours in South Tuscany? Few places are still available. Look at the blog for the dates. October will be in the middle of the olive harvest seasons and leafage! Superb.
Best from Roberto
