THE FOOD VALLEY

Let Emilia Romagna melt in your mouth on this full-day excursion to the countryside from Parma. The epi-curious will gain behind-the-scenes access to a dairy, a cured meat factory and a balsamic vinegar producer and enjoy a delicious meal at a renowned winery.

Meet your private guide and driver at your accommodation and reach the first stop on the tour. Inside a caseificio foodies will learn all about the age-old art of cheese making and get to know the strict rules that regulate the production of Italy’s king of cheeses. Believe it or not Parmigiano Reggiano has delighted the palates of Italians for some eight hundred years. Its extraordinary fragrance, distinctive flavour and processing methods have hardly altered over the centuries, thanks to the skill of local cheese artisans and their efforts to preserve regional gastronomic traditions. As you will have the chance to see and savour, only this unique territory could reward us with such a tempting treat, born of an abundance of water, extensive grazing grounds and, most important of all, prime quality milk.

A visit to the laboratory and cellar of a cured meat factory will follow. Here you will discover what sets Prosciutto di Parma apart from other types of ham. Specially bred pigs, the uncontaminated air, the beneficial effects of time and the salty wind blowing from the Ligurian sea, all contribute to the creation of this world-acclaimed speciality. Prosciutto di Parma is made by rubbing and massaging the hind legs of pork with a quantity of salt proportionate to the weight of the meat. After the ham has been salted, it is washed, dried and left to age in cellars for twelve months, without adding nitrates. Little has changed since ancient Roman times, as attested by the earliest reference to Parma ham dating to the 2nd century BC, when Cato the Censor first mentioned the exquisite flavour and production techniques of air-cured ham in his treaty on agriculture.

Gourmands will then sit down to a tasty lunch served at a nearby estate, well-known for its aromatic wines.

The last stop on this gastronomic adventure will lead you to discover the history and production methods of traditional balsamic vinegar, which can only be made in the areas of Modena and Reggio Emilia. The earliest recorded reference to balsamic vinegar – created centuries ago as a medicine and disinfectant – occurred in a 1046 poem, which noted that a bottle was donated as a gift to Emperor Henry III himself. From curing sore throats and labour pain in the Middle Ages to becoming a prime condiment in Emilian cuisine, balsamic vinegar has taken gigantic strides. At least twelve years of ageing in progressively smaller wooden barrels are required to make this rich, aromatic, refined elixir so be sure to make the most of your tasting, before riding in comfort back to your accommodation in Parma.