“Before we are balsamic vinegar sellers,
we are makers. Before we are makers, we are farmers. Before we are farmers, we
are the Modenese people.” A young woman stood on the grounds of a vineyard that
had been in her family for generations to deliver this message. She was
speaking for her family, for her city, and for her country, as she attempted to
make clear to us the intense emotion and identity rooted in Italian food
traditions and, more importantly, their maintenance.
We have explored the delights of Italian gelato and coffee
in previous blogs, but in the time that my favorite gelateria could churn out thousands of scoops, or my favorite
coffee shop pour tens of thousands of espresso beverages, other food producers
in Italy await patiently the aged perfection of their time- and labor-intensive
creations. Last weekend I had the privilege to step behind the curtain into the
mesmerizing array of sights, smells, and sounds that go into preparing some of
central/northern Italy’s most prized eats, including Parmigiano-Reggiano
cheese, balsamic vinegar, and prosciutto di Parma.
Leno, an older gentleman with a high voice and unbridled
enthusiasm, patiently took us through the process of making Parmigiano-Reggiano
cheese in his facility in Modena. He answered every question and obliged every
photo opportunity, from his cows across the street to the copper-coated vats of
curdled milk, from the salt baths studded with floating cheese to the racks of
cellar storage. Leno and his team contribute only about 10 large wheels per day
to the 3.5 million wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano produced each year. This is
the only cheese in the world that must be inspected by piece rather than lot. Tapping the wheel with a small hammer and
listening to the vibrations indicates whether there are air bubbles present, a
defect not worthy of the name of Parmigiano-Reggiano. The wheels they molded
the day of our visit may not be consumed until 2020 or even later:
Parmigiano-Reggiano must be aged at least one year, but the 36-month variety
was favored in our on-site tasting (three ages of cheese paired with sparkling
red Lambrusco wine at 9 AM is my kind of breakfast).
It is difficult to improve upon the rich, nutty flavors of
Parmigiano-Reggiano, but I (and the people of Modena) recommend a drizzle of
high quality balsamic vinegar. Federica, the vibrant young woman I described
above, took us through tiny hallways and zig-zagging staircases, showcasing barrel
after barrel of balsamic vinegar, aged up to 150 years (pictured left). This vinegar came from grapes grown in 1867, all the more
impressive when you consider that Italy only became a unified country in 1861,
and that Purdue University was founded in 1869. The rows of barrels, from which
vinegar is transferred each year to create a blend of ages and wood flavors,
are known as batterias, and stand with the elegance of marching soldiers. Two
world wars after this 150-year-old balsamic began its journey, the syrupy sweet
balsamic drips like molasses. Federica poured some into a small glass vial and
held it to the light, showing the red, yellow, and orange hues emerging from
the deep brown color. “This is a balsamic rainbow.”
Our final stop was Parma, where sweet and exuberant Claudio
described the process of aging world-famous prosciutto (pictured below). He checked how the meat
was progressing by stabbing it with a piece of horse bone and smelling the
aromas.
This post was written by Sydney Rivera, a Master of Public Health 4+1 student from Indianapolis, Indiana. Her research interests include contraception, pregnancy, and patient-provider relationships, as she intends to go to medical school to become an OB-GYN.
I would have to agree with Claudio. There is a deep sadness in losing the wonderful food and drink that have been made by passionate farmers/growers own hands. Perhaps as in American farmers, the smaller businesses cannot compete with the huge conglomerates. A matter of economics?
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for allowing me to take in the sights, sounds and smells of these wonderful staples of Italy.
Thank you, Audrey's Nana! I agree that this is a sad trend in the US, and it is quite possible that we have exported it to Italy. Whenever I can back home I try to frequent smaller local restaurants and farmer's markets, but I also love getting nice imported cheeses at the supermarket! Hopefully we can find a balance.
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