THE ROAD OF FLAVOUR

Nowadays Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is a symbol of the Italian tradition. Unlike other well-known kinds of cheese, it cannot be produced in a food industry but, as the advertising points out, only the expert dairyman’s hands make it to perfection according to an unaltered centuries-old method of production. What makes a difference between a thirteenth-century Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a present one (which has been recognised by the European Community with the mark of Protected Denomination of Origin- PDO) is just the rigorous quality control carried out by the Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese Consortium which defends its production and marketing. The secret of such goodness originates in the place of origin, in the natural feed, and in the high quality milk with no additives. During the long aging process, natural fermenting agents in the milk give the cheese its particular flavor and texture, in other words, its typicality.
The secrets of a natural processing: Parma ham is a completely natural foodstuff consisting of pork and salt. Lots of factors affect the flavour of this ham: the great skill of the master salters, the sweet-smelling air of the hills of Parma and the long and patient ageing it is subjected to. Parma ham is seasoned, salt-cured and air-dried but not smoked: no chemical substances, preservatives or food additives are used to produce it. Its proper consortium, 'Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma', controls production in order to give consumers a guarantee of a natural product, in conformity with traditional food processing techniques. The symbol of the Consorzio - the five-pointed ducal crown - is really a quality trademark.

The wine-growers' expert work has led to more and more enthusiastic results, together with a constant selection of vines. In 1978, the vine-growers gathered together in the Consorzio di Tutela (Consortium of Protection) and gave birth to a further qualification of the product that soon was recognised with the deserved mark of DOC (Controlled Denomination of Origin): it is the origin of Hills of Parma wines. The well-known Malvasia (from Malvasia di Candia grapes), the Sauvignon (also with the Champenoise method) and the Rosso Colli di Parma (from Barbera and Bonaria grapes) constitute a noble triptych. In its terms the Consortium prescribes the maximum yield per hectare and all the production standards that guarantee the highest quality of the product for consumer protection.

Historic references on the ancient origins of the Culatello di Zibello and its diffusion in the region of Emilia Romagna in the areas close to the River Po are very numerous. In this area, the combination of the hot summers and the autumn fogs are a key element to the slow process which allows the Culatello to develop its characteristic taste and smell. However the most celebrated estimator of the Culatello was without doubt the great Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, known as the swan of Bussetto which is situated in the province of Parma and is one of the areas of production of this prized cold cuts.

Felino Salami owes its excellence to the centuries-old tradition that prescribes a middle-coarse-grained milling from carefully chosen pieces of pork, rigorously spiced and aged all that is necessary. Briefly, Felino Salami is the old salami of Parmesan valleys, with a perfect ratio of lean meat and fat and its unmistakable fragrance. From the hors-d'oevre to the snack, Felino Salami is a tasty charcuterie, enjoyed by people of all ages.

The porcino mushroom of Borgotaro is the famous guest on a trail that unwinds principally in Valtaro and joins North East with Val Baganza (the trail of ham and hill wines) and West with Val Ceno and the ridge that divides the Parma Apennine hills from those of Piacenza. Heading South the trail to the sea opens up....this territory naturally contributes to some of the most charming scenery of the entire Apennine ridge, it is harmoniously composed of hills which reach up from the numerous rivers as far as the top of the Ligurian and Tuscan borders. It is a land rich in history, marked by castles, medieval villages and ancient cult spots.