Parma: Paradiso del Parmigiano

An early morning two-hour train ride from Brescia to Parma was worth the trip. Waiting at the station for us was Laura Panella, who showed us so much of this food paradise back in February 2020.

Our first stop was a large Parmesan cheese production facility, where we suited up and watched as workers inserted the cheese into circular containers.

The aging room was impressive. That’s a lot of cheese.

Here’s a robot that scrapes the mold off the cheese as it ages.

At the end of the tour, we visited the shop and bought enough cheese to stuff our rollaboards to the hilt.

We next visited a small but impressive winery where the personable young manager (whose great-grandfather founded the business in the 1930s) gave us a tour and offered us a variety of wines.

Next was a visit to a meat production facility, where we suited up again to visit the aging room for the famous Prosciutto di Parma, Parma Ham.

We were ready for lunch, and a plentiful lunch in the facility’s restaurant awaited us.

After lunch came a highlight among highlights, a pasta preparation class presented by a vivacious and knowledgeable instructor.

This clever Italian pasta punch saves time and makes perfect circles.

This “guitar” makes great spaghetti.

We all had a bite and had time for a group photo before Laura whisked us back to the Stazione for our return trip to Brescia.

Grazie, Laura! A great day in Parma.