Hands clasped firmly behind his back, with the beady vigilance of a parade-ground sergeant major, Alessandro Ferrarini strides among his massed ranks of cheese.
Several thousand recruits are lined up. Evenly spaced and immaculately presented, they stand on rows of shelves reaching almost to the ceiling.
Alessandro — the fleece beneath his waxy, army-green lab coat zipped up to the neck against the carefully calibrated cold — is here to sniff out imperfection. He spots a suspect, wrestles it expertly down from the shelf onto a wooden stool and sets about it with a hammer. A very small hammer.
“You’re listening for a higher pitch,” he says, tapping delicately at the base of the 45kg wheel and squinting as he gauges the reverberations. “That would betray a crack, a void. Weakness.” The penalty? “Downgraded. It won’t make selection. Standards are very, very high.”
It’s a Darwinian existence, the world of parmigiano reggiano, but it didn’t start out that way. Eight centuries ago, when Benedictine monks first began ageing wheels of cow’s milk in a fertile, sun-drenched river valley a couple of dozen miles east of here, it was simply a tentative experiment in food preservation. But so sought-after proved their salty, granular and unusually versatile creation, that every stage of this monastic alchemy would ultimately find itself wrapped in a stringent cloak of regulation.
The production technique — which I’ve just witnessed in a series of adjacent rooms here at Hosteria Bertinelli, a cheese producer, deli and restaurant west of Parma in northern Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region — remains markedly unchanged since parmigiano reggiano’s inception: the separation of cheese curds from whey in vast copper vats; the shaping in moulds; the month-long immersion in salt baths, in which the fleshy wheels glow beneath the briny surface like alien creatures in a dystopian fantasy.
Finally, the ageing in a room such as this: a turophile temple where the cheese matures for a minimum of 12 months, and anything up to three years — when it takes on a nutty, crumbly, almost honeycombed quality with which I’m to develop an unhealthy fixation.
Alessandro is not quite il casaro or ‘master’ — the big cheese, if you will. But the 54-year-old is a vital cog in the production of these parmigiano reggiano wheels, and it’s one he manifestly loves. “I never tire of it,” he says. “It’s probably not good for the cholesterol, but hey.” He gives a happy shrug of indifference.
Just a few hundred producers in the region are entrusted with the creation of this globally revered product. Surely there must be rivalry, I ask. Alessandro looks contemplative. “I’d describe it as more of a collective,” he says. “To keep these traditions alive — that’s
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La dolce vita awaits in one of the most visited countries of the world: Italy. But when it comes to the best places to visit in Italy, travelers should know there is a lot more than just the typical tourist hot spots of Rome, Venice and the Amalfi Coast. Going beyond the traditional city limits can reveal plenty of exciting places to visit in Italy in 2024. Here are some top favorites of the best places to visit in Italy and add to your travel bucket list.
Deliciously appealing, Stanley Tucci has returned to Italy this month to film an all-new, 10-episode TV series for National Geographic network that celebrates food and travel in the land of his ancestors. It is tentatively titled Tucci: The Heart of Italy. Pairing Nat Geo’s renowned expertise—creating stunning photography and evocative narratives—with Tucci, a multiple award-winning American actor, is a five-star recipe for success. Ever since the cancellation of Tucci’s previous culinary destination show, CNN’s Searching for Italy, which won Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series, fans have enthused on social media about their hopes to watch more of Tucci unearthing tasty morsels and showcasing lovely landscapes in Italy’s distinctive regions. In this fresh eye-opening iteration, which will also air on parent company Disney+, insatiable Tucci will step away from crowded spots to discover serene behind-the-scenes surprises, scrumptious sustenance and compelling stories, while talking and toasting with professional chefs, home cooks, farmers, fishers, winemakers and more. Expect classic Tucci charm, so smooth and inviting at times that he himself seems like an irresistible dessert. Among this year’s colorful touchdowns: Lazio, Marche, Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto.
Venice, Italy, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Known as the “Floating City,” the city is built on islands and connects via bridges and canals. Unfortunately, over-tourism has become an issue for the city, so the city has introduced new rules to help manage some of the problems.
Scores of travelers trek to Italy each year in order to experience the country’s majestic landscapes, fascinating culture, artistic treasures and renowned cuisine. Visitors flock to Rome, Venice, Milan and Florence for a true taste of Italian flare.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings isn't always known for its caviar dinners and complimentary Champagne. But to some wealthy cruisers, these luxuries could be synonymous with the company.
A woman who said she was diagnosed with breast cancer after stealing artifacts from Pompeii said she hadn't' known about "the curse," referencing a myth that stealing from the site brings bad luck.
To hold Dolce Vita—the new silk-swathed hardcover released by luxury publisher Assouline—in my hands feels as though I am embracing the essence and sensuousness of Italy itself. Sweet Life! Written by Italy connoisseur Cesare Cunaccia, this hefty (10-by-13-inch, 6.4-pound, 320-page) coffee-table tome showcases almost 200 expressive and evocative photographs that invite lovely lingering perusal. If you’re seeking an armchair traveler’s page-turner for yourself to kick off 2024 or a Valentine’s Day gift for a dreamer of things bellissimo, thispleases aplenty. Dolce Vita is a visual joy ride, chic and engaging. Indeed, gazing at its images fuels my fantasies of sliding onto a Vespa or into an Alfa Romeo, breezily wheeling from Venice to Milan to Genoa to Florence to Rome to Naples to Sorrento and beyond, through undulating verdant landscapes and glistening seaside ports, savoring fantastic cuisine, then sailing to Sicily for more. Prego!
One of the biggest beef consumers in the world, Argentinians are masters of the asado — the South American take on a barbecue. But, with young chefs keen to diversify and refine the capital's culinary scene, a Porteño’s diet isn't just limited to steak and Malbec. Use your stomach as a compass to navigate Buenos Aires by visiting these spots.
If 2024 is the year to complete a bucket-list trip to discover a destination that's a little different, or to travel to a one-off event, then here are a few ideas—new long-haul flight routes from the U.S., unmissable one-off global events, 'new' European places to discover and new cruise lines venturing into dramatic waters in Australia. Here's what's waiting to be ticked off on your 2024 travel bucket list.