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Anyone who returns from a

holiday to Italy will be full of

praise for the native cuisine:

steaming bowls of pasta ragu

washed down with rustic red

wine or fresh insalata tricolore

with a glass of white. But visitors to Parma

 nd themselves in the homeland of two of

the country's true culinary gems: Parma Ham

and Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese.

Located in the northern Italian region of

Emilia-Romagna, Parma is roughly halfway

between Bologna and Milan. Smaller than

its neighbours, the historic city is easy to

get around, boasting pretty, uncongested

cobbled streets. There's plenty to see

here, including the bustling Medieval town

square, Piazza Duomo, with its octagonal,

pink-marble baptistry: a striking mix of

Romanesque and Gothic architecture.

Culture vultures ‡ ock to the Teatro Regio

for opera - composer Verdi was born in

nearby Roncole - while the surrounding

countryside boasts the picturesque 15th

Century castle of Torrechiara.

But no tour of the local sights is complete

without a visit to one of the region's many

restaurants and bars, where you'll be able

to taste the local delicacies. Parma Ham and

Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese are Protected

Designation of Origin (PDO) products which

are promoted by the Discover the Origin

campaign (see box). Generations of artisans in

Parma have perfected traditional production

methods, often over hundreds of years -

methods which are still used today.

A visit to a Parma Ham producer during

the Festival of Prosciutto di Parma (5-21

September) is the best way to understand

how this special product is made. The 189

producers in the region all follow strict

guidelines to make the sweet, savoury

ham using four essential ingredients: Italian

pigs, salt, air and time. Each pig leg is cured

with sea salt by an expert maestro salatore

over three weeks, then rested, washed and

brushed to remove excess salt.

The hams are then aired for a further three

months, ready for greasing with a paste

of minced pork fat and salt. The  nal cure

must last for at least one year and can last

up to 30 months. A highly-trained inspector

determines whether each leg is high enough

quality to be Parma Ham. Those that pass

the test are branded with a  ve-point ducal

crown, the o™ cial guarantee of authenticity

for all Parma Hams.

While Parma Ham can only be produced

in the hills around the city of Parma, the

designated area for Parmigiano Reggiano

Cheese includes Parma, Reggio Emilia,

Modena, Bologna on the west bank of

the Reno river and Mantua on the right

bank of the Po river. This hard, granular,

cows' milk cheese is cooked rather than

pressed, using methods handed down for

more than eight centuries.

In the casello, or cheese dairy, whey is

added to milk to begin fermentation and then

heated, stirring continuously. Rennet is added

and the milk thickens to form curds, which are

broken up, then cooked again at 55°C, before

being poured into circular moulds called

fasceras. These are left to set, then placed

in salt water for 20-25 days, ahead of the

all-important long maturation. All Parmigiano

Reggiano Cheese must be aged for one year,

when it is inspected to decide whether it can

age longer. The oldest cheeses are aged for

36-48 months, giving an intense ‡ avour - a

taste that you won't forget even when your

holiday to Parma is over.

a taste of italy

Visit the historic region of Parma to discover the

area's unique contribution to global gastronomy

Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status is awarded to foods from speci� c geographic areas which

adhere to rigorous standards. PDO status is an indication of quality and origin of traditional products

created by the European Union to help consumers by informing them about speci� c features of the

products, and to protect their geographical appellations against imitations and usurpations.