Dispatches from Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre…

Still sweating from a 2k walk from the train station loaded with my share of climbing gear (the kids and Christian stayed at the beach), and with 5 minutest to goggle at the immensity of the venue, I jumped right into it yesterday with my first “taste workshop”. Seated at tables lined with 3 fat glasses, chewy Italian bread, and bottles of sparkling water were an eclectic mix of businessmen, tourists, farmers, and chefs. In front of the speakers—serious Cesare himself (from a long line of sons) from the nearby Pio Cesare winery (the oldest winery in Piedmont’s Lange Valley), a moderator, a speaker from the Parmigiano-Reggiano Consortium (that regulates certification), and a master cheese taster with dreadlocks piled high on his head in a bun, were two open rounds of 24-month old Parmigiano-Reggiano where chunks of salty gold were pried for our tasting.

Although only three ingredients go into making true, certified Parmigiano-Reggiano (milk, salt, and calves rennet) the resulting cheeses are a “hymn to biodiversity.” 400 cheese makers produce parmigiano-Reggiano with milk from 4000 dairies from Tuscany north to the Piedmont region. To be classified Parmigiano-Reggiano by the consortium the cheese makers must follow some controlled by third party state authorities. Cows eat dry forage and fresh grass- fermented forage, and feed with animal remnants is prohibited. The cheese maker separates a small amount of cream from the evening milk and mixes it with the whole morning milk in 600-liter (min) vats. Natural veal rennet and whey from previous batches are added, and the cooked curds are pressed and soaked in salt brines for 20 days. While these few rules are followed, the rest is left to tradition and the hands (literally) of the individual cheese makers who stir the grains of curds.

We tasted 3 cheeses; all made in October 2008, and aged 24 months. They came from Bologna/Modena, Parma, and Reggio Emilia, respectively. We compared the common characteristics- the strong lactic—milk and melted butter—smell, tartness, and the crystalline structure of the minerals formed from proteolysis —a sign of easy digestion. We learned how to identify the complexity of the aftertaste and feel on the tongue. They all tasted pretty much perfect with Pio Cesare’s 2007 Barabera, 2006 Barbalesco, and 2006 Barolo.

For a “chicca finale” we were treated to chef Vittorio Fusari’s white chocolate pralines filled with buffalo ricotta (made from Parmigiano-Reggiano whey, of course) and rolled in powdered Parmigiano-Reggiano from the “red cows.” Incredible little sweet, sour, salty bites that celebrate the most traditional common Italian food in an innovative way.

A fun discussion followed about the classic Italian housewife and what she might look for in a table grating cheese—please nothing less than 24 months old—it’s much too soft and sticks to the grater! I’d die for the option to be so picky.

Although the pairing of cheese and wine has been meditate on for years by the Slow Food community, there were no rules and no one telling us the answer. We were encouraged to mix and match and decide on our own. The “experts,” when pressed, all had different opinions, but no one had any doubt that the future of this cheese is truly gigante.