Continuing on with our quest to know where our food comes from, we had a great visit to the 4 Madonne dairy in Modena, where they make Parmigiano Reggiano. As with most products that have been assigned a DOP, there are a number of very specific aspects of how the cheese is made, extending all the way back to where the cows live and where the food they are fed comes from (even the hay they are fed needs to be grown within the region).
Before being released at up to 30 months of age, every one of the thousands of wheels of cheese needs to be inspected (including extensive tapping with a small hammer for soundness and air pockets) by an independent expert. Most of the actual cheese-making process is still done by hand.
