More and more people are travelling to Bologna for the famous food that you can find here. It is not just for the restaurants and the market anymore, now tourists want to see more. Food factory tours are gaining popularity as we write this article and below you will find some suggestions about making the most of your time in Bologna.
What can you see in one day?
Obviously foodie travellers who are in the Emilia Romagna region for a couple of days want to make the most of it. Bologna along with Parma are just perfect to see 3 gourmet foodsin one day. From morning to early afternoon discerning travellers can visit the parmesan cheese production in the morning, followed by traditional balsamic vinegar, and finally a Parma ham factory with a 3 course gourmet lunch with generous serving of the delicate ham.
First stop: the Parmesan cheese production.
The only drawback of this tour from Bologna is the early start. To avoid that it is better to stay in Modena or Parma. If you decide to stay in Bologna you will need to leave your hotel at 7.15 am , from Modena or Parma the departure time is at 8.30 am. Parmesan cheese is produced once a day 365 days a year including Sundays and Christmas so virtually you can go anytime. Once at the dairy you will assist to the production step by step from the coagulation of the milk to the brine and finally to the ageing which is for a minimum of 12 months. The cheese masters are very proud of the product so they will offer you to sample different ages, and be the judge for one day.
Second stop: Traditional Balsamic vinegar.
After the production of the cheese it is possible to visit a producer of aceto balsamicotradizionale either in Modena or Reggio Emilia. Here you will learn about the process of making this precious PDO condiment which is totally different from any industrial balsamic vinegar. The visitor will learn about the fractional ageing used to transform organic grape must in this unique and precious product. After the visit, you will be taken to the tasting room, where 3 or 4 vinegars can be sampled. During this stage you can learn about the different flavours that develop in the ageing and you will learn how to match it with food.
Final stop: Parma ham factory tour in Parma
Last but not least visitors can take a tour of a Parma ham producer. Here they will learn about the traceability of the meats, how the pork legs are salted and the influences of the local climate on the curing process. You will be walking through hundreds of curing hams to finally discover when and how they become Parma ham with the application of the firebrand representing the 5 point crown of Parma.
One of the Parma ham producer is very accommodation and he transformed part of his facility in a tasting room where the guests can indulge in the famous salume, along with other dishes from the Parma culinary tradition.
Bologna and Parma have a lot to offer in terms of gourmet food. Visitors should not limit their wandering to the central restaurants because here in Emilia Romagna you can actually discover how the food is made, and these tours are very informative and of course it is fun for the whole family or even for team building travel. Emilia Delizia is a proud provider of such food tours in Bologna and Parma, the tours are available throughout the year with a minimum booking of 2 people.
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