Monthly Archives: May 2012

What to do (and eat) in Parma – A car free tour in Italy’s Food Valley

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If you want to explore the delicacies of Parma on food you can do with our  walking guided tours the town, either on your own or you can hire one of our English speaking guide to take you around and help you with your gourmet shopping. These days there are many deli shops in down town Parma, and many local producers have opened their own shop there, so you do not need to travel to the country side if you want to discover them.

CASA DEL FORMAGGIO

Parma cured meats and cheeses are sold here. AS the name says “the House of Cheese” you already know what to expect.
The should has a wide selection of the local producer including , Parma ham , Culatello (a kind of ham produded in the area), Salame di Felino (a local mountain salami, very tasty indeed), an rare cold cut like Spalla di San Secondo which is a true pork delicacy.  The shop  also sell many ageing and variety of Parmesan cheese as well cheeses from Italy and around the world. In the Pasta department you will find ready to cook tortellini, tortelloni and taglietelle.

ANTICO FORNO FERRARI

It is a family run bakery which opens only in the morning, you will find many hand crafted speciality bread here. They use white  and whole meal flours as well as spelt flour, which is supposed to be very good for your digestive system.

Salumria e gastronomia dall’Olio Mauro

Typical delicatessen in Parma with a wide selection of local cured meats, cheeses, food, and other household items. As you might be expect you will find all best Parma’s Salumi (Italian for cured meats), here you will able to buy Parma ham as well as Parmigiano Reggiano of different ageing. Here you can also buy ready made meals such as lasagne, Tagliatelle, a large selection of cakes and desserts. They also stock more generic items such as ground coffee, milk, dried pasta. water, wine and softdrinks.

L’angolo del Parmigiano

The name says it all. Gouermet shoppers will be able to purchase the products that put Parma on the map: ham, salami, cheese and wine. Staff is very approachable and they will be able to advise regarding the varoius excellent products that they stoock.

Pasticceria D’azelio.

Your trip to Italy and Parma will not be complete without a trip to the local pasticceria. The store is just mintes from one of the main park in Parma: Parco Ducale.
It is a typical upscale cake shop and here you will be find satisfaction for both sweet and savory gourmet treats. You can savour your snacks outside in the patio and accompany th food with wines and champagnes from the well stocked wine cellar.

Enoteca drogheria Viani

An Itlaian typical wine and spices shop. Here you will find a wide selection of local and not so local wines inclulding organic beers. The shop also stocks household and general cooking items such as sugar, flour, soaps, detergents, pasta, canned sauces and so on.

 

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President Obama Praises Traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Modena

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acetaia di Giorgio guided visit

by Marcelo Pinto May 28th, 2012

President Obama and First Lady Michelle, wrote a letter to Traditional Balsamic Vinegar producers Acetaia di Giorgio praising them for their wonderful product. It’s not everyday that a company gets such a letter from the president of the United States. One can only imagine the pride and satisfaction they felt. After all, there’s a huge difference between Acetaia di Giorgio traditional balsamic vinegar and what’s sold at the supermarket. President Obama, as well as connoisseurs from Italy and around the globe all agree that Italy’s Traditional Balsamic vinegar is as precious as liquid gold.

visit a producer of vinegar in Modena

The best variety, hands down, comes from Acetaia di Giorgio. Balsamic vinegar made by Giorgio’s family goes through an elaborate process which has been passed on by his grandmother and remained the same over the years. The vinegar is aged for a minimum of 12 years (and up to 24 years) in barrels of different noble woods such as juniper, mulberry, chestnut, and ash. Although many years have passed and the process has gone unchanged, the results still produce the same exquisite balsamic vinegar that goes well in many dishes, and is continually praised even by dignitaries.

There are two ageing of Traditional Balsamic Vinegars that are made according to the highest of standards by the producers at Acetaia di Giorgio. Some batches are aged 12 years, and the extra old ones are aged 25 years. Together, there are seven different varieties of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena made by Giorgio.
Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena White Cap, White Cap Cherry and White Cap Juniper are those that have been aged for 12 years.

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena extra old comes in Gold Cap, Giorgio Primo Reserve Cherry, Giorgio Primo Reserve Juniper, Carlotta 1986, and Superior. All having thier own flavour which satisfies individual palates.

It must be noted that the vinegar labelled Cherry and Juniper have been aged in only one kind of wood to give to the product a truly unique flavour.

Regardless of which Acetaia di Giorgio Balsamic Vinegar you choose, you can be sure that each varieties has an incredible complexity of aromas and flavours and fit for a king or a president.

Obama and vinegar of Modena

President Obama and Michelle write a letter to praise balsamic vinegar of Modena

 

Emilia Delizia can organise a gourmet food visit in Modena with a balsamic vinegar producer tour, also we can add to your day parmesan cheese production tour, Parma ham, Lambrusco wine tour, castles and art guided visits of Modena and neighbouring towns.

balsamic vinegar producer in Modena

 

 

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Parmesan dot com Launches in the U.S.

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Consorzio Del Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano Launches Parmesan.Com

by Marcelo Pinto Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012

The Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano today launched its new US website, Parmesan.com in New York. This website is now the most comprehensive online resource for recipes and information on Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is a protected product and is one of the DOP cheese recognised in Italy. The website was created in partnership between Good Food Creative, Inc, 2nd Nature and Digital Brand Expressions, and New Jersey. It  is designed to help Americans and the world in general understand and appreciate the history and uses of parmesan cheese better. Rather than just provide recipes, it is going to encourage users to interact and share so that they can learn more.

Parmesan cheese comes from Parma in northern Italy, and it is the original cheese that  many American associate with cheeses from Italy that are hard, and have a strong savoury flavour. Parmesan cheese is considered a delicacy, in fact, it is the privilege of the true gourmand . Parmigiano Regiano is a brand that represents status and prestige in the world of cheeses as well, and eating it is a delightful experience.

A typical Parmesan cheese is made through a unique process of heating half fat milk, adding whey and rennet. The curds are then broken  to obtain the grainy textures. Each vat has 1000 kilos of milk in it,  and they will produce 2 wheels each. The cheese is aged for minimum 12 months before being labelled Parmigiano Reggiano by an expert from the consortium. For  few centuries ago and till now, the waste  whey from the process was fed to pigs which were then slaughtered for making Parma ham.

Visitors to the launch were treated to a taste of Parmigiano Reggiano as part of a 3 course meal that was prepared by Chef Michael White of Wisconsin who discovered and fell in love with Parmesan cheese in the course of his cooking career.

Parmesan.com will provide cooking inspiration through plenty of recipes, ranging from simple salads to main dishes. Chefs and other Parmesan.com community members are free to share the recipes with visitors, as well as rate recipes from around the world. The site also allows both visitors and members to contribute newly discovered meal ideas, build a recipe box of favorite recipes, test their knowledge of Parmesan cheese and learn how Parmigiano Regianno cheese is made. To get started, register at parmesan.com you can do so and log in using your Facebook account.

Parmigiano reggiano wheels

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Earthquake in Emilia Romagna shakes 30,000 wheels of Parmesan

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Tremors and damages in the area around Ferrara.

by Marcelo Pinto Sunday, May 20th, 2012

In the early hours of the Morning of 20th May 2012 an earthquake of magnitude 5.9 struck the area around Ferrara. Many people felt the bang in the middle of the night and they were awaken by the shaking. There have been instanced of severely damaged building in the area and 4 people seems to have died due to the shaking.  Ferrara is a town in the region of Emilia Romagna about 70 km from Modena and 50 km from Bologna. Despite the epicenter being between Modena and Bologna and the damage here in Modena and Bologna was minimal only a major scare for everyone. The train line was suspended for several hours however the authorities managed to restarted the service.

The strangest thing that happened here it is that about 30 thousand wheels of parmesan cheese were knocked down from their ageing shelves causing considerable damage to the producers.

Bologna

It was very scary a resident reports, but there are no damages to the buildings.

Modena

In Modena city centre there have been no damages however in the town of Finale Emilia a bell tower was damaged, 35 hospital patients have been evacuated.

Reggio Emilia.

People in Reggio Emilia felt the vigorous shaking but no damages to the infrastructure were reported.

Parma.

Just the shaking were felt without any damage.

Emilia Delizia notice to our clients.

Emilia Delizia would like to reassure that despite the scary moments Bologna, Modena and Parma areas are perfectly safe. Our gourmet tours will be running as normal and planned for the coming days. Therefore do not cancel your foodie holidays as all services have restarted as normal in just hours after the quake.

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News about the earthquake from the BBC – Video transcript.

When a magnitude six earthquake struck northern Italy, 10% of the world’s supply of Parmigiano came crashing the ground. Cheese makers are not just facing ruined Parmesan, but potentially financial ruin. One of these rounds sells for $800. When the shelves holding the Parmesan fell, the oldest rounds fell last.

It’s these cheeses, the ones that have been maturing for up to two years that the owners are now desperately trying to sell.

“We’re trying to push the cheese into the market immediately so the Parmigiano is eaten and we avoid dumping it.”

In the city of Modena, the farmers are selling the Parmesan at a 40% discount.

They don’t appear to be having any trouble attracting buyers.

“I chose to come here in solidarity with my people and also because the price is lower.”

If you want to get a sense of what’s financially at stake for these farmers you need to look no further than the local bank. In the vault, thousands of rounds of Parmesan are held as collateral for the loans given to cheese makers.

Recently, farmers here have been struggling to survive with a hundred going out of business in the last five years. Of course, it’s not just about the money, but tradition. They’ve been making Parmesan and in the Emilia-Romagna region for 9 centuries. Zoe Conway, BBC News.

 

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Ferrari Track day in Modena – Autodromo racing track hire for half a day

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Exclusive use of The track Autodromo di Modena  - Half a Day activities for a group of 30 people.

by Marcelo Pinto Sunday, May 20th, 2012

drive a ferrari in Modena on the track

Please note that the prices are always all inclusive, mechanics, instructors, Ferrari Challenge tuned for racing, ambulance, insurance and so on

Ferrari Emotions package in Modena in one day

The package offered by allows any fan to make contact with  the last generation  racing cars, The with the help of qualified instructors you will have the opportunity to accomplish, in absolute safety, a few laps trying in progress, the real potential of a car in the GT class racing.

What is Included
Cars  Employed : FERRARI 430 CHALLENGE tuned for racing.

  • theoretical introduction to the sport riding
  • Exercise driving with road cars (vehicle skid control) on paddock area
  • Ferrari Driving (driving two shifts of 4 laps each per guest)
  • It will always be at your disposal a coffee corner with refreshments.
  • Helmet and under helmet for driving
  • Guest insurance
  • Ferrari Insurance (excess € 5,000) terms and condition apply

The team

The team involved in the organization is composed of:

  • 3 instructors dedicated for the activity on the track
  • 2 instructors dedicated at the back of paddock with road cars
  • 1 coordinator / tutoring course
  • 3 + dedicated hostess helping in the preparation
  • 3 qualified mechanics
  • Control Personal of the circuit track and  for the recovery of the vehicles
  • Paramedics with ambulance available

The Ferrari cars employed during the day.

The cars used are:

  • N. 3 Ferrari Challenge Racing 430 laps + and an escort (all cars are red without a sponsor, you can apply a sticker in the bonnet with your sponsors about 30X30 cm.
  • N. 2 cars for road driving exercises

This example offer will include

  • Structures of the circuit exclusive half-day to be scheduled at the necessity of the clients.
  • Assistance on the track with qualified instructors and assistants
  • Racing Ferrari 430 Challenge cars for the day
  • Helmet with intercom and under-helmet.
  • Coffee Corner available all day
  • Certificate of attendance
  • Accident insurance for all participants
  • Ferrari Car insurance
  • Assistance in English or other Languages

Ferrari Challenge

Ferrari challenge in Modena

drive a super car in Modena

 

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Test drive a Ferrari in Maranello, Italy.

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How to drive a super car while in Maranello, Modena.

If you come to visit Maranello in Modena, you will be surely at the Galleria Ferrari museum. However can you really afford to go home without test driving one these roaring beauties? Probably not. So we are here for you to help. Emilia Delizia can organise for you Ferrari and Lamborghini test drives. Our test drives are always on the public road or on request on the newly open  Modena circuit (Autodromo di Modena).
For the experience the driver need to be over 18 and have an international driving licence. You will be always accompanied by our experienced driving instructors. The test drive lasts from 10 minuets to up to 2 hours. For the longer drives you will be taken to the nearby mountains, here you will have plenty of fun dealing with the the bends of these windy roads.
For those who want to have a full on experience, we will take the clients to the Autodromo di Modena, the newly opened test track just outside Modena, and there with an instructor you will drive 5 laps. The whole track driving experience lasts for 2 hours. 1 hour at the track and 1 hour on the public way.

The cars available for the experience are the following:

Ferrari F430 Spider

The Ferrari F430 spider is a sports car that was first manufactured in the year 2004 until the year 2009. The car features a 4.3L V8 petrol powered engine. The engine is capable of developing 483hp or 360 kilowatts at 8500rpm. The engine is powerful enough to generate a torque of 465Nm at 5250rpm of which 80% is achievable at only 3500rpm. It was an improvement of the predecessor Ferrari 360 and can accelerate from 0 to 62mph in 4s which was 0.3 seconds quicker. The top speed is 196mph and the brakes are made using cast iron or an optional carbon ceramic set of brakes

Ferrari California

Another version of Ferrari which is the Ferrari California, a 2 door 2+2 coupe convertible, was launched in the year 2008 at the Paris motor show. The car was special because it introduced new features that the design team took long to work on and perfect. It was the first Ferrari that had a metal folding roof, V8 front engine, 7-speed with a 2 clutch transmission system, direct petrol injection and a rear suspension with many links. The top speed is 193mph and capable of accelerating from 0-62mph in just 3.9s. The transmission also features a 6 speed manual system giving the driver a choice.

Ferrari F458 Italia

Ferrari 458 Italia on the other hand is a mid-engine replacement of the F430 whose production started in 2009. The engine is a 4.5L V8 capable of developing 562hp and 540Nm of torque at 9000rpm of which 80% can be attained at only 3250rpm. The transmission system available is a single automated one and features a 7-speed dual clutch gear system. The top speed is 202mph and acceleration from 0-62mph is capable in just 3.4 seconds.

Lamborghini LP570-4 Superleggera

The Lamborghini LP570-4 Superleggera  is a light weight sports car that only weighs 1340kgs because it is designed using carbon fiber and is super stable. It was launched in 2010 with a 5.2L V10 engine capable of generating 562hp at 8000rpm. Acceleration from o to 62 mph is possible in just 3.4s and the top speed is 202mph.

Ferrari F458 Italia

Ferrari 458 Italia on the other hand is a mid-engine replacement of the F430 whose production started in 2009. The engine is a 4.5L V8 capable of developing 562hp and 540Nm of torque at 9000rpm of which 80% can be attained at only 3250rpm. The transmission system available is a single automated one and features a 7-speed dual clutch gear system. The top speed is 202mph and acceleration from 0-62mph is capable in just 3.4 seconds.

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano is a 2 seat Italian Gran Turismo that was produced between the years 2006 to 2012. Its engine displacement totaled 5999cc hence the name. The engine is a 6.0L V12 that produces 612hp and a torque of 608Nm without the need of turbo charging. The transmission features both a 6 speed manual system and a 6 speed sequential similar to one used for F1 racing cars.

Basic Test drive.

just to feel the power of the car around the small town of Maranello – 10 minutes

Medium Test drive.

A little longer driving experience, feel the acceleration 15-20 minutes

Long Extended Test drive.

About 30 minutes – More bends and country-side roads - beautiful Italian scenery in a super car.

Mountain extended Test drive.

One hour experience around the Appennini mountain in Modena, lots of bends and incredible driving experience.

Panoramic test drive.

Duration about 60 minutes panoramic as it says on the box.

Precision Test drive

2 HOURS Driving, get the best from your experience, country side, mountain, it has it all.
In addition to these car driving experiences it is now possible to drive a Ferrari F430 on the Modena racing circuit, the experience lasts for 90 minutes, the clients will drive the cars on public road for about 30 minutes and additionally will drive the car for 5/6 laps on the circuit with an experienced instructor.
The price for the above experience is 900 euros per person.

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What to do in Bologna in 48 hours

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Main attractions in Bologna and why to stay here.

by Marcelo Pinto Friday, May 18th, 2012

Bologna - The church of San Luca

Bologna – The church of San Luca

What to eat in Bologna.

Bologna in the last 20 years has became the mecca of the food lover and foodie travellers. With its world wide reputation for food food it never fails to attract and surprise gourmet eaters from the U.S.A, Canada, Australia, Japan, Russia, China and so on. We have seen all nationalities coming here just for one reason EAT!

Bologna is big for its fresh egg pasta and it comes in literally 100 of variation with matching sauces. Winter or summer you should not fail to try the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese (please do not ask for Spaghetti with Bolognese sauce as it is not an Italian dish but an approximation invented abroad), then you will want to try the lasagne, tortellini and tortelloni, quaretti, maltagliati and so on. A less known dish by the visitor but extremely popular in Bologna or Modena are the crescrentine or sometimes called tigelle . Small breads that back in the days were baked by the fireplace sandwiched between round shapes of clay and they constitute the staple meals for the farmer and their families. Nowadays they are served with all sort of cured meats.

Gnocco Fritto or crescentine fritte.

This is the bad boy of the Bolognese cooking style, as it is flour dough fried in lard, it is divine with prosciutto and it should not be missed for any reason. It is also very common in Modena and Parma, here you will find that it called torta Fritta.

Mortadella in Bologna.

This slow cooked pink sausage is know all over the world in its copycat versions which simply ruined this popular salumi in Italy. Now the real mortadella di Bologna  is protected by the IGP label from the Italian government. The Indicazione di origine protetta indicate that the sausage is produced following a traditional recipe using only prime lean pork cut, then ground very finely which will give the pink appearance, and slowly cooked for 72 hours, the only ingredients should be pork, and salt. However it is very likely to contain nitrates added as preservative. It can be eaten finely sliced or cubed.

 What to see in Bologna.

After many heavy meals in Bologna you will soon find out that you will need to move a little to shed off the calories. In Bologna the best activity to do so it is to take a walk to the church of San Luca, which is the orange building that you see on the top of the hills surrounding Bologna. The porticoes stretch from the centre of the town and go all the way to the top, it is about 4 km of steep uphill walk. If you do not feel so adventurous you can take the tourist train from the central square. Other urban adventures are the torre degli Asinelli, one of the 2 tours adjacent to Piazza Maggiore has several 100 steps all the way to the top, once representing one of the powerful Bolognese family now offers visitors breathtaking views of the city. Along the Piazza Maggiore don’t miss the Jean de Boulogne fountain, San Petronio one of largest churches in Italy, and finally the room of the Spellati in the oldest university in the western world. It is a room in the faculty of medicine with two statues of man without their skin to expose the underneath muscles to the students.

Where to sleep in Bologna.

Bologna is a major transport hub in Italy, with a large train station, one airport and one major motorway if you are travelling from north to south and vice versa you got to pass from Bologna. Hotels tend to be fairly price compared to most the other tourist part of Italy, however in September you might find it expensive as there many exhibition around that period, in this case you can stay in Modena which is only 20 minutes by train and it has many very good quality hotels.

If you stay in Bologna it is best to book one of the hotel around the station, or around Piazza Maggiore, but remember if you are driving there in a no traffic zone in force so make sure that you know where you are going.

We recommend the Grand Majestic Baglioni that it is the city 5 star hotel with all the luxurious comfort that you will ever need. La Una, Starhotel excelsior and Mercure hotel are all very similar and right in front to the station. The Zan Hotel and 3 Vecchi are also popular choices are all very similar in standard.

Where to eat in Bologna.

Diana and Caminetto d’oro have been the best and most renowned  restaurant in Bologna for many years but you will find that the prices have also risen and they are not that reasonable any more. If you are looking for somewhere where the locals eat I would recommend Trattoria Anna Maria Via delle Belle Arti 17, open for lunch. For the evening you can try Taverna dei Lords in Via Nazario Sauro, here you can try many of the pasta  dishes from the Bologna cuisine.

Cookery lessons in Bologna

Emilia Delizia organises cookery classes in Bologna with a tour of the local market, student who want to be chef for one day can prepare fresh egg pasta with our professional chef. We can take solo travellers and larger groups anyone is welcome.

Gourmet tour from Bologna.

Emlia Delizia also pick up small or larger parties for our 3 food gourmet food in one day, with departure at 7.15 from your hotel or nearby location we will take you to visit the Parmesan cheese production, a balsamic vinegar producer with tasting and finally an organic winery in Modena or if you prefer to see the Parma ham we can also accomodate that.

mortadella

typical products of Bologna artisanal mortadella

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Tour to the Ferrari Musuems

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Casa Museo Enzo Ferrari

by Marcelo Pinto Saturday, May 13th, 2012

Modena has now opened a second museum dedicated to Enzo Ferrari the man who built one of the most iconic car in the world. The museum is just under 10 minutes walk from the station. Casa Enzo Natale museum stands where Enzo’s father rail carriage workshop once was. Also a new building has been designed by Kaplicky to replicate the yellow bonnet of a Ferrari car. Inside the museum you will find a collection of the the early cars that Enzo designed, built and raced, including a model of the very first car made by Enzo that did not have his name yet Auto Avio Costruzioni 815 used to race the Mille Miglia of 1940.  You will also find Maserati and De Tomaso cars in the museum as these marques are also based in Modena (Maserati is actually across the road from the collection) and Enzo was able to inspire other super car builders in the area.

If you are in Modena for one day it is worth to say, that you can also visit at least 2 other museums dedicated to super car. From Modena it is possible to go to Maranello which is the home of Ferrari and on the way it is possible stop at the Panini Collection.

Panini Colletion.

Mr Umberto Panini worked for Maserati as an Engineer and he is also the man behind the football stickers Panini and the organic parmesan farm Hombre. At the car museum it is possible to admire many piece of mechanical art from early Lamborghini and Maserati tractors to  Maserati prototypes to military motorcycles and Lambretta tuned scooters, as well as bicycles  and 50′s style petrol pumps.

Galleria Ferrari and Maranello.

Maranello is about 20 km from Modena, and it is the home of the Ferrari factory since the 1960. It is not actually possible to tour the production lines here as they are reserved only for the owner of the cars. However there is plenty to do here if you are interested in the red cars. First of all you can visit the Galleria Ferrari which is the official museum with collection of many F1 cars and upstairs you will find cars that Ferrari build such as the mighty F40. The management also organises a shuttle bus at 12.30 or 1.30 pm which will actually enter the factory  grounds with a commentary in English.

Super Car Driving experience.

Visitors should really go home without having tried one, Emilia Delizia can organise a test drive with the following cars Ferrari F430 Spider, Ferrari California, Lamborghini LP570-4 Superleggera other models are also available.

Test drive on the Modena Circuit and incentive travel.

Now that our test drive circuit has now open it is possible to take our guests to drive one of the above model directly on the test track. All the driving will be with one of our English speaking instructors and it will include a public road test drive on the way to the racing track in Modena and 5/6 laps on the circuit. Worth to mention that on certain days or for larger groups it is possible to drive a Ferrari Challenge.

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Culatello ham tour from Parma

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Culatello the king of cured meats - how to visit the producers in Italy.

by Marcelo Pinto Saturday, May 13th, 2012

Culatello is an Italian cold cut obtained form the best part of the pig: the back legs. The main differences between Parma ham and culatello are the followings: area of production, and the technique of curing the meats..

Culatello and its area of production – Parma province.

This ham is produced north of Parma on the flat lands of Pianura Padana. The huge flat lands that stretch from the Alps to the Apennini mountains in Italy, The PDO area of production is tiny making this product unique, highly sought after and luxurious, notably the towns of production are Busseto, Polesine Parmense, Zibello, Soragna, Roccabianca, San Secondo, Sissa and Colorno. Here the climate is much more humid and foggy than anywhere else in the area. Because of this characteristics it would be impossible to cure the ham on the bone as we would do for the Parma ham. Therefore with culatello the bone is removed to obtain 2 cuts, the main one culatello (literally the little ass) and the fiocchetto which is the inner muscle of the leg. The ingredients are just freshly slaughtered meat, salt and pepper.

How culatello is cured – the brick cellars.

Culatello requires humid brick cellars that are in the basement of buildings. The ham is then placed in a natural casing (pig bladder), tied and rubbed with salt and pepper only, also the meat need to reach the producer quickly from the moment of the slaughter  to keep the bacterial load low, which helps to cure the meat without the use of artificial preservatives. Culatello will spend at least 12 months in these traditional cellars before being inspected by  the experts of the consortium of Culatello di Zibello. The product is examined  with a wooden mallet checking for potential defects.

Parma ham VS Culatello of Zibello.

Is one better than the other? Well there will be a lot of debate if we say so. In short they are 2 different produces. Parma ham has a very sweet taste and it is cured with very little salt however it is produced on a larger scale with a larger output while still maintaining the consortium high quality. Culatello remains a niche gourmet product still made by a handful producers with methods that track back to their grand fathers or sometimes their grand grand fathers. Culatello is also more difficult to obtain and it is more labour intensive than Parma ham. Finally culatello has a more elegant, fragrant, structured and prolonged flavour than Parma ham. It is drier in texture and more savoury and the taste keeps flowing as you chew it.

The final product – how to prepare it.

When finally becomes the so acclaimed gourmet products (it can cost up to 70 euros a kg), the meats are bright red with nice marbling of fat, which enhance the delicate savoury taste. In order to eat the ham, you will need to prepare it. You will need to remove the strings used to tie it, and soak it in wine for a few hours. This will help to remove easily the bladder . Once this is done you will have to slice it very thinly. A slicing machine gives the best results.

How to eat Culatello di Zibello.

Culatello it is a great appetiser, and it would go with a glass of Fortana del Taro wine, or Malvasia and why not with a nice glass or Lambrusco. As part of your appetiser dish you can also add some shaving of Parmesan and few drops of balsamic vinegar of Modena or Reggio Emilia.

 How to visit a culatello producers in Parma.

Emilia Delizia can organise a culatello English guided tour, from Parma as part of our gourmet tours in Italy. We can pick you up from your hotel or meet you at a designated location. Our tours will always include a detailed visit and a generous final tasting. Don’t forget that this experience can be mixed with the Parmesan production, wine tours and balsamic vinegar production and cookery experiences.

 Culatello making classes – Culinary experiences in Parma

For those interested in a hands on approach, we organise culatello ham curing techniques. Our highly trained master curer will show you how the make the precious ham. The typical class will last one morning and the participants will learn how to prepare, cure, and tie the meat according the ancient Italian tradition. Your product will be aged in the cellars and it can be sent to you when it is ready.

Cualtello tasting visits with cycling along the Po’ River.

The Po’ river has a lot to offer, in terms of gastronomic adventures that can be combined with cycling tours departing from Parma with destination Cremona, of course with the use of river boats. The Po’ also has a network of cycling paths touching many producers of culatello.

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Lamborghini Factory tours

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Visit the factory lines at this famous super car manufacturer based just outside Bologna.

by Marcelo Pinto Sunday, May 20th, 2012

Half way between Bologna and Modena, lurking in the unpretentious Italian country side you will find one of the most prestigious car marque in the world. The company funded by Mr. Ferruccio Lamborghini at the end of the 1960 who was originally a tractor manufacturer in the area. The entrepreneur having made a successful business decided to buy himself a Ferrari however he was not happy about some of the mechanical parts of the car. Consequently he decide to complain to the car maker who was also his friend Enzo Ferrari. Enzo did not take it lightly and replied to Ferruccio to mind his tractor business instead of worrying about Ferrari cars. Lamborghini felt insulted and he went straight into planning his own super car design business.

This is only half of the story of mr. Lamborghini who went to become of the maker of the most prestigious cars in the world. Now visitors with our English speaking guide will be able to visit the museums where they can admire the early models that made this company successful such as the Miura, Countach, and Diablo. On the first floor there are more recent models and prototypes such as Murcielago, Gallardo, Aventador and the Reventon a 4 seater only produced in a limited number but never went to full production.

Lamborghini factory tours

This factory allows visitors to enter the restricted areas and see the 2 lines that produce the 2 current models Gallardo and Aventador. The visitor will be taken by the Lamborghini own guide with a detailed visit in English to the factory grounds, including the engine fitting areas, dyno testing, and body work assembly lines. If English is not your first language Emilia delizia can always add to your super car adventure a translator in Russian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese or Japanese.

The factory tour will start from the museum and it will continue into the factory, remember that photos are only allowed in the museum and before entering the restricted areas you will need to leave any bag, camera or phone in the secure lockers. The visit lasts about 60/70 minutes. The cost is about 40 euros at the moment of writing and if you wish to see only the museum the cost is 15 euros per person.

How to get to Lamborghini.

This might be a daunting task if you do not have your own car and if you are not familiar with the Bologna and Modena, and it would be even more difficult to come by public transport as in Sant Agatata Bolognese the home of Lamborghini there is no train only rare local buses from Bologna.

Our organised tours to Lamborghini with Factory visits.

We will be very happy to organise your visit to the car museums and factories, we can pick you up from any location with our driver and guide service, if you stay in Bologna, Modena, Florence, Parma, Ravenna or Milan it is doable in one day. With our services we provide a tour master on request who will be in the car with you to help and translate when necessary and we can accommodate parties of 2 to 100 people.

Prices for museum and factory visits.

At the time of writing for information only the price of the Lamborghini museum is about 15 euros and the factory visit and museum with English speaking guide is 40 euros. These prices do not include our booking fees, transport or our guide fees.

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