What is Parmigiano-Reggiano?

You may know Parmesan cheese as the shredded hard cheese that is sprinkled onto pasta, pizzas, or into salads.  But the authentic stuff, “Parmigiano-Reggiano”,  can only be found in the Parma region of Italy.  There are a limited number of certified Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese makers in the region, and these cheese makers adhere to strict production standards and quality testing.

Parmigiano-Reggiano Tours in Parma

Many Parmigiano-Reggiano manufacturers offer tours of their production; a worthwhile stop if you’re visiting the region. Since these are working farms with cheese making facilities, they include vast fields for dairy cows.  Like any farm, it’s likely there’s at least one dog roaming around as well.

Working Farm Dog

We met this sweet farm dog on a tour of a Parmigiano-Reggiano farm near Parma, Italy. We donned protective covers to keep us from slipping on the damp factory floors throughout the tour, but this sure-footed guy didn’t need to worry about slips or falls. Clearly he knows his way around the farm and the cheese factory.

We were lucky to arrive at the cheese factory just in time to catch the start of a tour. The farm dog said hello when we first arrived to the tour, by giving us an investigative sniff and then moving on. He hovered near our tour group to see what we were up to, but he was clearly used to having newcomers randomly show up.

Our canine companion stayed with us for parts of the tour, went off to check the premises, and came back to make sure the tour was on track. We spoke to him in English but he probably didn’t understand a word we said, being that he lives on a farm in Italy.  Our guide spoke only Italian, but luckily we were with some Italian tourists who knew broken english, and some American tourists who knew basic italian.  Between all of these people, lots of hand waving, and a little help from google translate, everyone had a great time learning about the cheese making process.

From beginning to end, the tour was so interesting and so much fun. For the dog, however, I think the best part would have been the back room, where the cheese wheels from the morning’s production were sitting on a grate, dripping away their moisture. The dog did his part in keeping the room tidy by licking up the drips from the floor.

This cheese making farm and facility was one of the highlights of our trip to Italy and the tag-along pup made it all the more fun.