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Parma: Parmigiano Production and Parma Ham Tour & Tasting

1. Parma: Parmigiano Production and Parma Ham Tour & Tasting

Learn the secrets of some Italian specialties on a private tour of Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto factories. Enjoy a hassle-free visit with pickup and drop-off from your hotel in Parma. The tour begins at 8:30 AM when the cheese makers pull the cheese from the milk vats. Watch the masters at work as you hear an overview of Parmigiano Reggiano's history from your local guide. Next, visit the seasoning/storage rooms where the cheese is brought for its last stage of production. At the end of the tour, try some different aged Parmigiano Reggiano and browse the on-site shop where you can purchase local products. After, head to the picturesque hills of Langhirano or Felino, which are home to Prosciutto di Parma Ham. The tour begins with a brief history of the production, followed by a visit to the "cold stage," where fresh meats are processed. Learn how the best meat is chosen and see the salting machinery and refrigeration/resting cells. Take a look in the seasoning chambers and savor the traditional ham aromas in the air. Learn about the "spillatura" and how only the best hams pass the test and are branded as the famed "Crown of Parma." Finally, enjoy a degustation of Parma ham accompanied by a glass of Malvasia, a sparkling white local wine. After the tasting, your guide will bring you to your hotel or accommodation.

Parma: Cheese, Ham, & Balsamic Vinegar Tour with Tastings

2. Parma: Cheese, Ham, & Balsamic Vinegar Tour with Tastings

On a day-long tour, you’ll Learn the origins of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese throughout a visit to a cheese factory in Parma. Hear how this cheese, protected by the EU, is still produced following traditional methods. Exclusively made in the Zona Tipica of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, and parts of Bologna and Mantova, Parmesan cheese dates back over 9 centuries. After, head to the picturesque hills of Langhirano, which are home to Prosciutto di Parma Ham. The tour begins with a brief history of the production, followed by a visit to the "cold stage," where fresh meats are processed. Learn how the best meat is chosen and see the salting machinery and refrigeration/resting cells. Take a look in the seasoning chambers and savor the traditional ham aromas in the air. Learn about the "spillatura" and how only the best hams pass the test and are branded as the famed "Crown of Parma." Finally, enjoy a degustation of Parma ham accompanied by a glass local wine. Then We will discover the secrets of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar, one of the hidden and still little-known jewels of the Modena area. We will visit a Traditional Balsamic Vinegar producer and the visit will be followed by tasting of 12 years old, 25 years old Traditional Balsamic Vinegar and other balsamic condiments.

From Bologna: Parma Cheese & Ham Factory Tours and Tastings

3. From Bologna: Parma Cheese & Ham Factory Tours and Tastings

This tour of Parmesan excellence starts from the Bologna train station where our staff will provide you with tickets for the train from Bologna to Parma and back. Once in Parma you will meet outside the Parma train station with our staff who will will welcome you and make you sit on our minibus or Van. The first stop will be the producer of Parmigiano Reggiano where it will be possible to directly witness the processing of Parmigiano Reggiano. The tour begins at the dairy, a room where the milk is cooked in the so-called "caldere" from which the wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano are then extracted. It will then be possible to visit the brine room and the maturing warehouse in which it will be possible to try to "beat" the Parmigiano Reggiano as the experts of the Consortium do. At the end of the tour there will be a tasting of Parmigiano Reggiano of different ages accompanied by typical mustards and local red wine. We then continue to the ham factory, where the famous Parma ham is born. The visit starts from the rooms where the fresh pork meat is processed and where only the best legs are selected for Parma ham. We then continue in the maturing cellars where the "sugnatura" will be explained and where the Parma hams will be "tapped" in the presence of visitors to discover their aromas and evaluate their goodness. At the end tasting of ham and wine from the hills and then return to the city.

Parma Classic Walking Tour

4. Parma Classic Walking Tour

A private tour to discover one of the most flourishing cities in Italy, rich in culture, tradition and delicious food. Find out more about the history of Parma and its splendid monuments, including the Pilotta's Palace, the Farnese Theater, the Roman Bridge, Piazza Garibaldi and the Church of Santa Maria della Steccata. You will also stroll in Piazza Duomo, admiring the Cathedral and its Baptistery.

Parma: Fidenza Village, Parma City Center, and Food Tasting

5. Parma: Fidenza Village, Parma City Center, and Food Tasting

Discover the beautiful city center of Parma, Italy's Capital of Culture 2020 on this walking tour with local food tasting. Sample some local eats at quaint little food and wine shops. Meet your guide in the morning or afternoon and start exploring Parma's fantastic city center. Seek out small, traditional food and wine shops, enjoy tastings, and chat with the locals. Learn more about the history of Parma. From the 1000 year-old medieval district to the frescoes of the Renaissance artists in the domes, to the neoclassic Teatro Regio, the city's buildings represent many different periods in Italian history.

From Florence: Parmesan, Balsamic Vinegar, & Prosciutto Tour

6. From Florence: Parmesan, Balsamic Vinegar, & Prosciutto Tour

This tour from Florence shows you how Parmigiano Reggiano, balsamic vinegar of Modena, and prosciutto ham are produced. Visit regional factories and estates and taste products unique to the region of Emilia-Romagna. Enjoy a typical traditional lunch entirely made with fresh, 0 km ingredients. Start your trip by stepping back in time and learn how Parmigiano Reggiano is produced at a biological caseificio (cheese factory). Find out why the provinces of Parma, Modena, and Reggio Emilia are the only ones that can produce authentic Parmigiano Reggiano. Watch cheesemakers at work as they cook the milk to separate the whey and lift the Parmigiano Reggiano, then head to the aging room. Admire the rows upon rows of cheese wheels and inhale their sweet scent. Taste various types of Parmesan cheese and ricotta paired with local products. Next, head towards an acetaia (balsamic vinegar factory), where you will serve a multi-course lunch typical of the Emilia-Romagna region. You will learn about balsamic vinegar-food pairing. Every served dish is carefully paired with several varieties of balsamic vinegar. After lunch, join a private tour of the estate and its cellars. Receive a full introduction into the balsamic vinegar making process, from the pressing of the grapes and cooking the wort in the boiler to the filtration and mixing process. Taste different types of balsamic vinegar, such as “Tradizionale” and “Extravecchio." Then, head to a prosciuttificio (prosciutto factory). You will tour the factory, visit the production rooms, and understand how ham processing works. Conclude your tour at a tasting of their products: hams both raw and cooked, such as culatta, lardo, salami, prosciutto cotto, prosciutto al tartufo. The cold-cuts will be accompanied by a typical bread from Emilia-Romagna called crescentine, or tigelle. Head back to Florence.

Parma: Traditional Cheese Factory Visit with Tasting

7. Parma: Traditional Cheese Factory Visit with Tasting

Learn the origins of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese throughout a visit to a cheese factory in Parma. Hear how this cheese, protected by the EU, is still produced following traditional methods. Exclusively made in the Zona Tipica of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, and parts of Bologna and Mantova, Parmesan cheese dates back over 9 centuries. Watch the cheese makers pull the product from the milk vats, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the process of cooking and separating the whey. You'll then visit the shaping and salting rooms, before going to the stagionatura where the cheese is aged. Savor the sight and smell of thousands of wheels of cheese, and learn about the strict tests performed by the Consorzio, such as hammering the cheeses before the fire-branding ritual. Finally, taste the delicious cheese accompanied by some honey and local wine.

Frequently asked questions about Parma

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What people are saying about Parma

It was such a delight to have Giorgia as our guide on our Parma walking tour! She shared an overview of the history of the city as well as an excellent orientation to the city center. (We are most grateful for her recommendations for lunch and gelato!) Giorgia’s genuine affection for the city and her knowledge about it helped us truly feel like “temporary Parmense” during our visit. We would highly recommend her for anyone wishing to become better acquainted with Parma. Grazie Mille, Giorgia!

Excellent guide. She was extremely knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the city where she was born and raised. She took me to a gelato place that had the best gelato I’ve had in Italy, and a wonderful variety of Parma hams accompanied by torta frita, tortelli, Parmesan cheese, and sparking wine. She’s wonderfully brilliant, and I learned so much about this special city from this experience. Highly recommend.

Excellent tour. It was a private tour, and we could move along at our own pace. Bel was our driver and guide. Extremely helpful, very knowledgable. Take a private tour if you can. It is worth every cent we paid for. So much so that we cancelled one of those big group tours, and had Bel again to bring us to Cinque Terre. Once again, she did not fail us. Thank you for a wonderful experience!

Very competent, local tour management, who showed us the most important and beautiful sights of Parma in a compact amount of time and the culinary delights ham, cheese and other delicacies could be tasted in selected locations. Thanks very much!

Amazing tour! We didn't have to plan a thing, everything was prearranged. We enjoyed wine tasting, Parmesan cheese tour, and a balsamic vinegar tour. Our guide was amazing and super helpful!