There are some typically Italian gastronomic excellences that, if we think about it, have always been part of our tradition and culture.
We are so used to having them “at the table” that perhaps, sometimes, we don't even realize how unique they are in the world. Parmigiano Reggiano Dop is one of them.
Its history is intrinsically linked to the territory of origin and today, as a thousand years ago, production has remained substantially identical: the same ingredients – milk, salt and rennet – and the same craftsmanship that preserves completely natural processing, without the use of of additives.
The process of transforming raw milk into cheese is one of the main steps that make the Parmigiano Reggiano unique in its kind. Damiano Delfante tell us about it, owner of Delfante di Ravarano dairy, in the province of Parma, where, for more than 100 years, the ancient methods of dairy tradition have been passed down from generation to generation.
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You are a 'milk artisan'. How did your passion for this profession come about?
I am the son, grandson and great-grandson of cheesemakers, but as a boy I had no intention of becoming one too. After graduating as a surveyor, I enrolled in Civil Engineering, but I wasn't passionate about it.
Memories of when I was a child resurfaced: the hands of my grandfather and my father who caressed the curd and opened a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano…
It was recorded and I expected to smell its perfume, evaluate its texture, hoping that the dough was soft and the flavor was sweet… There was a great tension in the air and then, suddenly, I saw everyone happy and satisfied.
And I was thinking: does opening a wheel of cheese cause all this? AND a ritual, a dance. Little by little this profession started to bother me and, when my father had health problems, I took his place. It was the best choice of my life.
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What exactly does a cheesemaker do?
The cheesemaker turns raw milk into cheese. To make Parmigiano Reggiano, in particular, you start by working the milk to a temperature no lower than 18°. We managed, through technology, to maintain it for 12 hours.
This way, the natural milk fat rises to the surface and traps all the 'bad' bacteria. What type of milk is used? 50% of milk is low fat and at night it is poured into the boiler through the extraction process. In the morning, the remaining 50% whole milk is added to create the right balance between fats and proteins.
When I walk into the dairy, I can already smell the cream that has formed overnight and act accordingly. This is because I have to be able to collect all the 'milk goodness' , including bacteria, which are often enclosed in the last drops before the cream even falls.
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What qualities do you consider important to do this job?
We assume this is not a job, but a philosophy of life. As I always say, it is a profession that must first be learned and then studied, because talent and instinct are essential skills to enter in total symbiosis with milk and cheese, 'accompanying' them in their path of transformation.
The milkman's sensitivity is everything, it makes the difference. It may seem like hard work, but for me it is a sacred rite. You don't work for eight hours and then leave like in the office.
You always carry this work with you, it must be lived in a totalitarian way to understand its deep meaning.
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How to get Parmigiano Reggiano?
We artificially reproduce the same 'environment' that exists in the calf's stomach when he eats and digests breast milk. After digesting, the milk coagulates and cheese is created in the stomach.
We recreate the same acidity and the same temperature and use the enzymes that the calf has in its stomach, which for us are rennet.
We then raise the temperature to 34°, wait for the milk to coagulate and cut the curd into many small grains through a process that is called 'painting'. For pinning we use a tool called 'thorn', do you know why? The term derives from 'hawthorn': in ancient times, Benedictine monks used a hawthorn branch to process milk and preserve the derived substances even during winter.
Finally, the last step: from 34° we reach 55° in a few minutes, where we must be able to 'squeeze' each grain of curd, purging the whey to create a compact cheese paste.
We play everything in 5 minutes and we have to proceed by sensations, moving along with the milk like a dance. How do we enter into symbiosis? Through the hands, the symbol of dairy products. They call them 'wise hands'.
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How important are bacteria?
We are 'bacteria herders', because they are fundamental at all stages of the supply chain.
I spent my entire life looking for the best bacterial flora. I live in a mountainous area with stable meadows, where only one cut of hay is harvested per year with an incredible amount of essences that give the cheese its personality.
The good bacteria, then, are very useful: they eat all the lactose inside the cheese and create the right acidity.
Article and photos: Corriere della Sera
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