01 May 2025
What a fantastic tour! Our guide, George, picked us up promptly right outside the Parma train station and took our group of eight on a marvelous trip just outside the city of Parma
Our first stop was at one of the major producers of Parmesan cheese. We wached in wonder as the workers were making, testing, and storing the cheese, while George provided commentary, patiently and humorously explaining the intracies of each step of the process. George was incredibly knowledgeable, funny, and engaging. We then did a lovely tasting of the cheese accompanied by a nice local wine. Absolutely fascinating! George then drove us a very short distance to a small business where we learned/saw how prosciutto is made. There is no slaughterhouse or live pigs on site, so it shouldn't pose a problem, even for the faint of heart. But we were walked through the entire process. George even took us into the basement to see the special legs being cured, including George's prize hindquarters. We got to meet the owner, a delightful gentleman named Claudio, who personally sliced the prosciutto for us and served us rolls and local wine. In summary, it was a fantastic tour with a lot of information and insights about two food products that we typically grab and go without ever realizing the amount of effort that goes into their production. We would definitely recommend this tour and would also recommend that you request George as your guide.