When I first moved from Italy to the UK I came to work as an au pair and as I was in charge of the evening meal I remember asking the family: “Do you have any Parmesan in the house?”
The lady of the house smiled softly and promptly reassured me: “Oh yes we do!” opening a cupboard to reach a long shaped plastic tube labelled “Parmesan”. Inside there was nothing that tasted or looked remotely like Parmesan: a white chemically charged powder with a funny aftertaste of old cheese.
Thank goodness you get much more of a choice in supermarkets these days. In fact I am pleasantly surprised to find more and more authentic Italian food available in the UK.
I have recently tasted some artisan food from Emilia Romagna and I wanted to share my thoughts with you.
I tasted a 30 months old Parmesan which had an incredible deep taste. My young son was mad about it and we decided not to shave it on pasta but to enjoy it on its own as it was just pure heaven.
I made the most of it and I prepared an antipasto with bresaola (salted beef) with rocket (arugola) and parmesan, all sprinkled with delicious olive oil. Perfect with grissini or rustic bread.
I have enjoyed this with a good glass of wine.
I also tasted “Savour” which was new to me. It is a chutney typical from Emilia Romagna. It is rich in fruit like figs, peaches, apples, quince, apricots, prunes, grape juice and nuts. Really interesting, it is mildly spiced and goes very well with cheese.
All of this made a good lunch, I love trying new foods!
My Little Italian Kitchen 
Il parmigiano reggiano è unico, troppo buono da mangiare a cubetti con la bresaola e rucola! Baci!
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Oh Alida, I’d kill for that antipasto! Actually I’m forever searching for bresaola but have been unsuccessful so far. Funnily enough I make the same dish but using prosciutto crudo instead – delicious as well. Ciao x
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You certainly know how to cook Elisabetta. I have never tried with prosciutto crudo and I think it’s a great idea. I’ll have a go next time I buy it. Grazie per l’idea x
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That’s so funny! I remember the tubes of Parmesan in the shops, but we never bought them. The Italian background of my mother meant we made regular trips to an Italian deli miles away from where we lived. I can still remember the long salamis hanging and the smell of all the delicious meats, cheese and antipasti. NOTHING beats a really good quality, fresh block of Parmesan!
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Absolutely! Parmesan is very moreish and once you start you cannot stop! I am sure you know a lot about Italian food through your mum. Nice!
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