An unexpected success was recorded over the weekend of 11 and 12 September in Reggio Emilia for the Caseifici Aperti Festival. Over 30,000 enthusiasts visited the dairies producing Parmigiano Reggiano. As every year, the initiative promoted by the Protection Consortium was held, opening the doors of production to the public in order to allow them to discover the production chain of the king of Italian cheeses. But the great novelty of the 2021 edition was undoubtedly the “Village of Parmigiano Reggiano”, hosted in the Campovolo Area, which registered over 12 thousand entries over the two days.
For the occasion, I Love Italian Food also contributed to the promotion of Parmigiano Reggiano in this context, which was truly intended for everyone.
The Caseifici Aperti Festival was thus able to offer to the numerous enthusiasts and curious people of all ages the chance to immerse themselves in the production of the world’s best-loved PDO cheese with guided tours of the dairies and the maturing warehouses for a unique experience: a journey to discover the area of origin of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO and its lands rich in history, art and culture. And then the “Village of Parmigiano Reggiano” set up in the Campovolo Area of Reggio Emilia: two days of initiatives to celebrate good living and community, from food trucks to cooking shows, from educational classes to artistic performances, from animations for children to sports.
Within the Festival, an important space was given to the master classes of the 100per100 Italian Academy, organized by I Love Italian Food in collaboration with the Parmelier, the new figures created by the Consortium. Leading the classes was Academy Chef Andrea Ruisi, who shared with the public the history, origins and production of Parmigiano Reggiano. And then the tasting of the different ages of Parmigiano Reggiano DOP by the Parmelier, with sensory analysis dedicated to the tasting aspects. It was a real success with more than 600 enthusiasts who participated in these appointments of Academy, an international project of I Love Italian Food that aims to educate and train on the excellence of Made in Italy.
Other initiatives to entertain the general public included show cooking and connections from abroad with the great representatives of Parmigiano Reggiano in the world. Under the guidance of food critic Stefano Caffarri, three interpretations of the King of cheeses were given by the guests of this edition of the Festival. Classic and timeless were the traditional interpretations of Parmigiano Reggiano, which saw the participation of Chef Roberto Bottero of the Arnaldo Gastronomic Clinic, the oldest Michelin star in Italy, and Chef Enrico Bergonzi, of the Al Vedel Restaurant. Then it was the turn of the show cooking of Mattia Trabetti, Chef of ALTO Restaurant, and Jacopo Malpeli, Chef of Osteria Del Viandante, who gave an innovative interpretation of Parmigiano Reggiano DOP. And finally, connected via streaming from different areas of the world, Gennaro Contaldo, star chef and Brand Ambassador of Parmigiano Reggiano in the UK, Michele Casadei Massari, Executive Chef of Lucciola in NY and Brand Ambassador of Parmigiano Reggiano in the USA, Massimo Mori, Chef Patron of Mori Venice Bar and Armani in Paris and finally Enzo Oliveri, President of the Italian Chefs Federation UK brought their international points of view.
Nicola Bertinelli, President of the Consorzio di Tutela del Parmigiano Reggiano, also expressed great satisfaction with the results achieved: “Caseifici Aperti was a success that makes us proud, and I would like to thank all those who worked hard to make it so. It has once again proved to be a fundamental event for conveying the distinctive values of the supply chain, and one that has enabled us to offer all the enthusiasts, who flocked in such large numbers, the opportunity of getting to know the universe behind Parmigiano Reggiano DOP”.
To get a taste of what was made possible at the “Caseifici Aperti Festival 2021”, watch the video below!
