The Best Foodie Experience in Italy!
Visiting Bologna (A.K.A. the food capital of Italy) soon? Going on a Bologna food factory tour should be high on your to-do list!
If you think visiting three food factories that produce some of Italy’s most iconic artisanal food products (Parmigiano Reggiano D.O.P., Prosciutto di Parma D.O.P., and Balsamic Vinegar of Modena D.O.P.), enjoying unlimited tastings, and savoring a deliciously authentic feast (with free-flowing wine!) sounds like an amazing time, keep reading…
I recently embarked on this food factory tour from Bologna – and I’ve since filed it under “The Highlights of My Life” in my memory bank. Seriously. This is one of the best foodie experiences I’ve ever had.
In this guide, I’ll share all the details – and answer all your questions! Did the Bologna Food Factory Experience meet all my expectations? Was it worth the high price tag? Was it fun? And informative? And did I return to Bologna with a gigantic hunk of Parmesan cheese and a bottle of the best balsamic vinegar I’ve ever tasted? Let’s find out.
Here’s what you can expect to see, eat, and learn on the Bologna Food Factory Experience Tour…
Overview of the Bologna Food Factory Tour
Ready to savor some of Italy’s most-loved products during this Bologna Food Factory Experience? Here’s a quick summary of the day.
After jumping aboard a small, chartered bus in Bologna, you’ll be transported to foodie heaven in the hills of Emilia-Romagna (about 30 minutes away). With your expert food tour guide and a small group, you will…
- Dive into the extraordinary world of Parmesan cheese-making at a factory in Reggio Emilia. Seeing the factory workers shape the cheese is mind-blowing. Plus, the aging room must store 20,000+ wheels of D.O.P. Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Visit a balsamic vinegar factory in Modena, where the grapes are grown, pressed, and aged onsite. You’ll enjoy a lovely breakfast of fresh-baked pastries, little sandwiches, espresso, Parmigiano Reggiano (“Parmesan cheese”), local cold cuts, and wine! Then, discover how true D.O.P. Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is made, followed by a guided tasting of different aged vinegars.
- Tour a prosciutto factory in Parma to witness the multi-step drying, salting, washing, and aging process across many rooms and levels.
- Enjoy a delicious family-style lunch filled with typical dishes and local products. Our lunch included lots of antipasti (like Prosciutto di Parma and other cold cuts, grilled vegetables, Parmigiano Reggiano, and more), three types of handmade pasta (including tagliatelle al ragù alla bolognese, of course!), and tiramisù. Not to mention, five varieties of bottomless local, artisanal wine. Unexpectedly, this was my favorite part of the day; the food and wine were to die for. You’re going to love this part!
Transportation to/from Bologna is included too. And since the factories are so close to Bologna (and each other), very little time is spent in transit.
As you can already tell, this foodie experience is second to none! Let’s dive into all of the details now.
Already convinced? I don’t blame you. Click here to book your Bologna Food Factory Experience.
What is D.O.P.?
The Bologna Food Factory Experience offers a peek into the private factories producing some of Italy’s most prolific and world-renowned D.O.P. products. But what is D.O.P.?
D.O.P. stands for Denominazione di Origine Protetta, which translates to Protected Designation of Origin. Essentially, a product bearing the D.O.P. seal is authentic. The certification promises the consumer that the product has been grown, made, and packaged in its labeled origin and produced traditionally and artisanally, according to strict regulations.
For example, D.O.P. Parmigiano Reggiano (“Parmesan cheese”) can only be made in two Italian provinces (Parma and Reggio Emilia) according to specific cheese-making, aging, and packaging processes.
You’ll learn all about this during your tour… But since this Bologna Food Factory Experience visits factories making D.O.P. products, you know you’ll have the most authentic experience possible!
Click here to book your Bologna Food Factory Experience.
All About the Bologna Food Factories You’ll Visit
Want to know more about the factories you’ll visit? Here are all of the details…
Parmigiano Reggiano Factory
Everyone loves Parmigiano Reggiano cheese; its signature sharp, salty, umami richness is, simply, unrivaled. Grate it on pasta or eat it by the chunk, who cares! Just wait til you try the 36-month-aged one… Ready to learn all about it?
During the first stop of your Bologna Food Factory Experience, you’ll pop on a protective hair net, gown, and shoe covers and roam around the D.O.P. Parmigiano Reggiano factory with your knowledgeable guide.
When you walk in, you’ll witness the organized chaos of the cheesemaster and about a dozen other worker bees heating farm-fresh milk, churning it, separating the whey, straining the curd, shaping it into its iconic wheel shape, and more. Your guide will explain it all in real time!
You’ll also see the large salt baths, where the cheese wheels soak for about three weeks to achieve that familiar, perfectly salty flavor.
Then, the best part!
You’ll walk into a room the size of a high school gymnasium, filled with rows upon rows of 30-foot-high shelves packed with aging cheese wheels. A glorious sight! And a divine smell, too.
FOODIE FUN FACT: I purchased a large wedge and brought it back to the USA to share with family and friends… And I may have carried it around Italy and Greece for 1.5 months first, but it was worth it! Since you don’t need to refrigerate Parmigiano Reggiano until it’s opened, it was no issue. You just need to keep it cool (i.e. no sun).
Balsamic Vinegar Factory
Next on your Bologna Food Factory Experience, you’ll visit one of the original vinegar houses in Modena. This family has been making artisanal balsamic vinegar since 1860!
After walking through the grape vineyards and receiving a warm welcome from the factory owner, Marcello, you’ll sit down for a lovely breakfast of fresh pastries, coffee, espresso, wine (why not?!), cheese, and more.
Then, you’ll meet the star of the show: Balsamic Vinegar of Modena D.O.P. You’ll learn all about how real, D.O.P. balsamic vinegar is made – and how starkly different it is from typical supermarket balsamic vinegar. It only has one ingredient: grape must (grape juice, pressed from the entire grape – juice, skins, seeds, stems, and all).
In the production rooms, Marcello will explain how balsamic vinegar ages in “batteries” of ancient wooden barrels (which can be made from cherry, chestnut, oak, or juniper wood). Essentially, the vinegar starts in a large barrel, and each year, for at least 12 years, it’s moved into a smaller barrel, as it slowly thickens, takes on the barrel’s flavor, and condenses and evaporates by about 30%.
Finally, you’ll enjoy a guided tasting! We savored and compared different ages of D.O.P. vinegar, and tried I.D.P. vinegar (which must be aged for 3+ years and has wine vinegar and aged wine vinegar added), and saba (thickened balsamic vinegar with other fruits added).
I purchased a D.O.P. bottle aged 25+ years for around $100, and a few bottles of saba. I couldn’t resist! The prices and quality were better than what I’d find elsewhere.
FOODIE FUN FACT #1: The factory’s most expensive bottle costs about $950. It’s 100+ years old!
FUN FACT #2: Interestingly, some Italians gift newborns with their very own “batteries,” which start producing fine vinegar 12+ years later. For an upfront cost of about $2,000 (and an annual storage/service cost of about $100), you can have your own battery… Eventually, your investment will pay off with a bounty of 10 to 20 bottles of high-quality vinegar, every year, forevermore.
Parma Ham Factory
The third stop of your Bologna Food Factory Tour is a prosciutto factory.
Donning your hair net, apron, and shoe coverings, you’ll witness the various processing stages, including salting, drying, washing, and seasoning/aging the ham.
Blending ancient techniques and modern innovation, this large factory has produced delicious Prosciutto di Parma D.O.P. (and many other types of prosciutti and other cold cuts) for over 20 years.
This factory visit was the most involved – there were many different rooms and levels to explore, and each one ranged in process, activity, aroma, and temperature. The refrigerating rooms on the lower floor were super cold (bring a jacket!) – while the warmer rooms featured some pretty pungent smells… But, that’s all part of the process!
It was shocking to see the thousands of legs of ham hanging in the aging room. Every leg of Prosciutto di Parma must be aged for at least 13 months, but up to 36 months!
READ MORE: 19 Best Things to Do in Bologna (Italy’s Food Capital!)
Typical Emiliano-Romagnolo Family-Style Lunch
Steps from the ham factory, you’ll sit down for the most delicious Emiliano-Romagnolo lunch. Everything you’ll taste is locally grown and typical of the region.
This was my favorite part of the day! Once the food and wine started flowing, it just kept coming. I was so busy eating and chatting and drinking wine, I didn’t take many photos. Oops.
As mentioned, lunch includes an unbelievable amount of antipasti (from Prosciutto di Parma, other cold cuts, and salads to grilled vegetables, Parmigiano Reggiano), three types of handmade, traditional pasta (such as tagliatelle al ragù alla bolognese, gramigna con salsiccia, and ricotta tortelloni with sage butter), and tiramisù for dessert.
We also tasted plenty of local, artisanal wine – five varieties, to be exact. The bottles just kept on arriving! The conversation and laughter flowed. We all had so much fun. And you will too!
But then, the fun has to end. After lunch, you’ll hop back in the bus – happy, a little buzzed, and full – for your 30-minute journey back to Bologna. What an incredible day!
Click here to book your Bologna Food Factory Experience.
Other Must-Do Bologna Food Tours & Experiences
This Bologna Food Factory Tour is the best food tour in Bologna. But there are a few more foodie activities I highly recommend. After all, this is the food capital of Italy!
- Taste as many of Bologna’s top dishes as possible on this Bologna walking food tour, all while learning about the city’s history and food culture! This is one of the best walking food tours I’ve ever experienced. Click here to check it out.
- Take a cooking class in a local’s home. We learned how to roll out the sfoglia (egg pasta dough) the Bolognese way and made some amazing tagliatelle alla ragù bolognese, ricotta tortelloni, and classic tiramisù. Check it out here.
- Make a dinner reservation at Vicolo Colombina. You must order the “roasted rabbit with its side dishes” – it’s incredible!
- Browse Bologna’s endless sea of artisanal food shops and markets for tasty souvenirs.
SAVE THIS POST ON PINTEREST FOR LATER!
Note: This post was created in collaboration with Viator. However, we only recommend products/services we believe in and know you will love too. This Bologna food factory tour was one of my favorite travel experiences ever and is one of the best things to do in Bologna. Thank you for reading, and thank you for your support!
