Interview with Simone Ficarelli on the occasion of the Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Association's 90th Anniversary Press Dinner on March 6, 2024, titled "Parmigiano has a 1000-year history".

　　On March 6, 2024, at the Italian restaurant Etruschi in Omotesando, the gala dinner was held to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Association. It was a joyful and highly anticipated occasion to reunite with Simone Ficarelli, the association's public relations manager, after five years. It was nostalgic to recall the 2019 event when we collaborated on a pairing event between Parmigiano Reggiano and wines from Emilia-Romagna at the OAG in Aoyama. It was a time when we could still physically gather, before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the experience of those live events contributed to a smooth transition to online events during the pandemic. I would like to thank once again all those who participated in that course. I also want to express my gratitude to Simone Ficarelli, Ms.Uneme from the Parmigiano Reggiano Information Center, and all those involved.

At the beginning of the evening, Simone Ficarelli gave a speech in which he stated, "The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium celebrates its 90th anniversary, while the history of Parmigiano Reggiano dates back a thousand years," followed by a demonstration on how to cut Parmigiano Reggiano.

The dishes prepared by Chef Takuya Maeda at the "Etruschi" restaurant, which made the most of Parmigiano Reggiano, were all of high quality, thanks to high-quality ingredients and the culinary expertise of the chef, resulting in delicious flavors. The hospitality of the service staff was also exceptional.

The wines selected for the occasion included Prosecco DOC, Prosecco DOC rosé, Lambrusco DOC, and, paired with Parmigiano Reggiano, two white wines Colli di Luni DOC Vermentino and Timorasso from Piedmont, and a red Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG. It was a selection of wines perfectly suited to the elegance of a standing party.From the menu, ranging from appetizers to desserts, one could notice how versatile the main ingredient, Parmigiano Reggiano, was.

Finally, at the beginning of the speech, we asked about the historical basis of the statement "The history of Parmigiano Reggiano dates back a thousand years." It emerged that there are documents dating back to the 13th century regarding the trade of Parmigiano Reggiano. We then conducted an interview to better understand the basis of this millennial history. (Video su YouTube) (IT/JP only)（Youtube動画）