First off, I pre-ordered the Nikon D800 this morning. I am so excited. The only downside is that I will have to wait at least another month and a half until I will get to hold my new baby. This thing will be a beast.
You can pre-order your’s here!! If you order, the camera will ship in mid-late August.
If you ever find yourself in the Campania Region of Italy, consider spending some time on the Amalfi Coast. Specifically, Sorrento is an absolutely wonderful place to visit. If you want a truly unique and awesome experience, make a reservation with Caseificio Michelangelo for a private tasting. You can visit the website (linked just above) or call them at +39 338 21 42 766. Depending on your price range, this can be an inexpensive afternoon of education, fun, and most importantly, eating Mozzarella!! Ask for a group rate and call a few days in advance to ensure there is room.
We started in adjacent room, getting dressed out and hearing a little about the history of the factory. After we were suited up, we headed to the factory floor.
A quick introduction and summary of the floor followed. Quick tip for photographers: It is a bit humid in there so if you plan to bring a camera, make sure you let it equalize before you begin wiping off the lens.
Factories in Italy are permitted to use unpasteurized milk in their cheese making. First, they fill up the very large vats with whole milk and add a small amount of whey to make the milk harden. When it is done, the curdled milk is scooped out and drained over a cheese cloth.
Legend has it that Mozzarella was first made when cheese curds accidentally fell into a pail of hot water in a cheese factory near Naples…and soon thereafter the first pizza was made! Actually, new cheeses are often formulated when mistakes happen, so there well may be truth in the tale!
After more sitting and monitoring, adding salt, the curd is finally ready for combining and forming. The cheese maker will stir and pulverize the curd until it sticks together. Above you can see the “cheese” before it has come together into the beautiful mozzarella texture you see below. When is it ready? “When it is as smooth as a baby’s butt” – and then he spanked it.
Melisa went first, making a perfect braided mozzarella formation!
I went next, and as you can see, my braid was sub par… In fact, the mozzarella man only gave me a 7.5 out of 10. Both the girls got 10′s. Go figure…
Finally, Rachel’s creation, another perfect formation.
Maybe the freshest mozzarella you will ever see…
This type of cheese is wrapped and left to sit for about a week, hardening and drying out. The dried mozzarella is sold at all stores and markets in the Campania Region. If you have never tasted it, imagine string cheese, but 100 times better.
All finished and ready to dry out.
A moment stolen from our guide Sara
The mozzarella man himself.
Group shot after the tour.
And finally the tasting. These are all the different cheeses we were able to taste. I love fresh ricotta, and this might have been the best ricotta I have ever eaten.
And finally, a parting shot with our guide.
Thanks for reading!! I hope you enjoyed!
Pin It
we are a cheese country as you know!
This is a really cheesy post, Adam! Alright, I said it, now that’s out of the way. LOL
Seriously, I had no idea what went into cheese making. This is a really nice post with lost of great images, man. Looks like this was big fun and everyone enjoyed the experience.
Nice work!
Jimi Jones recently posted..Quiet Morning
Great series of images Adam. It’s my favorite cheese and now I am hungry. Nice write up too.
Wonderful set of images Adam. It’s always so interesting to see how things are made. Thanks for sharing.
Steven Perlmutter recently posted..Night Light
Man, that’s some good looking cheese. Looks like a lot of fun. Great job capturing the experience!
Adam Olson recently posted..Where I Want to Be
I can imagine fresh mozzarella and ricotta from memory of our Italian trip. What an enjoyable tour, your mozzarella looks so smooth and creamy.
Rob recently posted..Old Home
Looked a bit like bread when you braided it… I think after that tour it’s likely that I would never eat mozzarella again from over exposure.
Good move on pre-ordering the D800. I’m sure you’re aware that the D4 just came out, but for the price/value ration, the D800 is also top-shelf. You looked at the new 3rd gen cameras that are coming out and have no mirrors? Currently expensive, but in a few years (2 tops I predict) they’ll have the edge on the DSLR market I think.
Looked a bit like bread when you braided it… I think after that tour it’s likely that I would never eat mozzarella again from over exposure.
Good move on pre-ordering the D800. I’m sure you’re aware that the D4 just came out, but for the price/value ration, the D800 is also top-shelf. You looked at the new 3rd gen cameras that are coming out and have no mirrors? Currently expensive, but in a few years (2 tops I predict) they’ll have the edge on the DSLR market I think.
Sorry about the double comment… not sure what happened there. Feel free to delete one of them.
Andrew – The Unframed World recently posted..A 30 Shot HDR Panorama of a Christmas Tree
No porblem!! I will take off the first one. Thanks for commenting buddy!
Woot for new toys!
Best wishes for your “waiting period” lol
Great series of images and a good post all round. Wonderful timing on the introductory B&W shot – you show a wonderful sense of camaraderie between the two girls in the foreground.
Great set Adam with a great story too!
Congratulations on the D800. You mentioned in a previous post you were interested in one when they hit the marketplace. That’s one serious camera!!!
Thanks for the tour of the cheese factory. I’m afraid my braid would be much worse that yours – 4.5 at best.
great series that tell a story! Thanks for visiting my blog
Thanks back to you for the visit and comment!
I knew you were a cheese eater( military term) I’m totally drooling and I don’t know if its from the Mozz or the fact you are getting a D800. Excellent post..:-))
Before coming to live in the Netherlands, Adam, Mozarella was probably my favorite of all cheeses. I still love it, so it’s at the top, along with others I’ve learned to love here. How fun to see the tour through your eyes. I can see how much you enjoyed it.
Your new baby looks like a beauty! B&H is my favorite place for buying camera equipment…where I bought my Canon D400 years ago. I don’t know if I will ever change my body because my hands are so small. The newer models are way too big for all-day holding. HA! I laugh because I apparently have no problem with my 28-300 lens that weighs a ton.
Well, there you have it: I spend my money on my red-ring lenses. (How’s that for name-dropping!)
Thanks Ginnie!! I love the netherlands! I will most definitely be heading throuhg there again.
I cannot wait until the D800 ships. I dreamed about it last night. haha.
Great post Adam and lovely images! Checked out your awesome portfolio as well! Makes me want to pull down all my amateur pics from my blog;-)
Thank you for commenting on my post!
Aww, don’t say that Madhu!! Thank you so much for the comment and visit, it really means a lot when I see a new person post here
Can’t believe I missed this terrific post yesterday. Love the shots. I didn’t make it to this factory when I was in Sorrento…ahhh…another reason to go back.
Edith Levy recently posted..Sunset on the Lakeshore