One of the largest wheels of cheese in the world is annually revealed at The Great Crucolo Parade outside Rockridge Market Hall in Oakland. This year’s parade took place on September 28, 2024, and the crucolo—an artisanal Italian cheese from the picturesque Trentino-Alto Adige region—was as creamy and funky as ever.
Market Hall Foods is one of two shops in the United States that sells this cow’s milk cheese that has a maturation of over 60 days. To celebrate the arrival each year of the cruculo wheel weighing hundreds of pounds, expert cheesemongers, dressed in Italian garb, roll a cart carrying the gigantic wheel of cheese down Shafter Avenue to live accordion music, dancing, and fanfare. The parade ends with a ceremonial cheese cutting and plenty of samples to go around.
Among the participants were Sarah Han, Juliana Uruburu, and Alma Avalos of Market Hall Foods, at least one priest who blessed the cheese, food and wine consultant Roberta Klugman who is one of the world’s leading authorities on olive oil, and a large crowd of hungry enthusiasts. This year’s parade appeared to be the largest ever, according to San Francisco Bay Times team members who go every year. With Klugman, they particularly enjoyed dunking chunks of the crucolo in buttery, spicy Laudemio olive oil.
In addition to crucolo and that tasty olive oil, other Italian specialties were available to sample and take home, including Rustichella d’Abruzzo pasta, prosciutto, Italian wine from Paul Marcus Wines, affogato from Highwire Coffee Roasters, Torta della Nonna from Market Hall Bakery, and much more. https://www.markethallfoods.com/
Bay Times Dines
Published on October 3, 2024
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