What to eat Emilia-Romagna? culinary specialties and gastronomy

What particularly marks the local gastronomy is the abundance of exceptional ingredients in Emilia-Romagna, with no less than 44 products with a protected designation oforigin, PGI (Indicazione geografica protetta) or DOP (Denominazione di origine protetta

), the Italian equivalent of PDO.

Among other things, the king of Italian cheeses, Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, is produced from cow's milk between Parma, Bologna and Reggio Emilia, hence its name. It requires a particularly long and meticulous maturing process, hence a price that can easily exceed €1,000 for a whole cheese wheel weighing between 35 and 60 kg. It can be fresco, matured for less than 18 months, vecchio, between 18 and 24 months, or stravecchio, between 24 and 36 months. Not to be forgotten is its close cousin, the less prestigious but equally tasty Grana Padano DOP, which is produced in the region as well as in other northern Italian provinces. Otherwise the Formaggio di fossa di Sogliano, made from sheep's milk, is similar to pecorino. Squacquerone, rather like ricotta, and provolone

complete the picture.

Emilia-Romagna's charcuterie is exceptional, if only with the unmistakable Parma ham or prosciutto di Parma DOP, produced for centuries around the town of Langhirano. The pork leg is rubbed in a mixture of salt, pepper and spices before being cured for 10 to 12 months. And if Parma ham is still not prestigious enough, the next best thing is Culatello di Zibello DOP. Prepared with the heart of the thigh, it is salted and kept in a bladder before curing for about 14 months. To be enjoyed in very thin slices. A speciality of Bologna, the mortadella has a PGI. It generally contains pistachios. Coppa Piacentina PDO and Coppa di Parma PGI are two cured pork meats, ideal as antipasti, like the tasty Pancetta Piacentina

PDO. This overview would not be complete without balsamic vinegar or aceto balsamico. Prepared from cooked grape must(vincotto), it is matured in casks for 3-5 years, although some very rare vinegars can be more than a century old. There are two types of PDO balsamic vinegar, the PGI balsamic vinegar of Modena and the traditional DOP balsamic vinegar of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

Dove c'è Barilla, c'è casa (With Barilla it's like at home): the slogan of the world leader in dry pasta resounds throughout Emilia Romagna. Founded in Parma in 1877, Barilla represents almost half of the Italian market and has factories all over the world. It must be said that pasta is the strong point of the local cuisine. In Italy, almost every region boasts the creation of the famous pasta. Some think they come from China, while others claim their Roman or Etruscan origin. Today the country boasts no less than 300 varieties, from the most common such as spaghetti, farfalle, cannelloni or penne, to the rarest such as trofie, ditalini or conchiglie

.

The emblematic variety of Emilia-Romagna is of course tagliatelle, the typical egg pasta of Bologna. Their name derives from the verb tagliare (to cut). Passatelli, which are rarer, are made of crumbled bread, parmesan and egg. They are then pressed into the shape of large vermicelli. And of course each form of dough has its use. For lighter but slightly oily sauces, long and thin pasta is preferred, while rich candied meat juices go well with wide and ribboned pasta. Finally, pasta in the shape of tubes is ideal for more liquid sauces. In Italy, pasta is a first course - including a starter - whereas meat or fish is served as a second

course, i.e. as a main course.

The inventory would not be complete without the innumerable filled pasta dishes. Ravioli, agniolli, tortelli, pansotti and of course the unmistakable cappelletti. These small tortellini are typical of Emilia-Romagna and are usually stuffed with meat (beef, pork, poultry, etc.), more rarely with ricotta, parmesan or mortadella. Traditionally they are served in a good hot broth (a kind of stew made of chicken, beef and vegetables). Other examples are tortelli alla piacentina, stuffed with beef and delicately folded into the shape of slippers, tortelli verdi, garnished with spinach, or tortelli zucca mantovani

, a Mantuan speciality, filled with pumpkin cream.

Of course, it is impossible to talk about pasta in Emilia-Romagna without mentioning the Bolognese sauce or ragù alla bolognese. The recipe is so iconic of Italian cuisine that it was even recognised in 1982 by the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, which drew up a very strict list of ingredients: tomato purée, beef, pancetta, onions, carrots, celery, red wine, milk or cream, olive oil, salt and pepper. Contrary to what is often thought, the resulting sauce contains relatively little tomato and above all it requires several hours of cooking time. Another tasty speciality from the region is the lasagne al forno

, actually originating from Naples. However, the version we all know based on a Bolognese sauce topped with béchamel comes from Emilia-Romagna, as the Neapolitans prefer the ricotta topping. The region also has many bread specialities and savoury pastries such as the pasticcio di maccheroni alla ferrarese, a pie topped with rigatoni in sauce. A bit filling. Lighter, the piadina is a fairly thin flat bread that can be filled with various fillings: mozzarella, tomatoes, cold meats, rocket, etc.. Once stuffed, the piadina is called cresciona. Finally, theerbazzone is a tasty peasant pie filled with spinach or chard from the province of Reggio Emilia.

More than neighbouring Tuscany or Liguria, Emilia-Romagna makes abundant use of meat and charcuterie. Among the region's classics are the tasty zampone e lenticchie, prepared with lentils and Zampone modenese IGP, a specialty of pork trotter stuffed with sausage meat that is simmered for a long time before being sliced. Cotechino di Modena PGI is a thick, fragrant sausage that is often served with pulses. It is rolled in thin slices of beef to make Cotechino in galera before being roasted in the oven. Other examples are Fave stufate or baked beans and kidneys with parmesan cheese (Rognoni alla parmigiana

) sautéed with garlic and parsley. Typical of Jewish cuisine in Ferrara, hamin is a variety of tcholent, a dish that is left to simmer all night, the night before Shabbat, to be served at lunch. It consists of meat and beef sausage, hard-boiled eggs and dried beans. Another beef dish, stracotto alla piacentina is a stew where the meat is marinated for a long time in a tomato and wine sauce. There are some rare recipes for fish and seafood such as Seppia con piselli alla romagnola, cuttlefish in a tomato and pea sauce.

As in most regions of Italy, Emilia-Romagna is less impressive for its desserts, which are generally not very sophisticated. However, the most gourmet will find widespread specialties such as the unmistakable gelato or tiramisù that Italians love. Among the best known desserts of the region is the Zuppa inglese

. This dessert consists of alternating spoon biscuits soaked in alkermes, a red liqueur, custard and chocolate cream. Other sweets include rustic Castagnaccio, a dense chestnut flour cake decorated with pine nuts and almonds, Bracciatello, a brioche crown prepared for Easter, or Ciambella romagnola or Brazadela, a long lemon brioche covered with pearl sugar. The Bombolone romagnolo is a simple sugar doughnut, which is then generously filled with custard, chocolate or even Nutella. Another very tasty sweet, the Torta tenerina is a delicious chocolate fondant. These specialities are to be enjoyed with coffee, as the Italians are masters in the preparation of this delicious beverage. Small inventory of Italian coffee. Theespresso or ristretto contains only a few centilitres very concentrated at the bottom of a cup, often much less than what is served in France. The "stained" macchiato is served with a drop of milk. The lungo is slightly elongated with water, while theamericano is a long black coffee. Otherwise the corretto is "corrected" with a dash of grappa. The classic cappuccino owes its name "little capuchin" to the brown hood of the monks(cappuccio). It is a large coffee covered with frothy milk and sprinkled with cocoa. Richer, caffè con panna is topped with whipped cream.

Wine (vino) has been cultivated throughout the Italian peninsula since time immemorial and Emilia Romagna is no exception to the rule. This rich and fertile region is one of the most prolific in the country with more than 55,000 ha. About 15% of the wine produced in Emilia-Romagna is covered by 20 DOCs, not to mention its two DOCGs (Albana di Romagna and Colli Bolognesi Classico Pignoletto). The great diversity of landscapes also explains a notable variation in terroirs and vintages, with the Apennines stretching westward while the delicate central plains of Parma, Modena and Bologna undulate to the Adriatic coast. The dominant grape varieties are Malvasia and Lambrusco (both in their different forms), Trebbiano, Barbera, Bonarda and of course Sangiovese. A large percentage of these grapes is used to produce sparkling, frizzante or spumante

wines, the most notable of which are from the five Lambrusco DOCs: Salamino di Santa Croce, di Sorbara, Grasparossa di Castelvetra, Modena and Reggiano. Although there are already well-known grape varieties in Emilia-Romagna with chardonnay, pinot blanc or cabernet-sauvignon, the region's distinctiveness comes from its rare local DOC wines. Cagnina di Romagna red and Pagadebit di Romagna white are examples. Beer(birra) is traditionally consumed less than wine, but as in many southern European countries it is growing in popularity. Local beer (mainly Nastro Azzurro) is becoming increasingly popular. It is drunk alla bottiglia (bottled) or alla spina (draught). We will not forget some famous liqueurs such as the excellent Nocino, a Modena nut liqueur, or the Anicione, with aniseed.