5 minute read
Emilia-Romagna
Cured meats, cheeses, and piadina bread at Osteria Passatelli in Ravenna, Italy.
Feasting Like Royalty Along the Via Emilia
Italy’s heartland region is where the good eating is
By Channaly Philipp
If good things come to those who wait, the good people of Emilia-Romagna, in northern Italy, must have the patience of saints—they certainly feast like royalty.
Foods that are known as iconically Italian—Parmigiano-Reggiano, balsamic vinegar, prosciutto di Parma—all come from Emilia-Romagna. (So do Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati. Slow food and fast cars sure beat fast food and slow cars.)
To turn raw ingredients like milk, grape must, or leg of pork into these delicious, iconic foods, give them time. Parmigiano-Reggiano and prosciutto di Parma need at least one year to age. Traditional balsamic vinegar takes at least 12 years, although the really good stuff clocks in at a minimum of 25 years—a whole generation.
The ancients knew about these foods: Etruscans and Romans cured salted pork legs in the same area where it’s done today; Benedictine monks made Parmigiano-Reggiano in medieval times; and barrels of traditional balsamic vinegar served as brides’ dowries.
41
PRODUCTS
WITH PDO
and PGI certifications and 50 DOC and DOCG wines— designations signifying foods or drinks unique to a region— come from EmiliaRomagna.
The thread of history runs through these foods, and savoring them locally anchors you firmly in the continuum of history. The mosaics of Ravenna, the one-time capital of the Western Roman Empire, glittering with gold, blues, and greens; the warm-hued porticoes of Bologna, which run over 25 miles; and the artistic legacy left here—where Verdi and Rossini composed, Dante finished “Paradiso” in his final days, and Fellini directed—are dizzying.
Foods that are known as iconically Italian all come from Emilia-Romagna.
At the confluence of art and food, the traditional foodways were captured by the artisans of their time. Look closely: Etched into bas-reliefs of Romanesque masterpieces, or painted onto Renaissance frescoes, are depictions of the rhythm of humans’ passage on Earth, marked by the seasons and its milestones—the plowing of the fields, the
harvest, and the curing of meats, for example.
Emilia-Romagna offers amazing food in such a relatively small area. How is this possible? Explanations I was given varied: It’s the River Po! It’s the winter fog! It’s the wind from the sea!
Clearly, all the elements conspire to make eating here great. Just follow the Via Emilia, constructed by Roman Consul Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (or in modern parlance, Route SS9). Like a bejeweled necklace of culinary gems, each area along the route offers its own specialties.
The Hills Are Alive With Prosciutto
Heading south of Parma to Langhirano, hills are dotted with about160 factories and aging warehouses,whosewindowswerethrownwideopen.
It’s intentionally done to capture the Versilia wind that comes in from the Ligurian Sea, then brushes against the Cisa mountains and picks up the fragrance of the chestnut forests. The location is no secret: Even back in 5 B.C., the Etruscans were known to trade salted cured pork legs with the rest of Italy and Greece.
Not all producers are open to the public, so if you don’t speak Italian, going through a tour operator can be helpful for planning your visit.
Moist, sweet, and savory, silky smooth, and translucent, the best of Parma hams are well balanced. They need no accompaniment like melon or bread—just a glass of a local fizzy white or red.
BOLOGNA
ITALY
ROME
Emilia-Romagna’s
main city, Bologna, is easily reached via train from Rome or Florence.
A good place for aperitivo: La Baita in Bologna.
For many who visit Emilia-Romagna, the biggest revelation is a dark, thick, molasses-like concoction, reputed to be a cure-all. Some call it “black gold.” Officially, it’s Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP. This is a vinegar that earns the DOP appellation after a minimum of 12 years of aging (it’s then called “affinato,” or aged) or else a minimum of 25 years (then called
Aperitivo time!
It's a wonderful tradition in which Italians scurry off to a bar after work to meet friends over wine, salumi, and cheese. “extra vecchio,” or extra old). It only comes in a 100-milliliter bottle in a specific rounded shape designed by Giugiaro, a car designer.
To make traditional balsamic vinegar, you might start with 30 liters of grape must, which in several years’ time will yield five liters of thick balsamic vinegar.
The end product is nothing like standard vinegar. There’s zero acridity. It’s sweet and sour, but also rounded, harmonious, and polished. You only need a few drops of it—on chunks of Parmigiano-Reggiano, on meats, on ice cream, on strawberries, on risotto, or by itself as a digestive. Have a few drops on a spoon, and you’ll feel a bolt of energy coursing through your body. Miracle cure? I don’t know about that, but it tastes amazing.
Foods made from humble ingredients are transformed with patience and skill into culinary gems of such goodness they’ve reached far beyond this little heartland of Italy into kitchens and markets around the world. You could, in all likelihood, just head to your local market and get Parmigiano-Reggiano, or prosciutto di Parma, or balsamic vinegar.
Will they be as good as the ones you can have in Emilia-Romagna, though? There’s only one way to find out.
Unique Places to Stay
Parma: Furnished with lovely antiques, Palazzo Dalla Rosa Prati is one of a kind, offering apartment stays next door to the city's famed Baptistry. The property has been in the family for hundreds of years; owner Vittorio Dalla Rosa Prati is a gracious host.
Polesine Parmense:
Antica Corte Pallavicina Relais is a fortress from the 14th century that houses a restaurant and farm, and offers six elegant guest rooms. Culatello di Zibello, often dubbed "the king of hams," is aged in the cellars.
