Emilia Romagna is the Italian province wedged between Venice, Florence and Milan. From the sunny kingdom of San Marino and beaches of Rimini on the Adriatic coast to the rural towns of Parma and Modena in the midst of vineyard country, and the capital city of Bologna, Emilia Romagna is famous for its rich gastronomy and one of the best places for food in Italy.
Imagine a holiday that takes you through winegrowing countryside, past towns crammed with historical sites and olden style delicatessens, markets overflowing with freshly picked vegetables and fruit, and then dining on the ‘fruits of the land’ under centuries old porticos. Here’s our insider guide to the best places for food in Emilia Romagna!
Best Places For Food in Emilia Romagna
Our foodie travelguide starts in Bologna, a lively university city in a medieval setting of portico lined avenues, historical plazas and ancient temples.
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Combine your foodie trip to Emilia Romagna with neighbouring Tuscany Region – enjoy fine wine and Italian cuisine in Tuscany (in style on a tour) or simply take the train from Bologna for a day in Florence.
Aperitifs in Bologna
Bologna’s legendary indoor market Mercato di Mezzo is a traditional food hall with a history going back to the Middle Ages. Step through the ground floor doors of this 3-storey pavilion and browse stalls stacked with a magnificent variety of fresh local foods and pastas or grab a tasty snack. Upstairs is a foodie’s delight, packed with gourmet eateries offering a tempting array of delicacies, typical Bologna aperitivos and appetizing dishes cooked before your eyes.
Street food in Bologna is almost a religion especially in the evenings when darkness falls – head downtown towards the cathedral in the heart of the old city at dusk and you’ll see what I mean. The narrow side streets just off Piazza Maggiore are full of little osterias, fashionable Bologna taverns with outdoor seating, so popular it’s a feat to find an empty table. Aperitif ‘menus’ are chalked on blackboards announcing the favourites of the day –cheese boards and proscuito or sausage with crusty bread and olives tossed in. Sit back and enjoy with a glass of wine. It’s a well-know fact about Italians, they love genuine local food… you really don’t need dinner after this!
Looking for something wonderfully cheap? Well just around the corner, there’s a cool ‘pizzeria’ serving great slabs of heavenly topped pastry – trays of bubbling hot pizza straight out of the oven are sliced into large rectangles – there are loads of flavours so you’re spoilt for choice! Eat it outside on the terrace with a glass of draught beer or an orangey aperol spritz for around 5 euros a go.
Where to try it
Find Mercato Di Mezzo on Via Clavature 12. Open 9 am to midnight.
Osteria del Sole is a top class tavern on Piazza Maggiore, Bologna.
Foodie’s Guide to Emilia Romagna, Italy
Authored by Francesca Brooking
Located in northern Italy, the Emilia Romagna region is world-famous for its gastronomic treasures. The best way to explore is by car, so if you’re doing an Italian road trip head this way for a few days. Otherwise, fly into Bologna or Florence, pick up a hire car and start on this authentic food travel tour of the local area.
In rural Emilia Romagna, family-owned dairy farms produce Parmigiano-Reggiano (parmesan cheese) using the same methods from the Middle Ages. Thick, syrupy balsamic vinegar is aged for a generation and during the autumn, vineyards turn red from the leaves of the Lambrusco grapes. Tortellini is a staple dish and every good restaurant and delicatessen has swinging legs of Parma ham hanging from the ceiling.
To top it off, tucked down a side street in Modena is quite possibly the most delicious gelato you’ll ever try. Without further ado, here’s your foodie’s guide to Emilia Romagna, Italy.
Parmesan Cheese
Named ‘the King of Cheese’, Parmigiano-Reggiano or parmesan, originated from the Emilia Romagna region. In fact, the name is a protected design of origin (PDO) which means that the cheese can only legally be called parmesan if it comes from this region and meets strict criteria.
Parmesan’s origins date back as far as the Middle Ages. Benedictine and Cistercian monks were its first producers. Wanting to create a cheese that had a long shelf life, they used salt from the Salsomaggiore salt mines and cow’s milk from cattle owned by the monasteries. The result was a dry paste cheese that could be preserved for a long time.
During the Renaissance, the parmesan industry was well underway with feudal lords and abbeys contributing to the production. It wasn’t until the 17th century that the desire to protect the cheese from similar versions on the market grew. In 1612, Duke of Parma Ranuccio I Farnese made parmesan’s designation of origin official. Parmesan’s production method hasn’t changed since the Middle Ages.
Where to try it
To learn about Parmigiano-Reggiano in all its glory, head to Hombre, a cheese manufacturer dedicated to producing top quality, organic parmesan just outside Modena. There, you can wander into their cheese storeroom and see endless rows of golden wheels in various stages of ageing.
Don’t forget to have a nosey around Hombre’s on-site shop and take a few blocks of authentic parmesan cheese with you to enjoy once you get back home. You might want to try it with a traditional lasagne recipe from my quick guide to easy international recipes.
Hombre also has a surprise awaiting its visitors and incidentally, it’s not cheese-related. Hidden away in a barn is one of the most beautiful collections of Maserati cars. With models dating as far back as 1933, the museum has 19 motor vehicles on display and open to the public. Hombre co-founder, Umberto Panini saved the collection from being auctioned in England in 1996 and it has been there ever since. Fine cheese and fancy cars – what’s not to love?
Hombre cheese factory and car collection is located at Str. Corletto Sud 320, Modena. Find out more about the Collezione Umberto Panini Motor Museum on their website.
Lambrusco Wine
You can’t visit Emilia Romagna without trying Lambrusco, one of the most popular Italian drinks. The wine is an integral part of the region with a history dating as far back as the Roman and Etruscan times. In fact, the Romans valued it greatly for its productivity and high yields.
The most popular Lambrusco wines are the frizzante (slightly sparkling reds) that are drunk young rather than aged. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, sweet Lambrusco saw a boom as it became the biggest selling imported wine in the US. During this time it gained a reputation for being a cheap, low-quality wine, but it’s since made a well-deserved comeback. Now, it’s become a fashionable drink all over the world.
There are about 60 different varieties of Lambrusco grapes around Italy, but most Lambrusco wines produced in Emilia Romagna come from the six most common types: Salamino, Grasparossa, Montericco, Maestri, Marani, and Sorbara.
Where to try it
Take a deep dive into the history and taste of Lambrusco at Agriturismo Opera 02, 12.4 miles from Modena. This beautiful, airy winery sits between acres of rolling vineyards that turn red in the autumn months. Here, you can stay in one of Opera 02’s 8 comfortable rooms, enjoy the spa and outdoor pool and take lunch on the terrace with picturesque country views all around you.
If you’re a wine lover, go for the wine tasting for a chance to see the on-site wine cellar and try three exclusive wines (€10 per person). For just €25 per person, you can add parmesan and balsamic vinegar to your tasting. Do. It’s exquisite.
Agriturismo Opera 02 is located on Via Medusia 32, Levizzano di Castelvetro, Modena. Visit the website to find out more.
Balsamic Vinegar
Unlike the cheap commercial concoction, traditional balsamic vinegar is indulgently thick, sweet and aromatic. Originating from the Emilia Romagna region, balsamic vinegar has been produced for a thousand years with the earliest known reference dating back to 1046.
Balsamic vinegar’s decadent nature made it a favourite among royalty and nobility. It was first used for medicinal purposes before gracing the tables of royalty as far as Germany. By 1476, balsamic vinegar became a staple of fine cooking and over the next 400 years, it was often added to the dowry lists of noblewomen in Emilia Romagna.
The ageing process can last a generation and each batch varies in character due to its sensitivity to the weather and seasons. Before it can be consumed, the batch must go through rigorous testing by a commission of taste experts. No less than five experts are selected at random to taste the character and quality. If the batch doesn’t quite meet the standards then it’s sent back to carry on the ageing process.
Where to try it
Combine your wine and balsamic vinegar experience at Medici Ermete e Figli in Gaida. This picturesque winery has been in the Medici family for 130 years and they are proud producers of some of Italy’s top-quality wines – not to mention Lambrusco.
The winery is also home to the Tenuta La Rampata estate which produces Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Emilia Romagna and you can see it for yourself. The vinegar factory is a small building with an attic. There you’ll find barrels of vinegar in various stages from maturation to refinement and ageing.
Making traditional balsamic vinegar is by no means a speedy process. The ageing process lasts a minimum of 12 (yes, that’s right) years and takes place in barrels of different sizes and wood varieties to give it a unique and high-quality flavour. Visit Medici Ermete for wine and vinegar tastings as well as guided tours and a look around the wine museum.
Medici Ermete e Figli in Gaida is located on Via I Newton 13, Gaida. More info on their website.
Gelato
It’s no secret that Italy excels at gelato so it goes without saying that you should add it to your food tour. Unlike the other food and drink products on the list, gelato didn’t originate in Emilia Romagna. The inventor of a form of gelato is often credited to Bernardo Buontalenti, a Florentine in 1559.
The modern form of gelato that we know and love today is credited to the Sicilian chef Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli when he introduced it to his ‘Cafe Procope’ in Paris in the late 1600s. It took Paris by storm before gaining notability throughout Europe. Coltelli obtained French citizenship and was issued an exclusive royal license from King Louis XIV which made him the sole producer of gelato in the kingdom.
Where to try it
Gelateria Bloom in Modena serves quite possibly the best gelato in Emilia Romagna. Located down a quaint cobblestone side street, the small Gelateria has made quite a name for itself for its delicious and experimental gelato. Better still? It’s open well into the evening so it makes for a perfect late night treat after dinner.
You can keep things traditional with flavours including Pistachio and Stracciatella (vanilla and chocolate chips), or go adventurous with Ricordo Catalano (vanilla, cinnamon and orange jam). You can’t go wrong with an extra scoop of chocolate for a taste of pure bliss. Gelateria Bloom caters to vegans and dairy-free with a refreshing range of delicate sorbets and an indulgent Massa di Cacao (dark chocolate). Served in a cone or a pot, gelato from Bloom should be on everyone’s bucket list and I can’t promise you won’t be craving it once you’ve returned home.
Gelateria Bloom is on Via Del Taglio, Modena.
Tortellini
One for pasta lovers, the Emilia Romagna region is the birthplace of tortellini. Where exactly is disputed. Both Modena and Bologna claim to be the inventors, although another story claims that the dish came from Castelfranco Emilia located in the middle of the two cities.
How and when it came about is uncertain but the legend goes that Venus, the goddess of love stayed the night in a local inn. Her beauty so enchanted the innkeeper that he spied on her through the keyhole but he could only see her navel. In a frenzy, he ran down to the kitchen where he made pasta in that very shape. Castelfranco Emilia throws an annual celebration in honour of this legendary pasta.
Where to try it
In Italy, food is an expression of love and you can really get a sense of that at Agriturismo Garuti in Sorbara. This award-winning winery and agrotourism estate is owned by four female cousins. Established in 1920, the Garuti estate specialises in Lambrusco wine. Visitors can do a wine tour, stay and even dine in the on-site guesthouse.
But wine is not just what you’re here for. Garuti’s restaurant serves, quite possibly, the best tortellini around. Freshly made every day by the grandmother, the tortellini here is deeply golden and ever so slightly chewy.
Try the tortellini with pumpkin for a delicately sweet and buttery taste that will make you fall in love with every bite. For something more traditional the tortellini with ricotta and balsamic vinegar is an absolute must. Each dish and course is carefully paired with a glass of Lambrusco so you can experience the flavours of Emilia Romagna at their best.
Agriturismo Garuti is located at Via per Solara 6, Sorbara. For more info visit the Garutivini website.
Planning to do a food tour of Emilia Romagna, Italy? Let us know in the comments! Alternatively, you can read more about food related travel in Francesca’s guide to traditional food and drink in Cyprus.
About The Author
Francesca Brooking is a freelance writer and sustainable travel blogger. Her mission is to show you how sustainable travel can be empowering, meaningful and affordable. She loves writing about ecolodges, ecotourism destinations and people doing their bit for the environment in any way they can.
You can see what she gets up to at littlelosttravel.com.
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