The Emilia-Romagna region has long been known for its fertile soils and abundant wildlife. Even now, travelers who find themselves in the north of Italy will have some excellent dinner choices. Still decisions can prove tricky. After all, the Emilia-Romagna region is where a number of famous Italian dishes have originated. Pastas, cured meats, dairy products, and a number of local vintages feature prominently in the regional cuisine. However, pizza was created in the south of Italy so don’t look for it here. Its best sampled near Naples, where it was first created.
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For centuries, the mountainous areas near Modena have been seen as an ideal spot for curing meats. This led to the creation of many different types of delicacies but Prosciutto di Parma is arguably the most famous of them all.
The pigs that were to be made into prosciutto even used to be fed the leftovers from the makings of Parmesan cheese (also known as Parmigiano Reggiano), which also originated in this region. Of course, the mountain’s caves were probably ideal places to store cheese before modern refrigerators existed.
Like the two aforementioned products, traditional balsamic vinegar is protected by Italian law for its heritage. However, it is probably not something most people will see on their tables in other countries because of how expensive the genuine article is. So why not take advantage of this fact and enjoy this treat in a place where it doesn’t come with any additional costs? In Italy, people even put it on gelato and fresh fruit as a dessert topping!
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Since most humans have a sweet tooth, no region is without some adequate answer to their cravings. Desserts found in Emilia-Romagna include a type of fruitcake called panpepato and a confection known as zuppa inglese. The latter is made of layers of sponge cake and egg custard that have been doused in a local herb liquor called Alchermes. Sometimes chocolate also makes its way into this dessert. However, if that ingredient happens to be your calorie bomb of choice, look for Torta Braozzi on the menu instead. After all what’s not to love about a cake that contains chocolate, nuts, and coffee?
As always, happy travels and bon appetite!
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Sources: Wikpedia; Italianbellavita.com; Forbes
