By staying at Roncolo 1888, a B&B located in Roncolo di Quattro Castella, in the province of Reggio Emilia, you can taste tortellini, piadina and ham among the typical specialities of Emilia Romagna.
Ragù alla Bolognese
Visiting Bologna, you can not miss a nice dish of ragù alla Bolognese: a thick and very tasty sauce made with tomato sauce and minced meat to be served strictly with tagliatelle and to be enjoyed in one of the many taverns that boast ancient recipes.
Pasta with ragù alla Bolognese
Tortellini and Tortelloni
Among the typical dishes of the Emilian tradition, we must mention tortelloni and tortellini. This type of pasta, usually has a filling based on fresh ricotta and is so important for Emilia that it has been dedicated a day of the calendar: February 13 is the national day of tortellini in Italy.
Piadina
Speaking of the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna, many people will immediately think of the famous piadina Romagnola: the typical regional bread in the shape of a small pizza that is made with a special plate and stuffed with different fillings: the most popular is stracchino, prosciutto and rocket, a real delight.
Piadina romagnola, photo by ilbuonsenso
Prosciutto di Parma
Visiting Parma means letting yourself be tempted by the taste of the flavoursome prosciutto crudo: but beware; the authentic one has the DOP brand.
Parmigiano Reggiano
Another real culinary gem of Emilia is the Parmigiano Reggiano: with its extraordinary organoleptic properties and unmistakable flavour, it is not by chance that it is considered the king of cheeses.
Tigelles and fried dumplings
In Modena, guests can enjoy a fine selection of cold cuts and cheeses and, instead of piadina, tigelle or fried dumplings are served. The first are round rolls made of flour, water, salt and a little thick brewer’s yeast, which are cut in half and stuffed to taste.
Instead, the dumpling is prepared with a bread dough made from lard and flour cut into rhombus and fried. Once cooked, it can also be opened and stuffed with an exquisite slice of Prosciutto di Parma.
Eel soup, photo by ricette.donnamoderna
Eel soup
In Comacchio, an unusual recipe is eel soup. This speciality requires the eels to be cooked in a sauce made from celery, onion, carrots, tomatoes, vinegar and grated lemon rind: those who have tasted it have defined it a real pleasure for the palate.
Panpepato di Ferrara
In Ferrara, the sweet symbol of the city is the Panpepato. Dedicated to the Pope (hence the name), this sweet in the shape of a beanie is stuffed with almonds, hazelnuts, candied fruit, mixed with flour, bitter cocoa, honey and flavored with spices. The mixture is then baked in the oven and covered with dark chocolate.
