Featured Region: Emilia-Romagna
This month's featured region is Emilia-Romagna.
Emilia-Romagna is the region that straddles the Po River valley in the northern part of Italy, from close to Milan in the west, all the way to the Adriatic coast in the east. The region is mostly comprised of a wide river plain, with hills bordering on the south and the north, and the Autostrada runs straight throught it to the southeast. This region is well known for its abundance of food, from pork and pork-based salamis, to corn grown to feed the livestock as well as to make polenta, to the unique cheeses of Parma and other areas, to the seafood closer to the Adriatic.
In Roman times, this area was called Cisalpine Gaul, and was the northern border of the Roman territory. Bologna was where Hannibal decamped with his elephants after making the trek from Spain across the Alps, and before moving south to fight the battle at Lake Trasimeno, a short march southward into Umbria. Julius Caesar stopped in Emilia-Romagna when returning from Spain to ponder his options at the Rubicon River, before crossing the Rubicon, an act that led to civil war against Pompey. He made up his mind, said, "the die is cast", then marched on Rome in 49 BC.
Emilia-Romagna is really two regions combined into one, and Emilia is quite distinct from Romagna in many ways. Emilia is the western, and larger part of the region, and contains the wide plains that are so fertile. Thus the landscape in Emilia is flat and filled with farmland. Taking the train from Milan, you quickly get away from the city and into the flatlands, then you reach a string of well-known city names...Piacenza, Parma, Reggio, Modena...before getting to Bologna. East from Bologna, you continue toward Faenza and its classic pottery, to Forli, birthplace of Mussolini, then up the coast to Ravenna or down the coast to Rimini, boyhood home of Fellini. Each town has its own unique offerings. And all those straight, flat roads must be the reason why the Ferrari and Lamborghini factories are in this region.
Bologna - If you visit Bologna, read John Grisham's The Broker while there - it is a nice accompaniment for the surroundings. Bologna is home to Mortadella, whose less appealing US cousin has a first name, O-S-C-A-R. (The couple next to us in the ristorante asked what is Mortadella, and the waiter answered, "the name of the city!", meaning 'it's bologna', but it's just not the same.) Other than that, the Bolognese sauce, the tortellini pasta, the fried squash blossoms are what remind me of Bologna. The oldest university in the world, and the vibrant central square are also quite memorable.
Brisighella - Brisighella is a hill town that could be cut out of Umbria, but this what I remember of the Romagna part of the region. No longer flatlands, the rolling hills give way to olive trees, vineyards, and orchards. Brisighella and its neighboring areas are considered the olive oil producing area of Emilia-Romagna. At Osteria della Fonte in Brisighella, we had a terrific meal of local vegetables, meats, cheeses, and wine. Two types of artichokes were served - the carcioffi moretti were served both fried and marinated, and were very good.
Emilia-Romagna's coastline is very flat as the Po river dumps into the Adriatic. In Ravenna, you find the stunning mosaics from the days when Ravenna was Byzantium's toe-hold in Italy. North of Ravenna you find Comaccio, where eels are the main crop and large nets are set up along the river banks to catch the eels when they are running in the Fall of the year.
Parma - Parma is a livable small city with a nice central piazza to pass the time, great shops to browse, and a large park beside the stream that runs through town. The museums are small but well worth a side trip to see the frescoes. West from Parma, you climb into the hills and find more interesting sites, from the hill town of Castell'Arquato and Roman ruins further up in the hills. The Roman village of Velleia Romagna was a large settlement on the northern limits of the early Roman empire.
Foods of Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna is considered rich in Italian food because of the abundant farmland. Best known are Prosciutto di Parma and Parmesan cheese, just to name two.
Wines of Emilia-Romagna - Two types of fizzy wines are common here, Lambrusco found in the east and the Gutturnio toward Piacenza. Both are better than most wines with those names that end up in the US, but try to find a fine Lambrusco or Gutturnio and you will not be disappointed. Both go great with piazza and with pork dishes. Ask for the Lambrusco we sell at Piazza Italian Market. We enjoyed the Podere Le Lame Colli Piacentini Gutturnio wine, which unfortunately is very hard to find in the US.
The people of Romagna will also tell you proudly that Sangiovese grapes originated in Romagna and were only recently moved down to Tuscany and other regions. The Sangiovese di Romagna is quite good, and not nearly as pricey as Sangiovese from other areas. We enjoyed Tenuta Pennita "La Pennita Superiore Sangiovese di Romagna". We're working on getting that one.
Meats – Pork is the main attraction here. Look for porchetta, prosciutto, and salami. We sell the real thing at Piazza Italian Market.
Cheese – You've heard of Parma's famous cheese - the Parmigiano-Reggiano that is aged for concentrated and complex flavors. A lesson about that - do not grate it until you are ready to use it, because it loses its flavor quickly. Same with Grana Padano, which is a bit milder but otherwise very similar to Parmgiano-Reggiano.
While we all know about the famous Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano cheese from here, another less famous cheese is a fresh cheese called Squacquerone. With a little luck, you can make it at home since it is made from pasteurized milk, but it only lasts about 4-5 days. Ask at the store for some tips on making Squacquerone at home.
Other Regional Favorites – Stinco with potatoes comes to mind...radicchio with guanciale slices or crostini with guanciale slices...tortellini with pear and radicchio, gnocco fritto to go with the squacquerone...risotto with Lambrusco and leeks, fried porcini mushrooms, or thinly sliced porcini with thinly sliced Grana Padano...mmmmm.