Tag Archive for: food and wine tour

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The best food in Italy – Parma & Bologna in Emilia Romagna

For a true Italian food lover, Parma and Bologna are gourmet bliss! Ever tried real Parma ham? Authentic Parmesan cheese? What about that sweet and viscous salad dressing of balsamic vinegar of Modena? Without doubt you are sure to have eaten a version of `Bolognese’ sauce dressed over some delicious lasagna sheets, right? All of these wonderful Italian ingredients originate in Emilia Romagna, the region between the well-known cities of Milan (in Lombardy) and Florence (in Tuscany).

 

Why you must include Emilia Romagna on your next food and wine tour of Italy

Emilia Romagna is such a foodie haven, that its capital city Bologna, is known amongst Italians as `La Grassa’ (the fat one). We have Bologna to thank for what we English-speakers know as ‘Bolognese sauce’, a rich and thick tomato sauce with minced beef through it, sat atop (usually) spaghetti or tagliatelle pasta, or cooked into a lasagna. The perfect way to warm up on a cold winter’s day! When it comes to pasta, Emilia Romagna has no less than twenty-three regional varieties! Here is where lasagna was born, as well as tortellini, fettuccine and tagliatelle. In fact, with over 200 traditional products now protected by law, Emilia-Romagna is undoubtedly the heart of classic Italian home cooking.

For you food-lovers and gourmets out there, we would love to create a customized food and wine itinerary in this historically-rich Italian region. Although our specialist food and wine travel agency is based in Spain, we have great Italian experts in our team, as we provide food and wine itineraries of Italy for our cherished repeat clients, all of whom (like us!) appreciate nothing more than a great meal in a scenic spot with good company… So if for your next European adventure you want to visit authentic local producers and the more hidden corners of this magnificent country, our Italian travel specialists will make sure that you encounter everything you want to on your ideal Italian food & wine vacation!

Italian chef preparing a traditional pasta dish during an outdoor food event

 

When in Emilia Romagna (that’s ‘romaña’, English-speakers!) with us you will dine like an Italian aristocrat no matter where you go, from the local trattoria to the dining room of Osteria Francescana, the 3-Michelin-star restaurant in Modena, run by well-known food-lover and chef Massimo Bottura. In the Parma and Bologna area the respect for tradition and locally-sourced ingredients is strong: so be ready to encounter some incredible freshly made, home-cooked fare with its many beloved ingredients.

 

Parma is the second-largest city in Emilia Romagna, and the birthplace of renowned composer Giuseppe Verdi; so here you will not only find fantastic food, but marvellous opera at its ‘Teatro Regio’. Parma gives its name to the beloved cheese, Parmesan (who can have a pasta dish without it?). Parmigiano-Reggiano is a D.O.P (Designated Origin Protected) cheese that is believed to have been created by monks as a way of preserving milk. Genius!

 

Watching someone cut open a wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano (and at 35kg, they are difficult to manoeuvre!) is a spectacle in itself – you will see how laborious it is, as the knife makes its way into the hardened flesh of this incredible cheese. Then you will enjoy some Parmesan cheese local-style, a chunk with fresh crusty bread, a slice of Parma ham, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar for sweetness. Buonissimo!

 

When it comes to all things pig, the locals of Emilia Romagna have that covered too! We have their ancestors to thank for Prosciutto di Parma (produced from the pigs’ hind-legs) and Culatello di Zibello (considered the king of meats, it is made from the fatty back-end of pork) which is a ruby-red, melt-in-your-mouth kind of affair. On your gourmet Italian tour with us in the Parma and Bologna areas, you will taste some amazing prosciutto di Parma and Culatello di Zibello ham at local artisan producers.

 

 

 

A world-renowned Italian product which cannot be overlooked for its uses is the vinegar Balsamico di Modena, a condiment which has been produced for centuries. Made from the must of Trebbiano grapes, it becomes denser and sweeter as it ages in the barrel, and can be used to dress various types of meats , cheeses  and roasted vegetables, as well as add a dash of sweetness to sugo al pomodoro (tomato sauce) or stone fruit warmed on a griddle for dessert with gelato. Buon appetito!

Join us on an authentic hidden Italy food and wine tour, discovering not only the “must-sees” but also the just-as-beautiful but lesser-known parts of this glorious country.  Experience visits to charming local food artisans, Parmesan cheese and ham producers and enjoy the company of our excellent and fun local guides – you may even want to try your hand at making some tortellini!

Please note that we create only our own private itineraries, working directly with carefully hand-picked and proven providers, so we can easily custom-make a perfect Italian tour to suit your preferences, with no additional costs.

 

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The most typical Christmas cakes in southern Europe

Christmas cakes in southern Europe are a serious affair with a long tradition. In the Catholic countries of the Mediterranean, from Portugal to Spain, France to Italy the patisseries and bakeries adorn their luminous windows with a display of traditional Christmas cakes and sweets, such as the Bolo Rei, turron, Rosco de Reyes, Polvorones and Rousquilles, and of course, Panettone. All these southern European Christmas cakes and biscuits are made with a base of dried fruits, nuts and spices, some of them with a touch of honey.

If your Portuguese private food and wine tour with us coincides with Christmas, be warned that you will not leave without tasting the delicious Bolo Rei, Bolo Rainha and sonho!  In Portugal, there are many Christmas cakes and pastries using seasonal vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin or sweet potatoes to enhance their flavour and add moisture. A favourite Alentejo Christmas dessert is the sonho which is a ball of dough deep fried, then rolled in sugar and cinnamon – perfect for warming cold hands! The variations of this sweet include the use of pumpkin or carrot through the dough for a deeper flavour and a denser texture. Then there are rice and milk-based sweets, with the Portuguese pudim being a type of flan and the rice pudding of arroz doce being a family favourite. Then comes the Portuguese Christmas cake, of which there are two varieties: Bolo Rei and Bolo Rainha. These breadier cakes, similar to the Italian Panettone or Spanish Rosco de Reyes are filled and topped with dried and candied fruits and nuts. Christmas cake in southern Europe is all about fruit and nuts!

Those venturing on a Christmas custom tour of Spain will be sure to encounter the fabulous array of nut and cinnamon-based biscuits and cakes. The Spanish Christmas cake of Rosco de Reyes always has a ‘treasure’ stored inside its bready walls, and whomever receives the piece of cake in which it is contained, is given the title of ‘king or queen for the day’! In the lead-up to Christmas day, as well as Christmas cake, various biscuits and turrons (a sweet made of ground almonds with added flavours or whole nuts throughout, as well as nougat) are enjoyed at family and work get-togethers. Polvorones are a typical Spanish Christmas biscuit whose heritage is Moorish, again made with almond meal to which various warm spices and butter are added to create a delicious, perfect-with-coffee treat.

Rousquilles – French Christmas tradition in a biscuit!

Another delicious southern European Christmas cake are Rousquilles in the Occitane region of France which borders Spain. Should you be on a French Christmas Voyage in this south-western region, you will no doubt encounter the delicate French Christmas biscuits sablés des Pyrénées and Rousquilles. Sablés des Pyrénées are famous in the mountainous border between Spain and France, shortbread-like in consistency the dough is flavoured with cinnamon, walnuts and sometimes chocolate chips. The Christmas biscuits Rousquilles du Roussillon on the other hand, are a simple vanilla biscuit, flavoured with anise and iced with a sugar-meringue coating taking the shape of a ring. These are the perfect adult treat, as they are not too sweet and ideal with a glass of vermouth, armagnac or port on a cold winter’s night…

 

This sensory voyage of Christmas cakes in southern Europe would not be complete without the Christmas sweets of Italy! Probably the most famous Italian Christmas cake is the Panettone, originating in Milan 500 years ago, a type of sponge cake made with eggs, yeast, milk and flour, containing dried fruit within. It is very light and has a simple bread-like flavour, again ideal when consumed with liquors such as the Italian vin santo or grappa. Other traditional Italian Christmas biscuits are Tuscan Ricciarelli, a short-bread made with almond meal, cinnamon and dusted with icing sugar, similar in flavour to Spanish Polvorones. Both are fabulous and luckily can be enjoyed throughout the year on one of our Gourmet Tours of Italy 

The warm spices and dried fruits and nuts used in these southern European Christmas biscuits and Christmas cakes are sure to warm your palate as well as your heart when you visit at Christmas time. If you are tempted by the idea of fireplaces, a smattering of snow and wonderful Mediterranean hospitality; do not hesitate to contact us and we can create the ideal customised tour for your European Christmas!

If you want to know the current travel situation in Europe, we are here to offer travel advice, always keeping your best interests in mind. Just drop us a line: [email protected] and we will provide all the pertinent information.