Reggio Emilia is often overlooked by travellers visiting Emilia-Romagna. This medium-sized town on the Via Emilia, located between Modena and Parma, makes an excellent base for the culinary traveller, thanks to the remarkable concentration of gourmet food traditions found in and around the area.

If you are wondering whether it deserves a stop on your itinerary, we explore this in more detail here: Is Reggio Emilia worth visiting?

Reggio Emilia and Parmigiano Reggiano

Reggio Emilia lies at the very heart of Parmigiano Reggiano production. The history of this extraordinary cheese begins here. Bibbiano, a town in the Reggio Emilia province, is widely recognised as the place where the first documented production started nearly 900 years ago, following the discovery of the earliest written records mentioning the cheese.

For travellers interested in seeing how Parmigiano Reggiano is produced, visiting Reggio Emilia and its surrounding countryside makes perfect sense. While we do not currently run a dedicated tour in Reggio Emilia, visitors can easily experience authentic cheese production by joining our nearby Parma food tour, which includes visits to traditional dairies in the heart of the production area.

Traditional balsamic vinegar of Reggio Emilia

While Modena is internationally associated with balsamic vinegar, the production of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale is not limited to the Modenese province. Historically, traditional balsamic vinegar formed part of a young woman’s dowry, with barrels passed down through generations.

Due to the close proximity of Modena and Reggio Emilia, this tradition also took root in Reggio Emilia. Here, it is still possible to find smaller, more old-fashioned producers who focus exclusively on high-quality traditional balsamic vinegar rather than large-scale industrial production. Our guide to Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia producers covers six acetaie that accept visitors, with addresses, visiting hours, and what makes each one distinctive.

Fresh egg pasta: tortelli di zucca

Like all towns in Emilia-Romagna, Reggio Emilia has its own distinctive fresh egg pasta traditions. One of the most characteristic local dishes is tortelli di zucca. Sometimes hat-shaped or resembling ravioli, these parcels are typically filled with pumpkin, ricotta, and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Some traditional recipes also include a small amount of crushed amaretti biscuits in the filling. While this sweet note is an acquired taste, the dish can be outstanding when dressed simply with melted butter, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and just a few drops of traditional balsamic vinegar.

A medieval pie: erbazzone

Erbazzone is a classic example of rustic, farmer-style cuisine. Born out of necessity, it was created by rural families using simple, filling ingredients. The pastry is made from flour and lard and filled with chard, spinach, or whatever greens were available in the kitchen garden at the time.

The filling is enriched with Parmigiano Reggiano—sometimes generously, depending on what the household could afford. The pastry is traditionally pierced with a fork before baking, allowing steam to escape while the vegetables cook inside the crust.

Culaccia ham

Culaccia is a close relative of culatello, widely regarded as the finest cut of pork used for cured meats. Unlike culatello, culaccia is cured with the rind still attached, a technique that helps the meat retain exceptional softness and tenderness.

This specialty is typically produced in the hills of Reggio Emilia, where the climate is drier than the fog-prone plains. In blind tastings, culaccia has on occasion outperformed both Prosciutto di Parma and culatello, making it well worth seeking out during a trip to Italy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What food is Reggio Emilia most famous for?

Parmigiano Reggiano is the standout — the cheese is named partly after Reggio Emilia, and the province is where the earliest documented production records have been found, centred on Bibbiano. Beyond cheese, Reggio Emilia is known for cappelletti (small hat-shaped pasta traditionally served in capon broth), erbazzone (a savoury pie of chard, Parmigiano, and lard pastry), culaccia (a rind-on cured pork that rivals culatello in tenderness), and Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia, a separate DOP from the more internationally known Modena version but made by the same slow ageing process.

What is erbazzone?

Erbazzone is a flat savoury pie traditional to Reggio Emilia, made from a lard-based pastry filled with chard or spinach, Parmigiano Reggiano, and aromatics. It originated as farmhouse food — a way of using abundant garden greens to make a filling, portable meal. The pastry is pierced with a fork before baking to allow steam to escape. It is sold by the slice at traditional bakeries throughout the city and is best eaten warm. A variation called erbazzone reggiano is sometimes made without a top crust, resembling a tart.

How does Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia differ from Modena’s?

Both are protected DOP products made from cooked grape must aged in a declining series of wooden barrels — the production method is essentially the same. The differences are in labelling and presentation. Reggio Emilia classifies its vinegar by age using coloured labels: red for a minimum of 12 years, silver for over 18 years, and gold for extra-vecchio over 25 years. Modena uses the designations Affinato (minimum 12 years) and Extravecchio (minimum 25 years), with a distinctive bulb-shaped bottle designed by Giugiaro. In practice, both carry equal prestige; Modena’s version is better known internationally, but the Reggio Emilia DOP holds the same standards and quality ceiling.

What is culaccia and how does it differ from culatello?

Both come from the same cut of pork — the top of the hind leg — but are cured differently. Culatello is deboned and cured without the rind, then aged in a natural gut casing in the fog-prone cellars of the Po plain, particularly around Zibello. Culaccia is cured with the rind still attached, which slows the drying process and results in exceptional softness and moisture in the finished product. Culaccia is a speciality of the Reggio Emilia hills, where the drier climate suits its production. It is made in smaller quantities than culatello and is less frequently exported — worth seeking out in Reggio Emilia itself.

Where can I buy traditional Reggio Emilia food products?

Antica Salumeria Pancaldi, in the historic centre of Reggio Emilia, is the best single stop for local products — Parmigiano Reggiano, prosciutto, traditional balsamic vinegar, and a wide range of salumi, all sourced primarily from the Reggio Emilia countryside. The shop also offers seated service for on-the-spot tasting. For Parmigiano Reggiano directly from a dairy, the caseifici around Bibbiano and Montecchio Emilia are the most accessible for visitors; several sell directly from the premises.