There is more in Modena than traditional balsamic vinegar, Emilia Delizia explores some hidden gems in the city of Aceto balsamico tradizionale and beyond.
Balsamic vinegar tour and tasting in Modena
First of all you should definitely come to Modena for 2 main reasons: balsamicvinegar (the PDO traditional one) and Ferrari sport cars. There are hundreds of acetaia (balsamic vinegar producers) around Modena, but not many are in the city centre and reachable by taxi or public transport. Traditional balsamic vinegar producers would be very happy to explain how the production happens and arrange a vinegar tasting for you.
Traditional balsamic vinegar tasting and producer tour in Modena
Mercato Albinelli – ancient food market in Modena.
The Albinelli market is the main market of the town. it was thought to replace the market that was taking place in the main piazza since medieval times. The covered market has been established in the 1930, and it is part of the historical market circuit in Italy.
Here you will find all the gourmet food you always wanted. Prosciutto, culatello, fresh organic fruits and vegetables, fresh sea food and fish, cheese from Emilia Romagna and many products from all over Italy.
Modena market – Mercato Albinelli
Trattoria Aldina – Secret dining experience in Modena.
Secret and pop up restaurants are pretty much fashionable these days. Trattoria Aldina was not born to be one, however it feels like it. The entrance is not at street level and you will have to use the door bell and run up a flight of stairs to gain access. Once you get in, you have this home feeling, just like you are going to have lunch at your Italian aunty flat. And you did not see her for see for a decade. Home made fresh pasta and traditional cuisine.
Restaurant trattoria Aldina in Modena
Modena is pasta business.
In Modena you are in the centre of fresh pasta making business. Many are the shops in the city centre that make their own pasta to take away, of course you will have to have access to a kitchen to enjoy them and cook as you like. You will find tortellini, tortelloni, tagliatelle, tagliollini and other fancy shapes. Pasta in Modena is always made with soft wheat and eggs are used for binding.
Antica macelleria Ghioldi in Modena.
If you are into meat at the butcher shop Macelleria Ghioldi you will find a way to stuff your belly with cibi della memoria, of food of the memory. In other words these are forgotten dishes that the owner wanted to bring back to the present days. Like cervella impanate (breaded brains) or trippa alla parmigiana (Parma style tripes), or cotiche e fagioli (pigs skin and beans)
5 foods you should eat when visiting Bologna. This province has one of the greatest culinary tradition in Italy because its area encompasses the Appennini mountains and the Pianura Padana. The array of basic ingredients is enormous giving birth to sophisticated and traditional cuisine.
Crescentine or Tigelle.
a typical dish of Bologna and Modena: crescentine or also called tigelle
Crescentine are simple small breads traditional baked sandwiched in disks of clay and cooked by the kitchen fireplace. The ingredients for the dough are simply flour, water salt, yeast (sometimes a splash of cream). The greatness of this bread is that it becomes crispy outside and it is hot and moist inside therefore thy are just great when cut in half and stuffed with the local salumi. Crescentine are the food of the Appennini mountains and widely eaten across the provinces of Bologna and Modena. For a nice addition you should try them with Pesto alla Modenese. This nothing else than pork lard mixed with a pinch of salt, garlic, rosemary and parmesan cheese.
Mortadella
Mortadella vendor in Bologna
It is long the tradition of pork raising in the Emilia Romagna area. The meat is mostly consumed in form of sausages, salami and hams, and rarely eaten fresh. Bologna most iconic sausage is Mortadella. Lately this cooked sausage is living a revival and producers are trying to move away from the unhealthy image of a fatty sausage. According to the traditional recipe it must be made from the lean and noble parts of the animal which are ground to a fine paste, fat cubes and spices are added, then stuffed into a casing suitable for the size, and finally slowly cooked for 2/3 days at low temperature. Mortadella can be thinly sliced or cubed.
Parmigiano Reggiano.
Parmesan cheese – Parmigiano Reggiano
Parmesan cheese is the king of cheeses. Made from high quality unpasteurised milk and aged from a minimum of 12 months. However rarely it is eaten at this age. Bolognese people like their cheese when it is at least 24 months old. At this age it has fully developed its potential flavours and it is suitable to enhance the stuffing of tortellini . Bologna produces Parmigiano Reggiano only on the west bank of the Reno River. At the moment of writing there are about 10 producers of the cheese in the Bologna area, you will find more proudcers in Mantua, Modena, Reggio Emilia and Parma.
Shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano can be also enjoyed with a few drops of traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena.
Tortellini.
window shopping in Bologna: hand made tortellini
Tortelllini are the quintessential Bologna’s winter food. In town there is no Christmas without a plate of tortellini cooked in capon broth. As the legend goes they have been shaped according to the navel of Lucretia Borgia. As she checked in to a INN, the host impressed by her beauty was trying to spy her from the keyhole, but he could only see her pretty belly button.
Traditionally tortellini are made from sheets of egg pasta. Then stuffed with minced pork, parmesan cheese, mortadella, prosciutto, and the recipe changes depending on the family who makes it. Today you can buy tortellini almost everywhere but the best ones are those made by hand. They are pricey but well worth every cents.
Zuppa Inglese.
To conclude our short guide to the Bologna food tour we wanted to include a dessert. After all sweets always close all good meals. Zuppa Inglese is another iconic dish of Bologna but quite common all over Emilia. This pudding is inspired from English trifles in fact the the name translate roughly to “The English Soup” . it is made from 2 custards: egg and a chocolate custard which are then layered on top of savoiardi biscuits (Italian Ladyfinger). These biscuits are spongy and especially made to soak up the liquors that are added.
A while ago the consortium of the Parmigiano Reggiano made the map below to explain where the cheese is made, in order to educate consumers and tourists about the area of production.
Protected designations of origin.
The PDO is a food labelling standard that you find in Europe to protect food that has to be made only in certain areas. This is the case of Parmesan cheese, which is required to be made from the milk coming from the production area. The organoleptic characteristics of the raw materials will be transferred in the final product. Therefore you cannot make parmigiano reggiano using milk coming from other areas, simply because the outcome will not be the same.
The discipline of cheese making.
The consortium has a discipline that imposed on each producer. The discipline is nothing else than a set of strict rules made according our ancient tradition. In short to make the cheese you need the right raw material: high quality milk and of course the skills the knowledgeable cheese masters of Emilia.
Bologna and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Bologna produces the parmesan cheese only on the left bank of river Reno. In total there are only 10/12 producers in this province. If you stay in Bologna and decide to take a cheese tour, it is most likely that you will have to go to Modena to see the production.
Modena.
Coming from east, Modena is where the real parmigiano production starts. The area is of a particular interest if we look at the parmesan cheese produced on the Appenini mountains which is said to have a higher quality. This is probably due to the better water and air, being away from the industrial areas. In Modena is also possible to find organic parmesan produced from heirloom cows such as the bianca Modenese.
Mantova
Although being in Lombardy and not in Emlia Romagna, Mantua falls in the production area. in fact there are several producers of the cheese in the area south of the Po’ River. Mantova is also a producer of Grana Padano.
Reggio Emlia – The cradle of cheese making.
Bibbiano is a small town about 20 km south of Reggio Emlia, it is the confirmed cradle of the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. We have the first written accounts of the cheese of Parma dating back at least 9 centuries. Reggio Emilia is often overlooked by the tourists but is well worth a stop if you are interested in food.
Parma and the cheese of.
Parma along with Reggio Emlia shares highest production amounts of the area. Also the town already confirmed itself as world’s gourmet destination and food basket of Italy.
Visiting and touring a Parmesan cheese dairy in Emilia Romagna, Italy.
It is possible to visit the dairies however it is best to arrive at least the day before since the cheese is only made once a day and it is early in the morning. In the past we organised tours for people staying in Milan or in Florence, and thanks to the high speed trains it is now possible to arrive early in the morning for the visits. Emlia Delizia is a proud organiser of Parmesan cheese tours in Italy from Modena, Bologna and Parma.
Touring the Langhe in Piedmont – an area dedicated to good wine and good food.
In the Langhe region in Italy there are many families who have mastered the art of wine making. They are indeed many, or maybe just about everybody makes great wine.
In this part of Italy every family famous or not, when a child was born they used to put away a bottle to be opened on the day of his or her greatest age. No wonders that here in the Langa, as they call the gently corrugated hills, you will find the most important wines of Italy, namely Barolo, Barbaresco, Monforte, la Morra. The roads that follow the ridges of the hills, or rather “Langa” are dotted with ancient castles whose names have made the history of Italy and the Savoy family.
They have manicured gardens, marked with chalk lines which appear near the combed vineyard. The area has 4 regional wine estates which are making Barolo, Barbaresco, and Mango (The hills of Moscato ). Every year in Grinzane Cavour’s castle a literary prize is awarded, this is done between the products of 105 wineries and 12 distilleries. From the Nebbiolo grapes wines like a Barolo and Barbaresco are obtained . They are full-bodied red wines and the first Italian DOCG. It was granted in 1981, and since then other products have gained recognition: Nebbiolo, Barbera d’Alba, Moscato d’Asti, four different Dolcetto (Alba, Dogliani, Langhe Monregalesi and the famous hazelnuts from the Langhe.
The areas from Santa Vittoria d ‘Alba, Diano d’Alba, Freisa, Verduno Pelaverga all have a solid wine market and protection of their products. Just talking about these wine would fill pages, but the Langhe are much more than just wine. Bra and Murazzano are important locations for cheese production, while the western parts of the area near Cuneo produce a blue cheese which is named: Castelmagno.
Regarding beef there is an important native cow: Carrù. It is the most important Piedmontese breed. The ox’s thighs are large, and the are the triumph of mixed boiled meats (bollito misto) traditionally served on the days of the Piedmont cattle market. Also Cherasco is a celebrated culinary triumph. Then we have La Morra, which is the City of Snail. Finally we should not to forget to mention the local truffles. Of course it is the white variety and here is used grated without sparing on a dish called “tajarin” or on eggs. For the higher part of the area the so called “Alta Langa” among its contributions to gourmet food we find a pear called Madernassa, the potatoes of Mombarcaro and the hazelnut Tonda Gentile delle Langhe a product of higher quality. Its organoleptic triumphs is then seen in the nougat from the area. At the end of our tour we have Alba the City of Wine and Truffle with very important events dedicated to good food and good taste.
The gastronomic heart of Tuscany is found on the Tuscan hill: the Apennines with the flavours of the mountains, and certainly by Tyrrhenian Sea with seafood. Tuscany is mainly a hilly land and with lots of vineyard and olive trees, sunflowers, fruit orchards, woodland and pasture. A lot of elevated ground of various kind distributed over a vast territory. It is mostly cultivated and full of small scattered villages such as the Chianti area. This land is covered in lush green raging from chestnut trees to the blonde cereals in Garfagnana, then it is sometimes barren and mostly made of clay such as the Maremma which is also wild and fascinating.
It is equally varied in its basket of agricultural products that benefits from a benevolent climate influenced by the sea and by a widespread environmental integrity. Wine and oil are the main typical Tuscan food: the former with labels that will make you dream, such as Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino, the latter with a production that has no equal for culinary tradition. Then we should talk about the cattle breeding. Both traditional breeds of cattle, Chianina and Maremma, provide meat for the grill and the classic cooking in clay. Also pork is important, namely Cinta Senese. Breeders are there to restore an antique flavour of meats to be used fresh or cured as prosciutto and finocchiona. As for the cheese it is worth to mention the local productions of Marzolino of Chianti.
Other agricultural products are also worth to mention as they are really outstanding For example the beans of Sorana and Pratomagno, are so important for traditional Tuscan cooking, and they are fundamental for the pasta e fagioli.
There is also the Garfagnana spelt. A wheat with an ancient history, it used for soups and it is worshipped by the health-conscious. Going along we should also mention the the saffron of San Gimignano, which was a source of great wealth in medieval times, and today it is used to rediscover of ancient recipes.
The food and wine tour begins in Florence, which provides a complete overview of the regional cuisine ranging from ribollita, Florentine steak, pappa al pomodoro to pappardelle with hare and the devilled chicke. There is also a great tradition of grilled dishes such as truffled pasticcio pie and the use of offal deriving from the medieval cuisine. There is so much choice in a region that has a very long vocation for tourism and gastronomy. Along the sea we find Prato with its Medici villas and the Carmignano wine, and the cantucci biscuits. Then It is followed by Pistoia and Lucca, famous for the olive oil production, and the traditional cuisine from Versilia and Garfagnana.
By the shore of the Tyrrhenian Sea lays Massa-Carrara, on a double gastronomic border, with accents of the Liguria and the Lunigiana cuisine. Walking down the Via Aurelia through the scenarios of the Maremma you will touch Pisa, Livorno and Grosseto with a cuisine between the sea and the inner land. The standard fare is the famous fish soup and wild boar based dished, in its various preparations. If we move inland, near the territory of Siena, it lies the southern portion of the Chianti hills, with all that follows in terms of wine and oil. Further south there are undulated, barren and clay perfumed hills. Here you will find the most popular sheep in the region of the Mount Amiata, where the woods come to the border with Umbria. From there you can start investigating Arezzo and its province including Val di Chiana which is the home of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and the mountains of the Casentino. Here the cooking is done mostly with meat, mushrooms and game.
Lovers of Italian food have labelled the Regione Emilia-Romagna as “the bread-basket of Italy.” It’s easy to see why. The historic cities of Parma, Modena and Bologna are famed for their food, from the air cured and delicate prosciutto (Parma ham), parmigiano reggiano (parmesan cheese) and traditional aceto balsamico (balsamic vinegar) – some of the quintessential ingredients of Italian cooking. The verdant Po Valley has given rise to agricultural practices that produce some of the most flavoursome and robust ingredients in the country.
Starters.
When visiting Parma, Modena and Bologna, the starters are most likely to be slices of Parma ham, culatello, Salame di Felino, and shavings of Parmesan cheese. Parma ham has a delicate sweet savouriness that it is unique to this air cured ham. Culatello has also a unique and distinctive savouriness and every bite keeps giving our flavour, with hints of aromas like black pepper. Parmesan cheese is the quintessential savoury flavour, unique and inimitable, due to the long fermenting ageing.
First courses: Pasta Dishes
Fresh egg pasta in Emilia-Romagna is an artistic affair. Indeed, the cooks of this region are believed to be the masters of fresh pasta, producing distinct varieties of stuffed tortellini, and Tortelloni. Such pastas are recognised by their intricate and delicate shapes, as well as their rich fillings, which usually include pork or soft ricotta cheese.
Tortellini or Cappelletti
These attractive little pasta dumplings are filled with the best meats of the region – prosciutto, mortadella (a local variety of sausage) and ground pork. There are many old legends as to how tortellini originally came about. The most popular tale comes from Modena, near the Castelfranco Emilia. Lucrezia Borgia checked into an inn there, and the host was so captivated by her beauty that he spied on her through the keyhole of her private room. He only got a glimpse of her navel, but was so thrilled by this sight that he immediately went to the kitchen and attempted to recreate it in the form of pasta. And thus tortellini were born. For the real connoisseur they are only served in the famous Emilian capon broth, but a cream version is also available in most restaurants.
Tortelloni
This is a larger version of tortellini, squares of egg pasta (in Emilia Romagna is commonly called sfoglia) are folded into triangle and folded one more time into a hat shape. They are commonly filled with spinach, ricotta cheese and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. They are served with a sauce – butter and sage being a local favourite, but also with a nice tomato sauce with a leaf of basil.
Passatelli
To your surprise this time it is not going to be a pasta dish. Passatelli is the poor man meal made into an elegant and refined dish, and if you visit Bologna in the winter months, it would be a sin not to have passatelli. This dish consist of dumpling made of bread crumbs, egg, and parmesan cheese. This is worked and turned into a dough and pressed through a die to obtain the classic shape. The dumplings are then served in a rich capon broth.
Zuppa reale
Along Passatelli, Zuppa reale is one of the less known dishes of the Emilian cuisine but well worth the hunt. Zuppa reale is a sort of spongy omelette like cake which is cut into cubes and served in the capon broth. The ingredients are flour, eggs, a lot of parmesan cheese, butter. The dough is cooked in the oven until golden crispy and spongy inside, then left to cool a little and cut into bite size dumpling.
Meat Dishes
Emilia-Romagna has a thousand-year history of raising swine – making it one of the most distinguished Italian regions for pork. Local pork dishes are layered in flavour, rich and hearty, and are perfect for chilly winter evenings. Veal is also a popular meaty option.
Zampone from Modena
Emilia-Romagna is famous for its decadent range of preserved meats and salamis. Zampone of Modena is a unique local treat that is often eaten at Christmas time. This winter sausage was born in 1510. Modena was under siege at the time, and food had to be preserved. As a result, ground pork, rind and other cuts were salted and stuffed into a de-boned pig’s trotter. These days, zampone is served with lentils and washed down with Lambrusco DOC.
Cotolette alle Bolognese
Tagliatelle alla Bolognese (it’s actually called tagliatelle al ragu in Italy) is not the only famous dish to emerge from Emilia-Romagna’s historical capital, Bologna. This original veal parmigiana consists of breaded veal topped with shavings of parmesan cheese. It can be also layered with prosciutto, but for an authentic and complex speciality white truffles are added as a final touch.
Bollito Misto
As the tortellini go with the broth, the meat is normally eaten as a second course. When visiting Bologna you should ask for the Carrello dei Bolliti, literally the boiled meat trolley. The waiter will oblige and push to your table a serving trolley full of succulent boiled meats. Here you will find capon, boiler chicken, beef briskets, as well as beef tongue for the more daring. The meats sliced thinly and served with salsa verde or mostarde. Salve verde is a condiment made with a base of parley and cooked carrots, boiled eggs, olive oil, vinegar, the recipes varies from location to location. Mostarda is more typical in the northern areas of Emilia Romagna and consist of fruits cooked in a light mustard sugary syrup.
Desserts
Many sweet dishes of Emilia-Romagna originated from traditional festivals highlighting the weeks before Easter. People would often indulge in sugary treats on Shrove Tuesday before the period of abstinence marked by Lent.
Tagliatelle Dolci
This sweet resemble to original pasta dish is one such Shrove Tuesday invention. Strands of tagliatelle are deep-fried, and then coated in honey. This is a popular dessert throughout Bologna. It can also be topped with sugar, cinnamon or lemon zest.
Zuppa Inglese
This directly translates to “English Soup,” but it actually refers to the Italian version of English trifle. During the 16th century, the rulers of Ferarra met with Elizabethan statesmen from England, and this contact introduced them to the delicious custardy dessert. The Italian diplomats fell in love with it, and attempted to make it using local ingredients. The Emilian version consists of pan di spagna (sponge cake), or savoiardi (finger biscuits), thick custard and Alchermes, an aromatic herb liqueur.
These are just a few of the dishes you will discover on a gastronomic journey of Emilia-Romagna. Its culinary legacy is sometimes rustic, but also elegant and refined – and is considered one of the best in all of Italy.
Digestive liquors
A meal in Italy is not finished without a shot of your favourite digestive. In Modena we have the dark and aromatic Nocino made from unripe walnuts which are steeped into pure alcohol, and sugar. The liquid is aged into oak or hash barrels for a minimum of 6 years. In Parma you will be likely to be served Barniolino. This liqueur is made from the berry of the wild growing hawthorn berries steeped into alcohol and sugar. The liquid has hints of strawberry and cherries with a pleasant bitterness.
Wines of Emilia Romagna.
Wines in the region and often sparkling red, this is unique characteristic of our products. In fact Lambrusco (Modena) and Gutturnio (Piacenza) are wines that in the tradition where double fermented in their bottles. This would give rise to a first alcoholic fermentation and then a second one which gives the bubbles to the wine. Lambrusco is a wine that is enjoyed young, often the year after the harvest, and it certainly lends itself to accompany the rich local cuisine. Remember that the perfect lambrusco is a dry wine, with an evanescent froth, purple in colour (Grasparossa variety) with hints of violet flowers.
A region such as Emilia Romagna can offer the discerning and demanding traveller a perfect vacation, not just something, but everything: art, culture, nature, history, leisure, wellness, relaxation, sea, mountains and good food.
Only a few other regions in Europe can boast all of this this: from the splendid city of art, dotted with monuments that trace back to ancient origins, small medieval villages clinging to the hills, The churches in the middle of green scenery, the myriad of castles imposing sumptuous amongst the green countryside.
It is not just for those seeking relaxation and tranquillity, there are dozens of places that offer health, beauty and activities. The Adriatic sea, equipped with beach resorts for the summer tourism catering for young people who are attracted to the vibrant night-life of the beach. The coast also has other jewels to offer, just think of the Regional Park of the Po’ Delta, one of the most important wetlands in Italy with unique flora and fauna and amazing scenery.
The hinterland and the Apennines, with miles of trails ideal for hiking or excursions into the woods, lakes and waterfalls, some are protected areas where nature is still intact. If that was not enough, the region boasts the best eno-gastronomic scenario, in fact one of the most sumptuous in the world: Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, Prosciutto di Modena, Culatello, Felino salami, Cotechino di Modena, all awarded the PDO and PGI. They are also accompanied by robust and sincere wines such as Lambrusco, Albana, Sangiovese. These are just some of the delicacies that made the Emilia Romagna the kingdom of taste and good food.
Last but not least, we are in the land of motor sports, home to the factories of famous brands that have made the history like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Ducati. It is also where where major events are hosted at the Imola circuit in Misano Adriatico. Is this enough for a vacation?
Emilia Delizia Venice food tour. Our company would be delighted to organise a Venice food tour for your group, family, friends or company incentive travel. Our culinary activities are great for those wanting to explore the best Italian food traditions.
Venice food tour highlights.
Imagine that you are exploring the sights of Venice, that magical place that has welcomed travellers and explorers since the Middle Ages. In this city without cars, you can walk for hours, enjoying both the well-known sights such as St. Mark’s Basilica, the Rialto Bridge and the Piazza San Marco. Naturally, this is bound to leave you hungry and thirsty. What better way to combine exploration with refreshment than participating in the tradition known as the cicchetti crawl? Cicchetti are snacks, rather like Spanish tapas, served in wine bars and taverns. You can easily sample a world of traditional, delicious Venetian cuisine and atmospheric tavernas, for a modest expenditure, over the course of an afternoon or evening.
The delicious food of Venice.
Since Venice is a city dominated by the sea it is no surprise that its food culture is dominated by the sea also: by deliciously fresh and abundant seafood, including cuttlefish, octopus, cod, sardines and shrimp. Meats, both fresh and cured, are also widely used in Venetian dishes, as is pasta and risotto rice. Fresh local vegetables such as artichokes from Sant-Erasmo and, in the spring, white asparagus, when fried or grilled, also become delicious cicchetti.
A culinary tour of Venice’s cicchetti bars will reward you with a world of tastes. To begin your cicchetti adventure, look for places called bacari(wine bars) or osteria, both of which serve these traditional snack foods. Traditional cicchetti are simple: chunks of salami, pieces of cheese, fried olives and fried seafoods. Modern cicchetti include these dishes, but they also can be much more elaborate – dinners in miniature.
Cicchettiare accompanied by small glasses of wine (about the size of a double shot) known as ombra, or shade. These mini glasses of wine were long ago nicknamed ombra, after the wine sellers in the Piazza San Marco, who kept in the shade to keep the wine cool and fresh. Or perhaps you would like to drink an aperitivo – a pre-dinner drink designed to whet your appetite. In Venice, the traditional Spritz is often based on sparkling wine such as Prosecco (a dry white sparkling wine), mixed with sparkling water and flavored with bitters.These amari (bitters) include the ruby red bitters Campari or Select (made of herbs and fruits), bright orange Aperol (with bitter orange, gentian, rhubarb and cinchona), and Cynar (containing artichokes and several herbs). These aperitivo are fairly low in alcohol content, so are the perfect drink to choose while roaming between bacari.
Bacari and osterias in Venice.
Some of the best seafood-based cicchetti can be found in San Polo. Many osteria are near the Rialto Fish Market. At Cantina Mori (San Polo 429), which has been in business since the 15th century, you can try octopus and baccala’ (salt cod). Sarde in saor, or sardines fried in olive oil with onions, pine nuts and raisins, is found there also. Baccala’ is one of the most popular cicchetti; a creamy salt cod, it is served either on its own or on toast. At Pronto Pesce (319 San Polo), also near the Rialto Fish Market, you can savour swordfish croissant and scallops served in the shell – all served in a buffet style. If you prefer meat, try a hearty plate of polpette(meatballs), often served with an aioli sauce. Polpette, as well as prosciutto, pate and bread rounds topped with truffles, cheese and mushrooms await you at All’Arco (San Polo 436), near the Rialto Bridge.
Tidbits served on toast (crostini) or on squares of savory grilled polenta are also popular cicchetti. Try squid ink toast with or without curried shrimp at Osteria Bancogiro (Campo San Giacometto, San Polo). Risotto and pasta dishes are also delicious – try the risotto Parmigiana or the ravioli at Osteria Vivaldi (calle della Maddonetta, San Polo). Tramezzini (little triangular sandwiches) may also accompany drinks in traditional bacari. Made from special, soft white bread, they are stuffed with a delectable variety of fillings including ham, olives, cheese or tuna.
Refreshed by cicchetti and an aperitivo or an ombra, you may now continue your explorations. This food tour is a delicious way to relax, recharge, and sample the best of Venice’s cuisine – and in doing so, getting to know Venice and her people, too. We offer cooking classes in Venice and check here for some ideas about eating like a local in Venice.
Where to Eat Cicchetti in Venice, our Bacari Food Tour.
You are likely to be that enthusiastic traveler, who has learned all about cicchetti. These are very nice snacks that you can eat as you sip your glass of wine. Sometimes it is great when you get a guide; who will take you to all the cool cicchetti joints. The case is different if you are the adventurous type. You simply like walking around, and finding out places on your own. With a simple glance at the main page of this site, you will notice that once you book a tour, a guide is assigned to you. You should not get hard on yourself. The Emilia Delizia Venezia Tood Tour cares about your well being, and is ready to show you the best places where you can quickly hop into and get your snack. As they say Venezia is the city without cars, you should be at least ready to know a place or two.
Cantina Do Spade Chicchetti Tour.
Mozzarella in Carrozza
You should remember by now that the only place where you can eat your cicchetti in Venezia or Italy, is in a bacari and an osteria. Cantina do Spade is one of the oldest Venetial osterie’s. It is located several steps from Rialto. Once you have had your pleasant walking experience in Venezia. You should set the mood of your day to delightful. This place boasts to have served people for 568 years. Your mood will be set once you have sampled the wine tastings offered here. The next step is to try at least two cicchetti dishes. These are:
First is the Bussolai—they are round pieces from heaven.
Next is the mussel soup. If you have never seen it, a simple look at it would make your mouth water.
Tiramisú looks like a glorious cake with chocolate sprinkled on top of it. If you have ever taken the Spanish tapas, you’ll really wish you had discovered Tiramisú earlier.
The Mozzarella in carozza are another special piece. They come with this appealing golden color. They are really something to taste.
If you are a lover of seafood then you are in luck. They have squids in black with polenta; small octopuses; bigoli in salsa; and finally squid ink bigoli.
You should try to reserve a table at this place. If you don’t you will be missing out on excellent cicchetti, and a warm and friendly atmosphere.
Un Mondo Di Vino Bacari Tour in Venice.
At the height of your tour; you should also consider visiting the Un Mondo Di Vino wine bar. It is located in Salizada San Canzian 5984/a, 5984 Venezia, Italy. One of the reasons you should be here; even aside from the food offered is because; this wine bar has been rated as 184th restaurant in Venezia. A certificate of excellence is proof of it. If you are that person who moves across places looking for traditional cicchetti at bacaris; this is the right place. You will have saved your self hours of search. Most customers have claimed that you can only find the best Venetian cicchetti here. Once you are here; some of the things that you will experience are:
A wide range of seafood you can select from.
A satisfying environment—the breeze will hold you in comfort.
Also, there are great varieties of wine you can pick from, talk of wonderful wine tastings.
There is one experience here that you will never find anywhere else. The restaurant allows you to either sit or stand while standing, it is pretty much like a tradition. You are also expected to serve yourself.
Osteria Ai Storti Venice.
Osteria Ai Storti Venice
Similar to Catina do Spade; Osteria ai Storti is close to Rialto. After you have had your walking experience—which is always peasant at times, sometimes it is good to hop into a wine bar; where you get the best wine, and wonderful cicchetti. This restaurant creates a native feel; the staff are warm and welcoming. This is the best place for those who are interested in sampling the Italian culinary culture. If you are really into having the main course meal of cicchetti then your needs will be well catered for here. Fish is served in both the main and second courses. All the food comes with a fresh touch from the Mediterranean. There is a host here who is present to guide you in wine tasting. There is plenty of wine—red and white. You should remember that cicchetti goes well with a sip of wine. Don’t shy away from this wonderful experience. We are not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but for this Venezian beauty, we make an exception. It is located in frequent tourist visited area. It is worth checking it out.
Most visitors have commented positively on the cicchetti served here. As one claims, “It was unusual seafood, those Venetian tapas were excellent.” As you can see, you will get the best tapas here; you will also get to dine with the locals, who you’ll get to love. Aside from even having a good culinary experience, being here will allow you to develop your social skills, and also help you appreciate the diversity in this place—Venezia is flooded with tourists. Lastly, the price of the food is pocket friendly. If you are a group then you are in luck. Also, the small size of this place is ideal for customized cicchetti meals. If you are a foreigner, don’t be afraid, someone will understand you.
Antico Dolo
Antico Dolo is located just around Ruga Rialto; this place is ideal for you during your tour. This place is located in the vicinity of fruit, vegetable, and fish markets. Everything is guaranteed to be fresh. All the meals have desserts (many varieties) that make sure you end your dinner in style. The cicchetti here is made with fresh products, there is no need for freezing. If you are always shying away from places that serve frozen food; then you should consider coming here. Lastly, there is a huge selection of both foreign and Italian wine.
Osteria Assassini
osteria assassini
Osteria Assassini is no ordinary bacaro it has a fair mix of both the traditional and the modern feel. At lunch time you have an opportunity to get served cicchetti by a host of professionals—who are good at making sure you get the best treatment. A good thing about this place is that the dish menus are changed on a daily basis. This allows you as the visitor to sample the best wines and dishes that go with them. It is open everyday except for Sunday; if you happen to be on tour on this day, then you are out of luck.
Abruzzo food and wine tours – Italy’s Secret Cornucopia
Stretching from the steep, snow-capped peaks of the Appennines to the sandy Adriatic coast, Regione Abruzzo is one of Italy best-kept secrets. Indeed, until now, Abruzzo hardly featured on anyone’s Italian tourist agenda. But now, it’s become a hot-spot for travellers looking to go back in time and experience authentic, rural, medieval Italy, untouched by the excesses of modern development and tourism.
Abruzzo is an essential destination for lovers of food and wine. In fact, many renowned Italian chefs came to famous Abruzzese town of Villa Santa Maria to perfect their culinary crafts. Local food has harnessed the best of what the landscape has to offer, and it ranges from earthy, rustic mountain dishes to unique, fresh seafood cuisines.
But, undoubtedly the belle of the ball in Abruzzo is Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine. It has achieved worldwide renown for being flavoursome, versatile and very affordable. It is one of the most ubiquitous wines of the region, and is grown in all four provinces of l’Aquila, Teramo, Pescara and Chieti. It stands as a testament to the innovations that are happening in regional viticulture, which constantly yield fresh and interesting results.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is easy-to-drink, and can be enjoyed at a young age. It is smooth, low in acidity, and displays a luxurious ruby-to-purple colouring. It has soft and slightly syrupy tannins, which contribute to an all-round flavour of biting cherry underscored by earthy dryness. It can be served with all kinds of tomato-based dishes, such as the notable Abruzzese pasta speciality, maccheroni alla chitarra with spicy tomato sauce.
Abruzzo has held on to agricultural practices that originated in the Middle Ages. The rich, green pastures of the central highlands, in particular, have supported shepherding for centuries. This, in turn, has given rise to a culinary tradition rich in mutton and lamb dishes, the most famous of which is arrosticini.
Arrosticini are long skewers of rich mutton and exemplify the typically rustic country food of the mountainside. The meat, traditionally derived from castrated male sheep, is cut into small cubes and then pierced with a 25-30 cm long spit. Skewers are usually marinated in extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary, and then grilled until cooked.
The time-honoured method of grilling is conducted on an open- style barbecue, locally known as a rustillire or furnacella. The furnacella is designed to support rows upon rows of arrosticini, which can then be easily turned and grilled without falling into the fire. Locals use fattier mutton cuts, ensuring the meat stays juicy and full of flavour after cooking. These skewers are most delicious when eaten with the hands.
Things couldn’t be more different on the coast, where fishing dominates and is the livelihood of many local people. The coastlines of Chieti and Teramo, for instance, still practice some of the oldest fishing methods in the world. The trabocco is a significant example of this heritage.
A trabocco is an ancient Italian fishing apparatus that closely resembles a rickety pier and wooden shack. However, a closer inspection reveals an elaborate agglomeration of pulleys and levers that work together to capture large quantities of fish and shellfish. Long logs of weather-resistant Aleppo pine jut out of the shack at the end of the pier. These logs support large mesh nets that are lowered into the water to catch fish brought in by advantageous currents. Historians believe that this fishing system was first implemented by the Phoenicians.
Most trabocchi are often “pop up restaurants” that serve fresh catches of fish on a daily basis. The visitor can be sure of tasting only the best fish and calamari prepared in typical Abruzzo style. A typical dish is a brodetto, a delicious variation of French bouillabaisse. It is made of a rich rosa tomato broth, stewed with a variety of Adriatic seafoods, such as prawns, monkfish, rockfish and scallops.
Abruzzo is considered one of the wildest regions in Italy, with its vast natural spaces and expansive seascapes. This unique terrain has resulted in a distinctive food heritage that is steeped in centuries of tradition. Abruzzo provides visitors with the rare chance to experience a different side of Italy, and a way of life that has largely been forgotten.
Emilia Delizia goes to discover the wine and food hidden on the spectacular rolling hills just 30 minutes south of Bologna.
A visit to the local castle between Bologna and Modena
Pignoletto the king of Bologna wines, with Lambrusco to follow.
When you say wine in Bologna you mean Pignoletto DOC. This wine is of course sparkling in following the best of the Emilia Romagna tradition that command for frothy wines. Opposed to Lambrusco Pignoletto is a whine wine, it is light, refreshing with a pleasant bitterness that it is a characteristic of the clays soils around Bologna. Pignoletto is to marry local dishes, tagliatelle, lasagne, tortellini and of courses it is the best aperitif together with Parmesan cheese that it is produced on these hills between Modena and Bologna. Emila Delizia visited wine producers in Castello di Serravalle a lovely hill top castle where both Lambrusco and Pignoletto are made according to the sparkling tradition of this area.
Vini dei Colli Bolognesi route – Wines and castles of the Bologna hills between the Reno Savena, Samoggia rivers.
This is a very interesting wine route in Italy for those staying in Bologna, you will have the opportunity to explore many castles, churches, hamlets on top of the hills overlooking the vineyards, so no need to travel to Tuscany to have this sort of idyllic Italian country side. The Castello di Serravalle is typical example of well preserved medieval castle between vineyard fields where the foodie and wine connoisseur can sip wine on a tour.
a view of our beautiful rolling hills
Savigno truffles, porcini, and old fashion osterias.
If you are adventurous and want to explore the Bologna hills between here and Tuscany an afternoon spend in Savigno it is a good bet. the town is lovely and it is one of the most famous truffles towns in Italy, hosting a truffle festivals once a year in October and November. A hidden gem is definitely the Da Amerigo restaurant. The clientèle is mostly Italian and all give excellent reviews about the food here which is made using only excellent ingredients and generous shavings of truffles.
Spilamberto the balsamic vinegar museum and the best ice-creams in the whole world.
Spilamberto or also known in the middle ages as Spina Lamberto, seems to to have given birth to the balsamic vinegar of Modena, it is an age old tradition that has started here from aged and cooked grape juice. In Spilamberto you will find the Traditional balsamic vinegar museum, that it is open to anyone but the guided tours must be booked in advance.
In the corner of the main square just 2 minutes from the Rangoni Castle, you will find an icecream shop called Gelato. The ice creams here are simply sublimes and we have not been able to find a match. The use only organic eggs, sugar, milk and only the best seasonal fruits. The results cannot be described with words you must try it yourself.
hunting down the best ice creams in Italy – Bologna
