Channel 4 “Food Unwrapped” comes to Modena to discover balsamic vinegar.

The British Television Channel 4  has dedicated one of the episodes of “Food unwrapped” to Balsamic vinegar. The food program is a TV series broadcast between 2012 and 2013 in the UK and aimed to discover the reality of food. The program compares and investigates  what goes into what we eat.

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Food Unwrapped in Modena – source

In late March we were contacted by a subsidiary of Channel 4, in order to organise the shooting of the programme in Modena. With only one day to put together an itinerary for the crew, we worked hard to come up with the best ideas. Emilia Delizia organised a pick up for the crew, a English speaking guide, hotel accommodation, and a tour to three different balsamic vinegar producers. To make the programme comparative we selected 3 of them. One producer of PGI Balsamic vinegar, one producer of DOP vinegar and a producer of organic balsamic condiment. In short we provided them with a real insight of the vinegar industry.

Emilia Delizia selected Giusti as one of the best candidate for the shooting, as we reckoned they had the best array of products and also the longest experience in the field. The shooting went particularly well and the show presenter and celebrity chef Matt Tebbutt seemed to enjoy his time with Claudio Stefani during his discovery of Traditional balsamic vinegar DOP and the PGI vinegar.

DOP tradizionale Balsamic vinegar VS PGI Balsamic vinegar of Modena.

These are 2 quite different products that are both made in Modena. While the DOP version has to observe strict regulation imparted by the consortium, The PGI vinegar (PGI stands for Protected Geographic Indication) falls in a much more open domain of production where rules are much more permissive. However PGI Balsamic vinegar of Modena does not always mean to be industrial, with ample use of colouring and preservatives. In fact some of the PGI versions of the famous Modena vinegar can be very good without any additives and sold at a very fair price.

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Matt Tebbutt and Claudio in Modena

Giusti – Balsamic vinegar producer in Modena.

Giusti is the oldest and most prestigious company of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. Founded in 1605 and at the 17th generation, this family company was awarded with quality recognitions since 1800’s, when 14 gold medals were granted in Exhibitions like Florence 1861, Paris 1889 and 1900. Also, Giusti was bestowed with the Patent of the King of Italy as sole balsamic vinegar supplier.

Today Giusti boasts proudly the most important collection of ancient casks and barrels in the world of balsamic vinegar: more than 600 casks, all dating back to 1800’s and 1700’s, drawing flavors and aromas created centuries ago. This impressive collection, still perfectly working and producing excellent balsamic vinegars, can be visited in the old attics of the country house where Giusti vinegar is made, and where there is an internal museum with old objects from the history of Balsamic Vinegar.

The Giusti collection offers a range of high quality balsamic vinegars of various ageing,  up to the oldest ones. They can be found in the most exclusive gourmet shops, and they are interpreted by the best chefs in the world. Like the “3 Gold Medals, Riccardo Giusti”, done with late grapes, extremely thick and sweet, aged for more 12 years, awarded best balsamic vinegar in Italy, Germany and US; the “Banda Rossa”, a delicious 20 years old Balsamic Vinegar, given by the grandfather Giuseppe Giusti as a special family gift in the 1960’s. The oldest Traditional Balsamic Vinegars of Modena DOP complete the offer .

The Giusti family is happy to welcome food lovers from all over the world, offering free guided tours with tastings of all his Balsamic Vinegars, to explore the origins, the history and legends, and how is made, one of the most celebrated Italian products all over the world.

 Emilia Delizia and the Media.

Our company welcomes enquiries from the media about exploring Italian famous food products. If you are looking to produce a TV program, or a newspaper article we would be glad to help to get the best out of your time in Italy. It might be very complicated even for the most experienced journalist to have a real insight of the topic. Emilia Delizia has a long experience in the field and we would be happy to help you to put together your story.

The Wonderful Flavors and Tastes of Modena: A List of Top Restaurants

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The Ghirlandina tower of Modena

Modena is a dream destination for the food connoisseurs. World famous chef Massimo Bottura practices his culinary art here. Besides his famous restaurant Osteria Francescana, there are other places  around Modena to have an unforgettable dinner or lunch, and each one has their own signature cuisine with special flavors. Massimo Bottura has opened a boutique bistro “La Franceschetta” where you can taste pan-Italian dishes for a very reasonable price. For lunch, Caffe Concerto can be a great choice since they offer buffet for 15 euros only. Among other signature restaurants of Modena, Hosteria Giusti and Aldina are noteworthy. Hosteria Giusti: A Culinary Classic Hosteria Giusti is pure delight for your senses with the antique furniture, the aroma of freshly cooked dishes and rich colors of food. Hosteria Giusti is considered as the oldest deli of the world as it was established in 1605 to serve instantly made black cherry jam. The restaurant is quite small with only four tables inside. During the summertime, four more tables are placed outside. The specialties of Hosteria Giusti include Pappardelle with duck, Capon broth tortellini, Pigeon with balsamic vinegar flavor and Tagliatelle with bacon.  Besides these cuisines, Hosteria Giusti offers two incredibly delicious dishes. First one is stuffed pigs’ trotters with lentils and the other one is Cotechino Fritto Con Zabaione (creamy pork sausage), a traditional recipe from the 17th century.

Osteria Francescana: Where Poetry is Served on Plates Considering the taste of the foods and culinary creativity, Osteria Francescana is definitely a champion! Having the legendary cook Massimo Bottura behind the foods served, their dishes are incomparable with any other restaurant. This restaurant produces everything in-house, even the olive oil. Massimo Bottura has an amazing ability to maintain the fine line between tradition and taste. The environment of the restaurant is quite informal and friendly. However, the price might seem a little bit expensive, but the foods served here make justice to the price. Osteria Francescana is now ranks among top 10 on the list of world’s 50 best restaurants. In his own words, Bottura described his food as ‘a reinvention of the flavors of my youth interpreted through the avant-garde’. Of course, then he spend an amazing youth to be be interpreted through flavors. Taste his celebrated cuisines such as iced puddle of oyster juice, marinated Po River eel and Mollito Misto; you have to agree that he is a poet for foods.

La Franceschetta: Expression of Italy Besides Osteria Francescana, the premium food emporium, Mossimo Bottura has another venture – La Franceschetta. The restaurant shares the same playfulness and passion of Osteria Francescana. Located away from the city center, the restaurant offers a more intimate environment for the food lovers. Marta Pulini, an award winning chef and a master of Italian cuisine, pours art into food in this restaurant. Bottura has a vision to establish Francescheta as a restaurant which will represent the Italian culinary as a whole. Pulini, an expert on pan-Italian foods, is an ideal choice to realize that vision and she has already proved herself. This is an exclusive restaurant in Modena that goes beyond the regional dishes in the pursuit to treat the customers with any dish representing Italy.

Osteria da Ermes: Intimate Taste of the Original Osteria da Ermes is another fine restaurant where you are likely to have the best dining experience during your tour in Italy. Ermes, the owner and chef, is passionate about his foods and his greatest pleasure comes from the satisfaction of the customers. Each dish here is prepared with love and careful attention to the details. Ermes and his wife both are exceptionally friendly and known for their caring and loving attitude towards the visitors. This osteria has no fridge in the kitchen as all the items are brought fresh from the market everyday. The place has no fixed menu either, so every new day comes with a surprise for the food lovers. There’s always a long queue in front of this small, cozy restaurant. So, it is better to get there as early as possible to make sure that you are not missing out this amazing restaurant and all the exotic dishes.

Trattoria Aldina: A Hidden Gem of Modena If you are looking for a relatively inexpensive yet high quality lunch in Modena, Trattoria Aldina is the best place to hit. And go there a bit early, otherwise you might not find a seat in this local gem. A tourist rightly commented that if you eat at Trattoria Aldina, your life will be ‘more complete’. Located across the wonderful market near Duomo, Trattoria Aldina only serves lunch. It is famous for the home made pasta varieties that beat the taste of true Modena traditions. You can expect very fast service and immaculate blend of different flavors and tastes.

Caffe Concerto Modena: Delight at the Heart of Modena Caffe Concerto is located at the center of Modena. Being very convenient to access, this place is a regular destination for the tourists. Wonderfully delicious aperitif and fine wines are the signature mark of Caffe Concerto. It’s a great place to unwind and watch the people all around sitting outside. The restaurant offers reasonably priced buffet lunch and dinner, but you can also just stop by for a cup of cappuccino. Your trip to Modena will remain incomplete unless you visit the great dining places and taste all the incredible dishes prepared by the chefs who took culinary to a different level. Besides the restaurants listed here, there are lot other restaurants all over the town of Modena. Try to explore as many as you can during your stay in Modena.