Ferrara sits between Bologna and the Po Delta and has its own food identity that belongs fully to neither. It shares the region’s love of fresh egg pasta and aged cured meats, but the Este court’s taste for the theatrical — sweet-and-savory combinations, elaborate pastry casings, spices from the medieval trade routes — produced dishes […]
Ferrara Food Guide: What to Eat and Where to Find It Read Post »
Le Marche is the region directly south of Emilia-Romagna — less than two hours from Bologna by car or train — and it has one of the most underrated food cultures in Italy. While tourists flock to Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast, Le Marche quietly produces some of the best dishes you have never heard
Le Marche Food: Three Dishes Worth the Trip from Bologna Read Post »
Thirty-five kilometres from Bologna, the medieval village of Dozza covers its walls in murals. About 80 kilometres in the same direction but deeper into the Apennines, Brisighella balances on three rocky spurs above the Lamone valley. Neither features on most tourist itineraries — which is part of the point. Both reward a half-day or full-day
Dozza and Brisighella: Two Villages Worth the Drive from Bologna Read Post »
Soave is a small medieval town about 25 km east of Verona, on the edge of the Lessini hills where the Veneto plain meets the first volcanic ridges. Its wine — a dry white from Garganega — was one of Italy’s most exported in the 1970s and 80s, then suffered from overproduction on the flat plains
Soave Wine: Classico, Superiore and Where to Taste Near Verona Read Post »
Tuscan food has long been described as cucina povera — the cuisine of the poor — rooted in peasant traditions. The simplicity forced by historical poverty has, over time, become one of the region’s greatest strengths. What started as necessity is now recognised as some of the most honest and satisfying cooking in Italy. The
Cucina Povera: Tuscan Food Traditions and the Art of Simple Cooking Read Post »
Italy’s ski resorts are better paired with food than those of most Alpine countries — partly because the mountains run through regions with some of the strongest culinary traditions in Europe, and partly because the Italian resort culture has always treated the lunch stop as seriously as the skiing. The three areas below are the
Skiing and Eating in the Italian Alps: Madonna di Campiglio, Bormio and Cortina Read Post »