Grappa! What is it and why Italians love it?

Grappa is the perfect ending to yet another delicious Italian meal! This venerable digestive has been produced and enjoyed in Italy for centuries; it was mentioned in 14th Century documents and by the end of the 15th Century it was already licensed, taxed and exported – yes, even way back then the Tax Man was quick to recognise the potential and grab his share! Although Grappa had humble origins – it was widely produced in home stills by just about every wine farmer and grape producer in the North of Italy – it has come a long way since it’s rather rough-and-ready high potency origins and today Grappa is enjoyed all over the world and some of the better Grappa can be a most sophisticated ending to an enjoyable meal.

What is Grappa?

Grappa is made from pomace, the left-over skins, seeds, and stems that remain after grapes have been crushed for wine. Sometimes fruit or other aromatics such as fresh herbs and spices are added to this raw material before it is distilled using either the old fashioned direct-fired stills or more modern methods utilizing steam heating. The distillate is a clear liquid with a hefty alcohol content of around 37% to 40% (and often higher, especially home-made varieties that are not subject to control). A similar product is also produced in France, called Marc, but the name “Grappa” may only be used for those spirits originating in Italy, and there are various regulations controlling the alcohol content (it cannot be less than 40%), distillation process and the grapes used. The resulting distillate is crystal clear and completely colourless.

The big players in the grappa business.

Today there are several enterprising Italian producers, among them some big names like Nardini (Bassano del Grappa) and Nonino in the Friuli Region, who have started to promote and refine the end product. Instead of using whatever grapes are available, (traditionally the old Grappa was made from a mixture of wine-grape remnants) they have started to produce single variety Grappa (cru monovitigno) and Grappa made from the grapes of particular denominated areas. In addition, some producers are aging the distillate in oak, ash or chestnut barrels, which imparts subtle flavours of vanilla, tobacco and sweet spices as well as changing the colour to anything from a light straw to a deeper amber hue. Most of the larger wineries now have their own “house brand” grappa specially distilled for them to sell alongside their wine.
Further innovations to improve the image and desirability of Grappa include the wide-spread use of beautiful hand-blown glass bottles, some embellished with beautiful stoppers, a variety of seals, gold caps, ribbons and lace reminiscent of the more gracious Renaissance era.

How to enjoy grappa.

The best way to enjoy Grappa in the traditional way is to serve it in a small tulip-shaped glass which will enhance the aroma. Young Grappa should be served cool (around 9 – 13C) while older Grappa would best be enjoyed at room temperature (17C). Many Italians enjoy sipping a Grappa alongside their Espresso, or even combining the two.
In the last decade there has been a big increase in the popularity of Grappa, leading it to become quite fashionable. A “Grappa Movement” – (i Grappisti) has been formed to promote the drink and there have been competitions where “mixologists” compete to produce the best cocktail containing Grappa as the primary ingredient. For your own modern take on Grappa try this suggestion from British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver as the finale to your next dinner party: Put a bottle of Grappa and 2-3 bunches of grapes in the freezer for about 2-3 hours. Serve the chilled grapes and Grappa on a large platter with a few bars of good black chocolate – superb!

Grappa tours.

Emilia Delizia would be very happy to organise tours for those interested in the process of making this famous Italian Spirit. Typically produced in the North West of Italy, the producers are easily reached from Venice, Verona, Bologna and Milan. Our company can organise transport, visits and lunches. A minimum of 10 people is required.

Best Restaurants in Parma

When you plan your holidays in Italy we bet that you soon start thinking about delicious dishes to taste. If you then book a tour in Emilia Romagna, those obsessive images of tempting tortelli, Parma ham and chestnut desserts won’t leave you until you go and savor them!

Once arrived in the land of authentic Parmesan flavors, don’t stroll too much to find the perfect place. If you want to have a great meal, just let be guided by our accurate proposals. Emilia Delizia suggests two of finest places to dine in Parma with excellent dishes of the regional tradition, incredible desserts and superb wines: Parizzi and La Greppia.

Parizzi****

The outside of the restaurant is classy as much as the interior. Minimalist style and modern concept are the key features of the setting, as you will soon notice entering the door. A mix of tradition and innovation, you would say, reading their sophisticated menu.

At Parizzi you will be served anolini and tortelli d’erbetta (with fresh herbs) or filled with pumpkin (the famous tortelli di zucca) – stracotto (beef), and a mouthwatering “tutto castagne” dessert.
The modern side of the menu features Porcini and Fontina lovely arranged in a crunchy cone, risotto with snails and cress, pork barely smoked. For other culinary advice refer to Marco Parizzi, while for wine tasting ask to wife and sommelier Cristina who will gather some excellent bottles from their cellar. And of course you can ask for the tasteful PDO Parmesan cheese, Culatello and Parma ham.

The elegant atmosphere pervades the suites – perfect for a peaceful rest after a stroll in the city center of Parma – and the school kitchen – hosting exciting cooking lessons for those who wish to bring a little of Italian style in their own kitchen.

Parizzi restaurant is located in Strada Repubblica 71, in the multicolored facade houses street, where the bell tower of the remarkable San Sepolcro church stands out.

La Greppia****

A mix of modernity and regional flavors is what you will remember of this women-only run restaurant. Conscious of the strong culinary tradition, chef Paola Cavazzini is well determined to reinvent a menu with signature dishes.

Seasonal food seems to be the secret for antipasti, primi and secondi marked by a strong savor: artichokes covered with a soft ham sauce, handmade pasta stuffed with pumpkin or chestnuts, rice Venere enriched with black truffles, salted codfish with tomatoes and potatoes, veal savored with ginger. Finally, the top desserts pumpkin pudding and kaki ice cream are a must!

At La Greppia, you will dine in a cozy atmosphere, under soft lights and wooden roof. You will happily notice wooden shelves and tables where fine wines and baskets of handmade pasta are exposed, perfectly arranged tables with elegant tablecloths, impeccable cleanliness and service.

La Greppia restaurant is located in Via Garibaldi 39. You can reach the restaurant after a visit to the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Steccata and Teatro Regio, two of the greatest tourist attractions in Parma.

Lardo di Colonnata….a taste of the Good Fat

What is Lardo di Colonnata?

Lardo di Colonnata is a true Italian heritage food; (it is very unfortunate that non-Italians will generally confuse the name with simple lard, which is far from the truth). This product is a deliciously seasoned, cured slab of pure fat from the back of the pig, which has been cured in a particular way, and it is a delicacy in Italy where it can often be seen on a platter of Salumi (Italian cured meats). Lardo di Colonnata is a superior product and it is protected by an IGP designation, meaning that production is restricted to the region around the little village of Colonnata. In addition, the IGP brings with it certain regulations regarding the production, and ensures that the product is matured in a particular way in the Marble caves near Colonnata.

The Marble Caves of Carrara and the Apuan alps

The magnificent mountains that surround the town of Carrara are a sight to behold! In the height of summer they appear to be covered in snow, but it is not snow but precious white marble that is gleaming in the sun. The marble from Carrara has been known since Roman times, and is where the huge block that was the basis of Michelangelo’s famed “David” was hewn. The town of Carrara is a monument to marble, and you will see marble wherever you look – marble benches, marble statues, marble steps and a gleaming marble Duomo (cathedral). Today you can go on a quarry tour to get an idea of how incredibly difficult it must have been to produce the marble here all those years ago, with no equipment! Above the town of Carrara, in the village of Colonnata, you can learn how the marble caves of the area are essential today in the production of Lardo di Colonnata, just as they have been for centuries.
Legend has it that the original Lardo was produced by the Roman quarry workers who needed a nutritious meal to sustain them during their labours in the quarries.

How Lardo di Colonnata Is Made.

Thick slabs of trimmed pork back fat are seasoned with salt, pepper, rosemary, garlic (and sometimes other herbs such as star anise, oregano, coriander, cloves, etc) and packed into specially carved Carrara marble containers, which are porous and allow for the curing process to take place. Production only takes place in winter, and the vats of seasoned fat are aged and matured entirely naturally in the Marble Caves, where the micro-climate is perfect for the job of curing the meat without any additives or preservatives.
The resultant Lardo di Colonnata, shaved into delicate thin ribbons, is a delicate, creamy textured sliver, full of the rich flavours of the herbs, which perfectly complements a slice of grilled Italian bread – crostini. It tastes a little like the fatty part of a slice of perfect prosciutto, but with a lot more flavour! It is generally eaten just as described above, and forms part of an antipasti platter, along with other cured meats (salumi). It can also be used to impart flavour and moisture to roast game birds or other dishes that require a little extra fat.

The Marble containers where the lardo is cured – source

Food Piracy: The Phenomenon Of The Italian Sounding Food Products

Six millions euros per hour: that’s the amount of the made in Italy turnover loss – as reported by Confagricoltura – caused by the so-called “Italian sounding” whose images, names and colours imitate the Italian products, but actually having nothing to do with the original made in Italy quality, culture and traditions.

Kraft exploits the name Parmesan to market a product that has nothing to do with Parmigiano Reggiano – Source

The phenomenon is well known as much as it is widespread, but it is rather impressive to read its evaluations and extent in black and white. Only EU considered, the match between fake Italian and real Italian sees the latter defeated 2-1: every two Italian products sold, only one is authentic.

“At the end of the year, the loss is over 54 billion euros, an amount greater than the real food piracy worth six billion euros” says Confagricoltura at Cibus Tour, highlighting that the trade of fake and imitations – in other words – all things pretending to be Italian, “are a loose cannon for the Italian alimentary export, this one representing the spearhead of the Italian export with an income of 28 billion euros in 2010.”

“While the food piracy – the real counterfeiting – is an illicit act punishable by law, the huge business of the Italian sounding plays in a grey area that can be fought only through international rules and agreements in order to assure a total transparency about raw materials and manufacturing process employed by traders.” claims the agricultural organization.

A legal action is urgently necessary, especially in those areas of great importance from the commercial point of view like the United States and Canada, where the Italian imitations outstrip the real Made in Italy ten-to-one – in North America there has been a refund of the defraud market quotas worth 24 billion euros, plus 3 billions of real counterfeit. Within the European border, which is supposed to be more protected, the gap is remarkable since, as mentioned above, it reaches 2-1.

The alimentary and agricultural percentage of the total national export amounts to 8% and it should also be considered that in the last few years its importance is strengthening and growing more and more in the total foreign sales volume, as compared with the negative trend of other economic sectors. If the Italian businesses want to remain competitive, they should reattain the grey area occupied by the Italian sounding.

“For this reason – says Confagri –, it is necessary to launch information and promotions campaigns so that foreign consumers can learn how to recognize a fake. Most importantly, at the WTO board the following subjects should be covered: the protection of the indication of geographical origin community system and definition of the standard productive process in social and environmental fields.”

Who is Massimo Bottura?

A true son of Emilia Romagna, the culinary capital of Italy, Massimo Bottura was born in Modena in September 1962 and is one of a growing band of innovative chefs that are pushing the boundaries of food and dining as we have come to know them. Massimo’s first experience of food and ingredients came from the many hours he claims he spent under his grandmother’s kitchen table, where he went to seek refuge from his older brothers. Here, at her knee, his great love affair with all things culinary began, and he took the first steps of his journey to the culinary excellence that would one day see his restaurant receiving no less than 3 Michelin stars.

A bit about his background.

Massimo did not initially set out to become a chef; he was studying law in 1986, when he heard that a roadside trattoria on the outskirts of Modena was for sale. He decided to take a break from his studies, bought and renovated the building and a week later he opened his first restaurant, the Trattoria del Campazzo; the rest, as they say, is history and the law faculty’s loss was the Culinary world’s gain.

It was not an overnight success story for Massimo Bottura, but rather a journey of discovery as he first apprenticed with Chef Georges Cogny, where the foundations of his culinary knowledge were laid down with a good grounding in the principles of regional Italian cooking combined with classic French cuisine. He later worked with renowned chefs Alain Ducasse (Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo) and Ferran Adria of El Bulli fame in Spain.

Massimo opens his restaurant in his home town: Modena.

In 1995 he opened Osteria Francescana in the medieval city centre of his home town, Modena, with the intention of combining contemporary art, traditional Italian cuisine and his now-renowned innovative genius. In the following years Massimo and Osteria Francescana received numerous awards, including his first Michelin Star in 2002. A second star followed in 2006 and in 2012 he received his third Michelin star, making him one of only 7 Italian chefs to have been so honoured.
In addition, Osteria Francescana was named the Best Italian Restaurant in the world, and the 4th Best Restaurant in the World in 2011, on The World’s 50 Best Restaurant List. In the latest list for 2013, he has climbed yet another rung of the ladder and is placed at no 3!

The signature dishes of Massimo Bottura.

And the food, you may ask… Massimo himself describes each of his innovative dishes as being a reconstruction of an idea, a memory or a smile, and since he has lived in Modena all his life, the region plays an important role in his food. To whet your appetite, here are a couple of the dishes which will be served for his New Year’s Eve dinner – dedicated to his friends around the world with inspiring dishes from all corners of the globe. From Italy comes Sea urchin spaghetti in the Neopolitan tradition with aglio, olio e peperoncino (olive oil, garlic and chilli), from France there is Foie gras and white truffle (a marriage of French and Italian delicacies) in an Emilian ravioli. Nordic countries are represented by the Aurora borealis dish – porcini, black truffles, chestnuts, chocolate and pumpkin beneath a blanket of leaves.

Massimo at a recent food event in Modena

Modena and Reggio Emilia: find REAL Balsamic Vinegar

There is still a lot of confusion about what constitutes a genuine Balsamic vinegar, or Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale, to give this Italian “black gold” its correct name. After all, anyone can walk into their local supermarket and find a string of different vinegars all bearing the name Balsamic Vinegar of Modena; this is confusing I know, but do not be fooled – this is a cheaper “imitation” and nothing at all like the product it tries to imitate. Most of cheaper bottles will contain cooked grape juice and ordinary red wine vinegar, and sometimes thickeners and caramel to sweeten and colour. These products are regulated by IGP labelling and producers can add these additives to obtain the right colour or density. Most of them are pleasant enough to use for salad dressing, and slightly sweeter than regular red wine vinegar.

ACETO2 — Traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena, in its typical bottle.

What is real traditional balsamic vinegar then?

Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale, by contrast, is regulated every step of the way through the production and aging process and may only be produced in two areas, Modena and Reggio Emilia in the north of Italy, which is where you should go to find it and see how it is made. The best way to be sure that you are finding the real thing is to go on a Balsamic Tour to one of the producers, where you will learn all about the production process and how to recognise the genuine product. There are about 160 producers in the two regions, who make a total of just 75,000 bottles a year. The vinegar is made in the traditional age-old way, using mainly trebbiano grapes grown locally. The vinegar is aged in a succession of wooden barrels which become smaller and smaller until it has been maturing for at least 12 years, the minimum acceptable aging period for a Tradizionale Balsamic. At this stage the vinegar will be tasted by the regulatory body, the Consorzio to which the producer belongs, and if it is passed it will be labelled affinato, indicating a young Balsamic, and is bottled with a white top, in both Modena and Reggio Emilia.

Extra old balsamic vinegars in Modena and Reggio Emilia.

About 30 – 40% of the product is then further aged until it reaches 25 or even 30 years old. A really well matured over 25 year old Balsamic is labelled extra vecchio (very old) and will be bottled with a gold top in both regions. In Reggio Emilia, there is a third designation for vinegars that have been matured for at least 18 years – they are labelled vecchio (old) and bottled with a gold top. The bottle shapes are also distinctive for each region; in Modena they use a rounded globe-shaped bottle with a rectangular base and a long neck, while the Reggio Emilia bottle is straighter and has a slightly flared base.

Many of the producers (acetaia) in the Modena and Reggio Emilia region are very happy to take you on a tour of their establishments, but most will require advance booking if you are not part of a tour. Acetaia di Giorgio is one of the producers in Modena who will give you a genuine welcome and an excellent tour, including the chance to taste several different balsamics, while in Reggio Emilia, Acetaia Medici is a good choice since they not only make excellent Balsamic, but also several wonderful wines.

Emilia Delizia will be delighted to organise a traditional balsamic tour for your group, big or small. Our company can organise an all inclusive day with transport and English speaking guide, departing from Bologna, Modena, Reggio Emilia and Parma.

3 bottles of traditional balsamic vinegar — The 3 ageing of the traditional balsamic vinegar of Reggio Emilia

Emilia Delizia accepts Bitcoins for your travel in Italy.

How To Travel In Italy With Bitcoins

Emilia Delizia now accept bitcoins for your travel booking in Italy. Most of our activities can now be booked with bitcoins rather than using traditional credit cards. Emilia Delizia is happy to grant a discount to all clients paying with the digital currency.

Bitcoin is virtual cash (cryptocurrency) that has been adopted by thousands of people around the world for trade and online purchases. Like any other currency it can serve many purposes, but one of the best ways to use this e-money is to cover travel expenses. Without having to carry a credit card or paper money, you can now make direct payments from your own web-based bitcoin wallet. Quick and secure transactions allow booking hotel rooms, singing into sightseeing and gourmet tours and even taking part in Ferrari test drives. Besides, our guests who choose to pay with bitcoins get a 5% discount.

So, how exactly do you benefit from using bitcoin while travelling in Italy?

Book Accommodation: Hotel or Apartment Stay

Paying with a credit card or wire transfer mostly requires participation of a third party – a credit card company, the bank or an online payment service organization. The transactional fees in this case can get way too high especially with large amounts such as a hotel room reservation. Using bitcoins may significantly reduce the extra charges: since all communication is done directly between the client and the merchant the operational costs are comparatively low. Once you have chosen the dates and the accommodation type it is a matter or 10-20 minutes until the transaction is approved. You should only remember that bitcoin payments are irreversible and once it has been made there is no way to claim your money back.

Sign Up For a Ferrari Test Drive with bitcoins

Driving a real Ferrari is a dream of many and now that you are visiting the legendary car’s homeland you can make this dream come true. Emilia Delizia offers a lifetime opportunity: taking a Ferrari test drive with more than five different car models available. After having picked up the desired car type and race duration you can pay with bitcoins and reserve a place right away. The transactions are extremely prompt and can be completed within 20 minutes or even less. One of the best parts about using bitcoins is that an order can be processed from your laptop, smartphone or tablet – all you need is access to the digital wallet and an internet connection.

Join Culinary Tours and food experience – with Bitcoin

During vacation in Italy you might want to get exposed to some of the country’s authentic culinary experiences and participate in the locally guided food tours. Also here, paying with bitcoins is a straightforward and inexpensive way to get quickly enrolled into the next cheese production tour, visit one of the food factories or take a cooking class by the local specialist.

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Keeping your money safe while on a trip is an issue that concerns every traveler. Over the last few years since its inception Bitcoin has proven to be an efficient and trusted way to pay and accept payments. This internet cyber currency is an elegant solution for maintaining secure bookings and purchases from any location and any electronic device. Whether it is a night in a hotel or a two-hour city tour –it all can be paid on the spot within minutes using the digital cash.

Enjoy the fish festivals: eat eels in Comacchio and blue fish in Cesenatico

Even if Emilia Romagna is famous for tortellini and Parma ham, you are wrong if you think that is all about it. The region is so wide and varied that you can find many culinary secrets well worth to be uncovered. Read on to see how strong is the fishing tradition in Emilia Romagna and how many gourmet events you shouldn’t miss.

Emilia Delizia selected for you the Sagra dell’Anguilla celebrating the eel fishing tradition in the town of Comacchio and the Fish Festival of Cesenatico, a nice tourist destination featuring the typical fish of the Adriatic Sea every year.

Eel Festival in Comacchio

This autumn, let be tempted by the sinuous queen of the lagoons, the European Eel whose image of Comacchio is ofter associated with. This town characterized by charming canals in the town centre, practices the eel fishing from ancient times and it has been the main source of income for centuries.

Situated in the Valli di Comacchio, this area of wetlands is formed by brackish lagoons which are part of the Regional Park of the Po Delta. We recommend to book a tour aboard boats to learn more about the eel and the fishing activity traditionally run in the typical “Casoni”.

From 1999 Comacchio celebrates the eel, delicious protagonist of many typical dishes, at the annual Eel Festival – Sagra dell’Anguilla. This event is part of the Wine & Food Festival Emilia Romagna and gives you the opportunity to taste not only the eel but other gourmet fishes such as sea bass, gilt head bream and other products of the region in the first two weekends of October.

To taste the deep flavour of eel, order a dish of eel soup – accompanied by polenta – or grilled eel when you have dinner at a typical restaurant.

Fish Festival in Cesenatico

If you would like to combine a gastronomic tour with a stroll in a relaxing harbour, head to Cesenatico, about one hour drive from Bologna. This is a perfect place to enjoy the gentle Adriatic Sea breeze and enter in a typical restaurant to taste the “poor” fish, the traditional food eaten by locals for centuries.

Being already famous among summer travelers for its great beaches and numerous seaside resorts, Cesenatico is more than a summer destination. The town holds a strong gastronomic tradition celebrated during the Fish Festival in autumn, usually organized between the end of October and the beginning of November.

The festival, named “Il Pesce fa Festa” in Italian, features about 80 stalls promoting food and wine of the area, a fish market, tasting tours along the Canal Port and the quaint town centre. This event is the right occasion to enjoy the so-called “blue fish” of the Adriatic Sea, well known for its important organoleptic qualities and unique taste.

To visit

If you love to learn more about the fishing tradition of the Adriatic coast, you should schedule a visit to the Museo del Carico della Nave Romana, the Manifattura dei Marinati – located in Comacchio – and the Museo della Marineria dell’Alto e Medio Adriatico – based in Cesenatico.

How Many Kinds of Parmigiano Reggiano are out there?

There are really stringent laws governing what kind of cheese can be called Parmigiano Reggiano, so in fact the answer to the question should be: Only one kind – Parmesan cheeses produced in the regions which are covered by the Parmigiano Reggiano PDO (protected designation of origin). In reality, however, it is a little more complicated! Let me try to explain about the variations that can be found amongst cheeses that all proudly bear the PDO stamp which proclaims to the world that they are genuine Parmesan cheeses from the PDO region, which includes Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Mantua and Bologna.

It may surprise you to know that there are about 420 creameries within this designated region, and these “parmesan factories” receive their milk from over four thousand farms every day. Inevitably, there will be a large variation in the end product from all these dairies, due to the season, altitude, breed of cattle and expertise of the cheese-maker. Another factor that hugely influences the final cheese is the period of maturation; the minimum time required for a cheese to fulfil the stringent appellation requirements is 12months, but some cheese wheels spend up to 36 months in the maturation cellars, during which time there is a very noticeable change in the taste and character of the cheese.

Factors which influence the final product are:

Maturation: at 12 months this medium-fat semi-hard cheese will have a pale cream colour, taste slightly salty, slightly acid and slightly sweet, and have a wonderful nutty fragrance – Parmigiano is never a smelly cheese! There is a slight grainy texture, one of the distinctive characteristics of this King of Cheeses. At 18 months, the texture has changed as more crystals develop and the straw colour of the cheese is a shade darker; the flavour is becoming more savoury and the fragrance has become a little fruity. The flavours and aroma of the cheese continue to deepen and mature, and the colour gets progressively darker. By 30+ months the cheese is fully mature, a golden straw colour with many crystals and can have woody, spicy, and dried-fruit flavours on your palate. The rind will be really hard at this stage.

Altitude: At higher altitudes, the dairy herd has access to sweeter, greener grass (Parmigiano herds are never fed anything other than grass!) and purer water, resulting in the cheese from the mountains (Parmigiano di Montagna) having a subtly deeper flavour. Many cheese connoisseurs also believe that cheeses made in Spring and Autumn are also superior due to the improved feed at these times of the year. Since each wheel is date-stamped, it is easy for cheese buyers to select cheeses made at these time of the year.

The Herd: if you are faming cattle for the meat market you choose good beef producing breeds, and likewise milk producers for the famous Parmigiano cheese production rely on superior milk-producing cows. In this region the most favoured breed is the Alpine Brown, bred exclusively in the mountainous areas. Recently “red cows” as they are locally known are making a coming back. The Rossa di Parma is native cow of the area and it produces a superior milk. These animals produce the very best balance of quality and quantity of milk – a really superior product just perfect for the production of a really superior cheese.

So, to get back to the original question – there is only one type of cheese that may be called Parmigiano Reggiano, produced in the areas covered by the PDO, but within the parameters set there can be fairly wide variations in the appearance, aroma and taste (and price!) of your slice of Parmigiano.

Novemberpork Festival in Parma

The worst place on earth if you are a pig…

In the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, the humble pig is so revered that an entire month of festivals is dedicated to the gastronomic delights of pork. It is quite understandable! The pig provides the raw product for one of Italy’s most sought-after exports, Parma Ham, but the story of the pig does not end with Parma Ham, and at this month-long festival you will find out how many other great pork delicacies are produced in the region. There are also demonstrations of how the carcass is divided up and how all the various cuts are processed – this event is not for vegetarians, who should perhaps give this festival a miss and rather visit one of the many other attractions of the region!

The November Pork festival, takes place each weekend for the month of November, and each stage is hosted by a different village along the Street of Culatello, (or the Pork Road), starting in Sissa, with “The Flavours of Pork” event. At each stage, the village butchers compete to produce the biggest, longest or heaviest product, which is why the competition is said to be the “greediest” of all food festivals in Italy.

Sissa – The annual “November Pork” fair starts in Sissa on the first weekend of November. On the Friday night there are live concerts and festivities and on the Saturday visitors are tempted by a market of typical products of the area, which include not only pork but also many organic products, fish, teas, spices and spirits. The music and entertainment continues late into the night. Sunday is the day everyone is waiting for – there are demonstrations of cheese making and the making of salamis and other pork products, before everyone gets to taste the giant Mariolone (a type of cooked salami) that the local butchers have been making all weekend.

Polesine Parmense – on the second weekend of the month the festival moves down the road to the village of Polesine Parmense, where it takes much the same form as the previous weekend, with music, dozens of market stalls and this time the star of the show is the Prete(Priest – this is made from the cured meat of the pork shoulder and knuckle, all rolled up in strips of pork rind into a triangular shape, reminiscent of a Priest’s hat) Usually it is a modest sized salami, but for this festival the butchers make the biggest one they can! It is baked and distributed(for free!) to everyone on the banks of the River Po. Of course, it is all washed down with a great local Fortana wine.

Zibello – is the village where the festivities take place on the third weekend, and this time the starring product is the Salame Strolghino; this is a “thin” salami, very delicate in flavour, traditionally made from the trimming of the large pear-shaped Culatello salami, which is locally known as the King of Salumi”. At November Pork, the local butchers of Zibello try to make the longest ever Strolghino to feed the many visitors. And I mean long…sometimes it can be up to several hundred metres!

Roccabianca – is the last village to host the November Pork competition and there are all sorts of extra events to mark the end of the celebrations. These include the “Pork Hot Feet” race, a Christmas Market and, of course, the tasting of the giant Cicciolata (this type of salami is more like a meat-loaf; it is made with some of the best pork cuts, generously flavoured with spices and then set in a loaf-shape, and served with hot polenta).

Each weekend, in addition to all the market stalls where you can buy local products, you can also visit regional restaurants, many of which feature special menus to showcase pork dishes from the region. Also in November, there is a black truffle festival in Parma, a Cheese Fair in Talamello(Rimini), and an olive oil festival in Ravenna, making November one of the very best times of the year to visit Emilia Romagna.

culatello — Culatello hams produced in Zibello – 30 km from Parma