Buongiorno from Bologna, Italy! I'm in Italy during the off-season, so it's cold, rainy and snowing during my 3 days in Bologna. For the first few days, I decide focus on one of Bologna's most famous exports...FOOD!
Parma is famous for parmigiano cheese and prosciutto crudo di Parma (Parma ham).
Modena is the birthplace of balsamic vinegar and calamari ripieni di calmareti (little squid seasoned, chopped, mixed with rice and stuffed into big squid!)
But, dear readers, I am in the delicious, gorgeous city of Bologna....! And Bologna is the undisputed king of food.
I spent an afternoon wandering around the area called the Quadrilatero, an area known for it's tiny, medieval streets lined with food shops.
At the produce stands, I'm dazzled by the selection.
I'm amazed at the massive lemons and huge, grapefruit sized oranges.
There are charming little shops for milk and cheese (latterias) and shops for meat, particularly interesting with ceilings full of hanging, curing meats.
Each shop also has a display of available dried or fresh pasta.
Bologna is famous for creating the delicious stuffed shells known as tortellini, so they're on display everywhere, both in the shops and on signs in front of restaurants.
Bologna also created the larger stuffed cousin to tortellini, tortelloni.
The Bolognese people also created bolognese, or meat sauce, which the Bolognese people call ragù. Before the people of Bologna created ragù, pasta sauce was just tomato sauce! Thank you, Bologna!
Lasagna was also created here. Delicious, layered cheesy goodness called lasagna! This yummy dish is one of my all-time favorites...!
And finally...the city of Bologna is famous for... bologna! Here, they call it mortadella sausage and it is MUCH yummier than the American version of bologna. It's a mild, slightly sweet meat served primarily at breakfast alongside salami and croissants. (Italians don't eat eggs at breakfast.) Mortadella sausage is delicious!
Caio!
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