Emilia Romagna flavors
There is no actual boundary marked on maps separating Emilia with its appealing dishes, the fried “gnocchi” (an Emilia specialty obtained by mixing flour, water, yeast, lard and salt, then rolling it out in a sheet of pasta dough, cutting it into small square pieces and frying them in boiling hot oil), from Romagna with its zesty flavors and its “piadina” (a tortilla shaped focaccia with a filling). It is rather the meeting point of the two souls of the same land.
The trapeze formed by the territory between the Po River, the Adriatic Sea and the Apennines is undoubtedly the richest gastronomical area in Italy. 
Its inhabitants are known to be good eaters and fond of hearty food. The cult for a well-garnished table is found all over, fueled by a dual spirit. From Piacenza to Bologna lies Emilia, from Ravenna to Rimini it is Romagna, separated at the fall of the Roman Empire by a geographic and cultural frontier with the Lombards on one side, the Byzantines on the other. The former favoured pork, beef and iron-pan cooking, the latter wheat, lamb, mutton and terracotta hotplate cooking; on one side, cured pork meats, cheeses and fried gnocchi, on the other, “castrato” (male sheep meat) and “piadina”.
The region includes the entire area from the Po River, to the Apennines and the sea. The dominant lines enclosing the landscape are the Po riverbed and the ridge of the Apennines. The horizon rises from the river stretching across lowlands with poplars, plowed stretches of land, and the great courtyard farmhouses. From the west to the east, first there is the corn and alfalfa of the Parmigiano-Reggiano land, then the great Lambrusco vineyards, market gardens, orchards, and finally the reclaimed lands and Comacchio fishing marshes. From the opposite side, the rivers descend fashioning a bright green, unexpected mountainous zone: mushrooms and chestnuts from the woods; meat, cured pork and cheeses from the pastures. Lower down, the hillside belt swarms with busy districts and productive activities: between the Trebbia and the Marecchia rivers there are the vineyards - Gutturnio to Albana - alternating with cherry and plum orchards. Then the narrow strip of pinewoods and beach heralding the flavors of the sea.
As far as farming and foods are concerned, the Emilia-Romagna region is a leader in many ways. Statistics set it highest in the production of soft wheat, in the top positions in the fruit, brandy and wine sectors; the same can be said as concerns the • manufacture of cheese, cured pork meats and vegetables in general. In fact, several of the major Italian food production firms are from this region. What is even more remarkable, however, is its reputation as a culinary paradise, according to the collective image. “Alia bolognese” (Bologna style) is a term • that is used (and abused) on a worldwide level, and two typical products such as Parmigiano-Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma, the industrial production of which has managed to combine tradition and organic excellence, have equal worldwide reputations. A more recent and exclusive achievement is the international renown of traditional balsamic vinegar, representing the last word in resistance to mass produced food: a magic, dream-evoking potion sold in small quantities in precious flasks, proof of the potential of a typical Italian product.
As already mentioned, the gastronomy is divided between two contrasting cultures: that of Emilia, based softly and appealingly on the general idea of butter and mellow sauces, and the Romagna tradition which is more sanguine and inspired by the avant-garde strong flavors of central Italy. The gastronomic differences that develop when moving from one to the other area are extremely varied. It is enough to mention pasta, the regional symbol: the center of gravity is held by the “tortellino”
for which Bologna and Modena both claim parenthood, but in Piacenza and Parma with only slight variations we find the “anolino”, in Reggio Emilia the “cappelletto”, in Ferrara pumpkin “tortelli”; while going down into the Romagna area, stuffed pasta gives way to “garganelli” or “cappelletti” with only a cheese filling. Left to itself, Emilia, where pork holds sway, has a great number of specialties such as horse meat in Piacenza, pigeon in Parma, rabbit in Modena. In the mountains the scenario is enhanced by elements originating from the other side: traditions of the Liguria region found in the upper Piacenza area, Florentine customs descending the Parma river valley and the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, Montefeltro customs along the southern border. The same goes for the coast where the “brodetto” (fish soup) alternates with fried “seppie” and “calamari” and grilled fish
, emphasizing different flavors according to whether the focal point is towards Rovigo or Pesaro. The Emilia-Romagna region offers opportunities for gastronomic tourism for all tastes and all incomes. The number of restaurants as a whole is conspicuous in the cities that are art centers, extremely rich on the Romagna coast, surprisingly so also in the Apennine mountains, offering a large choice of top quality settings, f series of “trattorie”, “osterie”, wine bars with kitchen service, even back shops with chairs and tables for a snack. The most remarkable feature, however, is the myriad of kiosks located everywhere along the Romagna coast: the fast foods of “piadina” with its many delicious fillings, the cured pork meats, the “squacquerone”, the greens…
The Emilia-Romagna region is the home of egg pasta, where the preparation of pasta is still practically a ritual. Production includes a wide range of varieties, also in the many stuffed versions: every town and almost every family has its own secrets for kneading pasta. The eggs are selected from those with a darker shell, guaranteeing brightly colored yolks that will give the pasta a golden hue; the sheet of dough is stretched and skillfully cut according to its intended use: a thin sheet cut in wider strips for pasta with sauce, a thicker sheet of dough cut narrow for pasta served in broth. The fillings are vegetables and cheese for vegetarian tortelli, meat for the cappelletti Reggiani and for the anolini of Piacenza. They are all served preferably in broth, like the queen of stuffed pasta, tortellini, the emblem of Bologna, which according to legend was inspired by the perfect shape of Venus’ navel. Among the sauces used for pasta, the place of honor is taken by ragu (meat sauce) which originated in this area; rich and tasty it requires long, careful cooking to enhance its flavors.
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