Food capital of the world – Bologna, Italy

When I first arrived at Bologna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy in the fall of 2007, I was shocked at the vast number of young people in this city. In fact, it was almost like a stampede leaving the Bologna train station. Yes, I was told that this is a University town, but it’s a HUGE university town. For many years I’ve always wanted to visit Bologna, the food capital of Italy and touted as the food capital of the world. Well, this is a place famous for its ragu (i.e. Bolognese sauce), parmigiano reggiano (best grana cheese in the world), tortellini (also known as Venice’s navel) and cured meats, thanks to the famous Parma ham, from neighboring town of Parma.  Indeed, I saw freshly made tortellini of all sizes and stuffed with all sorts of filling in the shop windows, which I was so tempted to buy, but would be unable to cook since I was staying in a hotel. I tried a selection of salumi for lunch (see picture) with the famous culatello, which is impossible to get in the U.S. because of its curing process. I even found burrata (see picture below), the soft ball of cow milk cheese that’s softer than mozzarella. I love burrata; it’s one of the best cheeses in the world.  

I took a day trip to neighboring town of Modena, famous for its Balsamic vinegar and hoping to get a glimpse of its production process. Well, I didn’t but I did try a risotto laced with aged-old syrupy dark balsamic vinegar which was really, really good. Thanks to a fertile Po valley, the Emilia-Romagna is a produce bountiful region, with world famous meats, cheeses, vinegar, pasta and pasta sauces that truly make it THE food capital of the world!