Hotels
Top tip: when visiting Bologna for tourism purposes, please do not stay behind the train station and in the Fiera area. In Bologna, the center is very compact, it is best to live 10-15 minutes walk from Piazza Maggiore in order to walk with pleasure and be able to walk to anywhere in the city. I can recommend 2 excellent hotels.
Very nice and not very big hotel in the very very center, 2 minutes from Piazza Maggiore. I liked the lobby, good internet, spacious room with marble bathroom, view of the Bolognese towers from the window. Didn't like breakfast, really, but only because in Italy I prefer to have breakfast outside the hotel: nothing beats a cappuccino, a croissant and people-watching in a small bar on the corner.
This small hotel of just 5 rooms is a five-minute walk from Piazza Cavour, home to all of the city's luxury shops. Very clean and fresh rooms, the nicest owners, beautiful furniture. Breakfast is served in the morning - I had breakfast with pleasure, but then I still drank my second cappuccino in the city. Among the shortcomings is the lack of an elevator, so you will have to drag your suitcases to the 2nd floor yourself (although the owners are ready, of course, to help).
restaurants and bars
This is an inexhaustible topic, because in Bologna the food is incredibly tasty everywhere! Literally everywhere! The main thing to remember is lunch in all establishments from 13.00 to 15.30, dinner - from 20.00 to 22.30. It is no longer possible to eat at 16.00 in 99% of restaurants. If you haven't booked a table, it's always best to arrive half an hour early: the Italians come literally on alarm, so if you hurry, you can get ahead of them and get a table.
I really love places like this, filled to the top with all sorts of beautiful things, full of people, with closely spaced tables and an owner who is sure to come to chat. Here they don’t offer you a menu, but simply tell you what is tasty and fresh in the kitchen today, bring a glass of pignoletto for an aperitif and a few slices of cheeses and sausages traditional for Emilia-Romagna. Then Emanuele comes, pats you on the shoulder, finds out how you're doing. The feeling that he was in the family, even if he came for the first time.
The establishment has 2 pluses: good Bolognese food, including lasagna and tagliatelle al ragu (everyone remembers that the word "bolognese" is not here?), plus a schedule that does not include a break between lunch and dinner.
It's actually a bookstore (and me!), but not an ordinary one! It serves delicious food on every floor at establishments run by Eataly, an association that promotes Italian products and cuisine. On the first floor you can have a coffee or a sandwich, on the second floor you can try fresh pasta, on the third floor you can drink local wine or beer with snacks. All cafes work without breaks and weekends.
The aperitif is one of the main Bolognese food traditions. For 6-7 euros you get a glass of wine/aperol and as many snacks as you can eat. In student bars around via Zamboni, snacks will most likely be cold pasta, chips, vegetable stew and leftover cheese, somewhere they serve sliced sandwiches, somewhere - rice and potatoes. The most bourgeois place to have a coffee or an aperitif in Bologna is Zanarini. Showcases here are decorated with cakes and cakes of incredible beauty, sweets are made here self made, they brew incredibly delicious coffee, and for an aperitif they serve not yesterday's food, but fresh canapes and tartlets.
The legendary and oldest osteria of the city, where they will pour you, but they will not give you food: you need to bring it with you. I did about this place, but I repeat: the osteria works without interruption (but closes early), the atmosphere is very informal, you can buy food a stone's throw from the entrance in one of the cheese or butcher shops.
Al Pappagallo, Serghei, Diana, Dal Biassanot, Rossopomodoro pizzeria and many, many others are also considered good places in Bologna. The best ones can be found in the reference books Osterie d "Italia (available for iphone) and Gambero Rosso ().
Shops and markets
The topic is as inexhaustible as restaurants, because. the whole center of Bologna is full of boutiques, in which, I am sure, you can easily figure it out without me. I'll name the ones I visit the most.
My mother-in-law loves this Italian brand, so no trip to Italy is complete without shopping for her. In Bologna, I most often go to the store on via Rizzoli, where I have long been remembered. The most important thing is not to be satisfied with what is posted in the hall, to ask for a catalog and choose the things you like from it. At Luisa Spagnoli, it's very easy to pick up a work and leisure set for a classically but not boring woman of 40 and older. The brand makes great a la Chanel tweed suits, beautiful cocktail dresses, comfortable outerwear, great coats, great blouses and shirts, comfortable summer dresses and much more. Sellers will be ready to assemble the whole image for you, because something is included with each item in the kit. From the latest purchases for the husband's mother - a tweed-lace suit, consisting of a sky-blue dress and jacket with pearl details, comfortable wide trousers made of woolen jersey, a black and white set of a sleeveless dress and a Chanel-style jacket.
One of my favorite menswear brands, valued precisely for its very Italian design. By the way, the brand will soon open a store in Moscow (in the Moskva Hotel, where Luisa Spagnoli already works). Here they sell wonderful shirts, bright and varied ties, universal white linen scarves with different edgings, and of course suits, jackets and trousers.
If you go to Osteria del Sole, if you are hungry or if you are looking for gastronomic gifts for friends - you are here! One of the oldest shops in Bologna, stuffed to the top with pork hams and cheese heads. The air in it is such that it seems that they can eat wine. Works here wine bar. Tamburini is located a stone's throw from Libreria.Coop (where, by the way, you can also buy pasta sauces, cheese, meat and other delicacies) and in the center of the quarter with an incredibly high concentration of shops with food, from fish and meat to chocolate and wine.
Ferrara
Just half an hour from Bologna by train - and you are in the city where they cook the most delicious pasta stuffed with pumpkin, cappellacci alla zucca. In Ferrara, the medieval city center has been perfectly preserved, in the center it shines with the marble faces of the Duomo, the castle beckons with a real moat around and guns with rough stone walls of ocher color.
Mantova
One and a half hours - and you are in Lombardy, in Mantua, standing on the shores of three lakes. Don't miss Rigoletto's house and the castle of the Dukes of Gonzaga with rooms painted by Andrea Mantegna. You can ride a boat on the lakes: I can’t say that the walk is very exciting, but the view from the water to Mantua is really excellent.
Ravenna
One must go to Ravenna for the early Byzantine mosaics hidden in the walls of heavily built and squat temples. On the way from one temple to another, eat piadina stuffed with cheese and meat: it is these flat cakes that supplanted traditional sandwiches here.
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In addition to legends about castles, streets and entire cities, there are legends in Italy about the origin of different dishes and special products. There are several stories about, which has long enjoyed worthy gastronomic fame. And since the dishes of this region are incomparably tasty, the post should only be read with a full stomach :) Otherwise, blame yourself :)
Bologna has several nicknames, one of which is "fat" (grassa). The abundance of people with their own cultural traditions in the city (mainly students and teachers from different cities and countries) has led to a mixture and richness of the cuisine of the region. The city was very wealthy in the Middle Ages and followed the culinary fashion, and many wealthy families kept famous chefs with them. There were also a lot of taverns, only in the 14th century there were 150 of them! And there are three times fewer hotels. Do you feel the scale and scope? :) Eating in Bologna has always been loved :)
Meat is very popular here, pork is often used. And the most typical type of pasta is egg ... very tasty by the way :) All classic dishes Bologna is always on the lips: tortellini, lasagna, tagliatelle, mortadella and of course bolognese sauce.
Well, legends, finally :) The origin of tortellini has two versions. The first is mythological, the second is life, but both refer to an institution called the Crown. As if its owner was spying on a lady through a keyhole, and so admired the beauty of her navel that he immediately decided to immortalize it in cooking. The mystical version is described in Tassoni's The Stolen Bucket. All the gods came to the same "Crown" - Venus, Mars and Bacchus. Venus fell asleep, and the men disappeared somewhere. After sleeping, she went to the owner to find out what and how. He, again, was amazed at her forms and created tortellini with his own hands, giving them the shape of the navel of the goddess. There are many filling options for tortellini: boiled meat, egg, nutmeg with parmesan, ricotta with spinach, etc. Mmmm...
And the appearance of tagliatelle is also due to female beauty, but this time the beauty of the lady is quite specific. In 1487, when the legendary Lucrezia Borgia was on her way to visit her fiancé Alfonso I d'Este in Ferrara, she decided to stop in Bologna. The personal chef of Giovanni II Bentivoglio, named Zefirano, was fascinated by the beauty's blond, curly hair and also could not resist capturing them in his art. This is how tagliatelle, a type of Italian pasta, was born. However, there is an opinion that the whole story was invented by the local humorist Augusto Mayani in 1931.
Not a drop of water is used for the test, but the egg is more than enough, which is why a warm, yellow, pleasant shade appears. I will probably not mention the numerous cheeses, prosciutto, mortadella and chop ... I'm afraid that drool will flow. But I will post delicious photos :)
The food in Bologna is excellent. Somehow, going to this city, we decided to call a friend who lives in Forli to ask where it would be better for us to taste traditional dishes. The answer struck me: "Everywhere," said Sylvia, "there are no bad establishments in Bologna, don't even worry." How right she was! Not a single trattoria, restaurant, osteria or cafe has ever disappointed! Therefore, be here feel free to go to any institution, from which exciting smells will be heard. This city has a centuries-old culinary history, and keeps its cuisine at a high level. But how could it be otherwise ... it is necessary to keep the brand of "fat" Bologna. Viva Italia!
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In the eyes of the guests of Italy, it occupies a very modest place in the brilliant necklace of cities-masterpieces. Tourists infrequently include Bologna in their itineraries, and guidebooks give it a couple of pages at most - completely, in my opinion, in vain, but this is already a matter of personal preference. However, there is a category of travelers for whom visiting the city is a matter of honor - those who are not indifferent to the diversity and abundance of Italian cuisine come to the "fat" Bologna. Yes, “fat”, or “fat” is one of the three “official” nicknames of Bologna, and it largely reflects the colorful essence of this city. The other two, however, are no less significant: "red" and "scientific".
"Red" Bologna is called for two reasons. Secondly, until recently, the left-wingers - socialists and communists - won with enviable regularity in city elections. But for a city that measures its age in a couple of millennia, these are relatively recent cases, which is why it is only “second”. And firstly, the name "red" has been attached to Bologna since the Middle Ages - thanks to ocher-colored buildings and bright tiled roofs. The city, which has survived many tragic events, has miraculously preserved a very solid historical center with everything it should be: ancient churches, medieval palazzos, battlements, powerful walls, luxurious fountains and kilometers of arcades.
In prosperous Bologna, wealth was not hidden - among the wealthiest and noblest residents of the city, it was customary to erect high towers, which symbolized the power of their owners. The higher the tower, the richer the owner. Once there were more than 100 of them, but hardly a quarter has survived to this day. The most famous Bolognese towers are the "falling" Garisenda and Asinelli.
You can go up to the last one (97 meters high, there is no elevator), enjoy the magnificent view and make sure that the name “red” was not given to Bologna in vain. Just do not repeat the mistakes of your obedient servant, who started climbing 500 steps after a hearty Bolognese dinner ...
By lunch, for which this story was started, we will definitely return, but for now we will find out why Bologna is also “scientific”. The fact is that it is here that the oldest university in Europe is located, founded (it’s scary to imagine!) In 1088. Among the students and teachers of the famous educational institution, you can find the names of several popes, Petrarch and Dante, Torquato Tasso and Erasmus of Rotterdam, Paracelsus and Copernicus, Marconi and Antonioni, Armani and Ferrari ... And until recently, Umberto Eco taught there ... The university operates in our days, and a huge number of students gives the respectable appearance of prosperous Bologna a youthful enthusiasm, and cheerful laughter enlivens the ancient walls of academic buildings. Especially at lunchtime. (My thoughts revolve around food...)
“A full belly is deaf to learning” - definitely not about Bologna, no matter how “scientist” she may be. In addition, students and scientists from different countries enriched the cuisine of Bologna, which was already very interesting, with their recipes. This city has been famous for its culinary traditions since time immemorial. Here they knew how to cook and loved to eat - maybe not too elegant, but satisfying, tasty and varied. Although if we talk about sophistication, then Bologna is the third city in Europe in terms of the number of Michelin-starred restaurants after Paris and Brussels. However, in order to have a good meal in Bologna, it is not at all necessary to go to an expensive restaurant, here you will get excellent food even in the most modest osteria. And how could it be otherwise? It is no coincidence that they say that Bologna in the world of food is equal to Milan in the world of fashion, and the city is often called the gastronomic capital of Italy. Other regions, of course, will not agree with this, but the Bolognese will not even argue. They are so sure of their superiority. In Bologna, more than anywhere else, various food exhibitions, holidays and festivals take place - they can be dedicated to sausages, cheeses, chocolate, pasta, soups or all your favorite local dishes at once.
Bologna is the center of the affluent region of Emilia-Romagna, which has long been famous for the gifts of its land.
Here they plant the same wheat for pasta, rice for risotto, excellent vegetables and fruits, grow the most dairy cows and “correct” pigs, collect truffles and porcini mushrooms. It is from here that the famous Lambrusco originates (sweet and semi-sweet varieties are usually exported, while locals prefer dry ones, which are better suited to the dishes of the region) ...
... "sweet" salt from Cervia (as it is called because of the complete absence of a bitter aftertaste) ...
And the world famous balsamic vinegars from Modena.
An hour's drive from Bologna is charming Parma, famous not only for the Parma cloister and Parma violets, but also for Prosciutto di Parma, Parma cured ham with over two thousand years of history. According to legend, such a ham was served to Roman generals who returned home in triumph.
From the same regions comes the most famous italian cheese which the whole world knows under French version names - parmesan. For the right to be called the birthplace of hard, brittle Parmigiano, dating back to at least the 13th century, Parma proper and Reggio nel Emilia fought for a long time, so now the cheese is officially called Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Rimini and Ravenna are considered the birthplace of the ancient bread of the Romagna region - piadina, which has become popular throughout Italy, and not only in it. In the old days, a tortilla made from flour and pork fat was served on the table in the poorest families, and today it, filled with a variety of toppings, has become the most famous Italian "fast food". The modern recipe varies - healthy lifestyle advocates can replace pork fat with lighter and healthier olive oil.
All this and much more gastronomic splendor is generously laid out on the shelves of the markets and shops of Bologna, in order to then move to the kitchens of Bolognese hostesses and restaurants and, turning into delicious dishes, come to the table.
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What dishes should you try in Bologna? Of course, traditional ones, of which there are many. Snacks, with which it is customary to start a meal, are offered here in a wide variety - as they say, for every taste. But still, the Bolognese, supporters of hearty food, prefer those that contain meat.
And you can't do without a local delicacy. The main pride of Bologna - Mortadella - boiled pork sausage, the first "official" recipe of which dates back to the 17th century, and the history is generally lost somewhere in Roman times. Delicate, pink and fragrant mortadella is made from minced pork with the obligatory addition of bacon and spices, sometimes pieces of pistachios, olives, green peppercorns, or, in the old fashioned way, myrtle berries. Some specimens of mortadella cause a slight surprise with their size - they can reach a couple of meters in length and weigh more than a centner.
The first dish is usually pasta, and Bologna knows a lot about it! One of the city's culinary "specialties" is fresh pasta made without water, only flour, eggs and salt. There is an unlikely legend that the most famous Bolognese pasta - tagliatelle (tagliatelle) - was invented by a chef who fell in love with Lucrezia Borgia - he was inspired to create a masterpiece by the beauty's golden curls.
However, today chopped spinach or chard is often added to tagliatelle dough, resulting in a beautiful green dish. Lucrezia Borgia would be horrified...
Flat long noodles rolled into beautiful nests, as a rule, are not bought in the store, but are cooked by themselves. In fact, it is not difficult - the usual homemade noodles. Shall we try?
We will need:
- ½ kg soft wheat flour
- 5 eggs
Pour the sifted flour into a pile, make a well into which add the beaten eggs and salt, and knead hard dough. If the dough is too tight, you can add a little olive oil, if not enough - more flour. The dough needs to be reached for about half an hour in a cool place, then it needs to be rolled out (thinly-thinly, but carefully so as not to tear), cut into thin strips and dry a little. The width of the noodles (as officially registered with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Bologna) must be exactly 7.92 mm, which is 1/12270 of the height of the Asinelli tower. Seriously, what do you think?
Tagliatelle with their porous surface are perfect for thick meats and creamy sauces. It is this type of pasta, and not spaghetti at all, as is customary throughout the rest of the world, that is served with Bolognese sauce. For a Bolognese, the combination of the sauce of his homeland and spaghetti is a real insult. Well don't soak the paste out durum varieties wheat sauce as it should! By the way, the famous sauce is completely called Ragù alla Bolognese or Ragù Bolognese, or even just Ragù. And so it is clear that in Bolognese! There are many recipes for Bolognese stew - let's try to cook a dish according to one of them?
We will need:
- 150 g ground beef
- 100 g minced pork
- 1 large carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 large onion
- 5 st. spoons of tomato sauce (tomatoes in own juice fit too)
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 2 tbsp. spoons of olive oil
- 1 st. a spoonful of butter
- 1 cup water or broth
- salt, pepper, nutmeg
Fry carrots, onions and celery cut into small cubes in a saucepan in a mixture of creamy and olive oils without burning. Add minced meat and fry until browned. Pour in the wine and half of the broth, mix well and reduce the heat. When the liquid has evaporated, add the rest of the broth, salt, tomato sauce and spices. Continue to simmer with the lid on for at least an hour. Now all that is missing is boiled al dente tagliatelle, grated parmigiano and a sprig of basil for decoration.
Another pride of Bolognese cuisine, which has spread throughout Italy and beyond, is Tortellini - small, funny-shaped dumplings with various fillings. They can also be colored - this does not particularly affect the taste, but it looks beautiful.
They are prepared from unleavened dough(flour, water, salt) and fill minced meat, chicken, ham, mushrooms, soft cheese or spinach - the list goes on. Serve tortellini with various pasta sauces or in broth (in Bolognese - so certainly from capon). Very tasty, and, for me, it replaces a whole meal.
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Who and when invented tortellini is unknown, but there is a legend on this subject (who would doubt it). And even in two versions. According to one, the chef in love copied the shape of the tortellini from ... the navel of the woman he loved - don't you think that love worked wonders with Bolognese culinary specialists? The second version of the legend refers to mythology - they say, the cook peeped at the navel of Venus herself when the goddess was undressing, and was inspired by the perfection of its form. However, poetic natures assure that tortellini look like rosebuds.
Having coped with excellent pasta (in fact, there are many more varieties of it, one green Bolognese-style lasagna is worth something!), You can move on to the second course. If you still have the strength, of course. As a rule, I don’t have enough of them for a full Italian lunch, especially in Bologna, where they prefer to eat meat for the second. Bollito misto, or simply Bollito, is the clearest example of Bolognese meat cuisine.
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But not everything is so scary. They cook in Bologna and something lighter - especially good chicken liver in cream tender fillet turkeys with truffles or Bolognese-style veal breaded escalope, fried in butter and brought to readiness in broth.
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The second course is behind ... But before you start a cup of coffee and a digestif, you need to study the dessert menu. Alas, the desserts of Bologna cannot be called light either ... Here they love cookies with almonds, almond meringues, cakes with custard and different kinds ice cream (chestnut seemed especially tasty and unusual to me). But the most Bolognese sweets are Certosino di Bologna and Torta di riso.
Chertozino made from flour, sugar and honey with the addition of candied fruits or glazed fruits, almonds, pine nuts, raisins, sweet fortified wine and anise was traditionally prepared for Christmas. But, fortunately for those with a sweet tooth, now you can try it at another time. The medieval recipe of the Carthusian monks was lost, but carefully revived and even officially registered with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry!
The Bolognese are very sensitive to the authenticity of recipes, so the rice cake (Torta di riso), which, of course, is based on rice boiled in milk, as well as almonds, lemon zest and liquor, also has an “official version”. However, despite this recipe for a cake that looks like a plebeian rice casserole, but delicious in taste, a lot. I recently acquired one of them and as soon as I try to bring it to life, I will definitely share it.
It seems to me that this sweet note quite adequately completes the culinary excursion to the "fat" Bologna - where people like to cook and know how to enjoy food. Bon Appetit everyone!
Svetlana Vetka , specially for the site
Photo: author, ilturista.info, alchetron.com, cucchiaio.it, cervianotizie.it, nonnapaperina.it, mangiarebuono.it, italymagazine.com, bridgeapuliausa.it, ilrestodelcarlino.it, ricette100.it, cannamela.it, ricette. donnamoderna.com, cucchiaio.it
Bologna is known not only for being the capital of the province of Emilia-Romagna, but also for its rich history, famous sights and fertile lands. Bolgna is a city that keeps many mysteries and secrets, which attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world. Let's take a short trip to this ancient city, see its architectural monuments and learn the secrets of sophisticated modern cuisine.
History reference
The very first information about the ancient settlement on the territory of Bologna dates back to the 10th century BC, when this area belonged to the ancient culture of the early Iron Age Villanova. Over time, this territory passed to the Etruscans, who created the settlement of Felzina here in the 6th century BC. Numerous conquests led to the fact that in the 2nd century BC, the Romans founded a military base here, which was called Bononia.
Only at the beginning of the 12th century AD Bologna becomes a free city and enters the Lombard League. The 13th century is characterized by its highest flowering. Bologna received its maximum development after the Guelphs, who fought on the side of the pope, defeated the Ghibellines, who supported the emperor in the battle of Fossalta. The victory was won thanks to the fact that the Guelphs captured the illegitimate son of Emperor Frederick II. The year 1506 was marked by the fact that Bologna joined the Papal States, where it retained its position until the unification of Italy in 1860.
One of the oldest universities in Europe was opened here in the 11th century. 6 centuries later, Bologna has earned the title of the intellectual center of all of Europe. Famous scientists came here to test their theories. University graduates such as Copernicus made important discoveries here.
Sights of Bologna
Bologna is a whole architectural complex, which includes a huge number of attractions - buildings and structures of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. There really is something to see here.
Palazzo Comunale is located on the western side of two famous squares: Piazza Maggiore and Piazza del Neptuno. The building is notable for its terracotta sculpture of the Virgin Mary, which decorates its facade. The construction of this building dates back to the 13th-15th centuries. The ensemble is complemented by the Palazzo d'Accurcio, which historically belonged to the local rulers. Palazzo Comunale is famous for its Art Gallery representing the Bolognese school. So, in particular, the top floor is occupied by the Giorgio Morandi Museum (1890-1964), which belongs to the masters of modern still life.
The landmark of San Petronio is recognized as the spiritual patron of Bologna. In his honor, a grandiose basilica was built in Piazza Maggiore. Its construction began in 1330, but was completed only by 1650. Notable is appearance temple.
Possibly, due to the lack of material resources, the marble cladding reaches only the middle of the building. The reliefs of the main entrance dating back to the early Renaissance period are considered unsurpassed. Charles V was crowned in this basilica.
Of particular value are the first and fourth chapels on the left, which were painted by Giovanni da Modena, the Pieta by Amico Aspertini and the astronomical clock. The latter, due to their location - in the left side nave - show the day and month of the current year exactly at noon when sunlight hits them.
Piazza di Porta Ravenna is famous for its Hanging Towers. Once Bologna had more than 200 of these towers, which were very popular among wealthy citizens.
Azinelli is the tallest surviving of them. Its height is about 100 meters and the slope to the side is 1.20 meters. Garisenda is not so high, its height is 48 meters, but it has a significant slope - 3 meters. The oldest building, the House of Buyers, is also located on this square. The building of the former Chamber of Commerce has a special attraction thanks to its sculptural figures and guild medallions.
Santo Stefano is a whole complex containing 4 temples. It is entered through the church of Crocifisso, which was originally built in the Romanesque style, but then changed in 1637. Next to it is the Church of San Sepolcro. It has a special meaning. In the center of the building, made in the form of an octahedron, rises the tomb of St. Petronius. The inner courtyard of Pilate is famous for its ornaments and the baptismal font, which were built by the Lombards in the 8th century. The front part of the courtyard opens the entrance to the church of Trinita, and then to the Romanesque church - Santi Vitale e Agricola. The latter dates back to the 8th-9th centuries and is considered the oldest of the entire complex.
San Domenico is another ancient building dating back to the 8th century. Somewhat later, the interior of the temple was remade in the Baroque style. The temple is notable for the works of the masters who worked on the sculptures and painting of the sarcophagus of St. Domenic, who died in Bologna in 1221. Here you can also see the work of the young Michelangelo, who skillfully executed the angels to the right of the tombstone.
The Sanctuary of the Maddona of San Luca is one of the symbols and highlights of Bologna. This religious building was erected by Dotti and dates from the mid-18th century. For 4 kilometers, the path to this temple is decorated with numerous arcade arches, of which there are more than 600.
Gourmet contemporary cuisine
Bologna is considered a symbol of satiety and exquisite taste. In addition to traditional Italian dishes here you can enjoy national delicacies and wines. The following local dishes will bring special pleasure.
Tortellini - this dish is considered the trendsetter of Bologna cuisine. The filling is traditionally ricotta, parmesan and parsley. Also for meat lovers they make a filling of boiled pork, eggs and parmesan.
Torta di riso is a special dessert from Bologna, made in the form of a rice cake. Rice for him is specially boiled in milk. Eggs, almonds or other nuts, lemon zest and sugar are also added to the dough.
Pecorino di fossa is a special type of cheese made from cow's and goat's milk. There is confirmed documentary evidence that it has been prepared for 15 centuries. The light and sweet taste of this cheese is ideal for fruit salads and some Italian wines.
Zuppa inglese is an incomparable dessert with a somewhat eccentric name. Its name means "English soup" in Italian. If you do not focus on the name, then you can enjoy the exquisite sweetness prepared in the form the most delicate biscuit and soaked in cream liqueur.
Bologna is a very interesting European city that will appeal to everyone. Here you can see the sights, and have a good time, and enjoy the local gourmet Italian cuisine. This is one of the most attractive places in Italy.
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Some Italian cities have nicknames in addition to their names. For example, Venice is called the Quietest: during the time of the Venetian Republic, denunciations were so common that conspiracies were revealed before they matured. Florence is beautiful, of course. Well, the great maritime power of Genoa is Proud. Bologna has three nicknames: Red, Learned and Fat.
Red Bologna nicknamed either because of the color of the roofs, or because of the communist views of most of its inhabitants. Bologna owes its second nickname to the oldest university in the world - ( here, of course, the French like to argue, but we know the truth!). And she is Fat because of the rich and not always dietary cuisine. You can even call this city the Learned Fatty: the gluttony of students played an important role in the development of local cuisine, and Bolognese pickles have always served as a weighty argument for Italian mothers in choosing a place to study their beloved child.
How to get there
You can get to this paradise for gluttons by train from Milan, from Venice or from Florence - the distance is about the same, trains run surprisingly often, because Bologna- one of the main transport hubs in the north.
If you are driving, then the journey can be completely delayed, because the Emilia-Romagna region is a real gastronomic paradise. Parma ham is also produced here ( not to be confused with abode), and parmesan ( not to be confused with the Neapolitan eggplant casserole - parmigiana), and balsamic vinegar from Modena ( it’s like with cognac - take the most seasoned one, you won’t go wrong). In general, it is necessary to prepare for the gastronomic knowledge of these places in advance: the strongest survive!
If you still got to Bologna, then you should start exploring the city with working up an appetite, and for this, like nothing else, climbing one of the Two Towers is suitable ( Due Torri) - Donkey ( Torre degli Asinelli, 500 steps): then the conscience is clear, and you already really want to eat!
What is
The choice is great: Bolognese cuisine is very diverse. So, the Bolognese are considered the keepers of the secret of making the famous Italian dumplings - tortellini ( tortellini), the shape of which should resemble the navel of Venus, as well as lasagna ( lasagne) - casseroles, which are layers of laid plates of pasta and stew, heartily flavored with béchamel sauce and parmesan.
The name is plural, and this is no accident: there should be many layers of pasta, which is called lasagna. So they are obtained exclusively in the plural.
By the way, these lasagnas are called exclusively " Bolognese". This is due to their filling - Bolognese stew ( ragù alla bolognese).
It is also worth trying another type of pasta - tagliatelle ( tagliatelle). This is an egg-based pasta, but of a different shape - long, flat, 8 mm wide. The width was calculated in relation to the very tower that I recommended you climb: in 1972, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Bologna officially decided that the width of the paste should be exactly 12270th part of the height of Torre degli Asinelli ( and this is 98 meters).
Great and terrible mortadella ( mortadella) is also the work of the Bolognese. From a distance it looks like a giant doctor's sausage, and for good reason: in the Soviet Union they liked to copy European specialties and come up with new names for them. Mortadella is a boiled pork sausage cooked with lard and spices. The name has been debated for a long time: either from the prosaic mortaio - mortar, since the meat must be finely chopped, or from the Gothic morte. In Italian it is death”, so let's agree better with the first version.
Where there is
Mortadella and many more meat delicacies can be found in via D'Azeglio next to the central square Bologna. If you are in this square, pay attention to one of the most pornographic fountains in Italy: Neptune points with his finger exactly via D’Azeglio, which is full of gastronomic shops!
Of the available entertainment: who will find the roundest cheese, the largest mortadella, the strangest-shaped sausage or with the funniest name ( in my opinion, the winner is culatello: in Italian, culo is the very thing that grows from good food, but “-tello” is a diminutive suffix). If you go the other way from Neptune, along via Rizzoli to the Two Towers, you can walk to the famous shop Tamburini(Via Caprarie 1), where you need to try everything, and buy what you like.
Not a single decent Italian will go to dinner without first “warming up” with an aperitif. True, the famous Spritz ( a mixture of bitter Aperol liqueur and dry prosecco champagne) is an invention not of Emilia-Romagna, but of the province of Veneto, but since it is the closest neighbor, the taste of spritz in Bologna is quite authentic.
On St. Stefano Square ( a street leads to it from the Two Towers), the most peaceful and peaceful place in Bologna, you can sit with a glass of spritz right on the street, in Caffe delle Sette Chiese, hiding from the terrible Bolognese climate ( either rain or sun) under the porticos of the Renaissance building. Spritz is delicious and the view is amazing!
After an aperitif, a tourist who has honestly celebrated the cultural program has several options. First, you can fill up plenty of bologna sausages and cheeses, which are served with a deep-fried bun ( tigelle e crescentine) in a restaurant Antico Caffe del Corso (via Santo Stefano 33).
If you want the atmosphere of a Bolognese tavern, then it is best to go to Osteria dell'Orsa (via Mentana 1). There is always a queue at the entrance, but it’s worth defending it, because this is where you can try the real tortellini in broth ( tortellini in brodo), tagliatelle with ragout ( here tagliatelle alla bolognese will be breathtakingly good) and crostoni - hot toasted grilled bread with various goodies on top ( mushrooms, salami, prosciutto, tomatoes and other delights). Home-style food is simple, Italian-style portions are large, and the atmosphere is Bologna-style student - after all, it is in this area that if not a building, then some kind of university faculty! Note that Osteria is one of the few places open from noon to midnight without a break. Italians eat strictly by the clock, from 12:30 to 14:30, so if you feel like having lunch " in Russian", at four o'clock, come here.
The Quintessential Scientist BBW Bologna- osteria and trattoria with a fabulous name Eataly located in a bookstore. So, you go to the most ordinary bookstore ( Via degli Orefici 19), go up the escalator to the second floor. And there, between the cabinets with books and products - tables! And along the walls there are racks like in the most ordinary supermarket. There are cheeses, and sausages, and pasta, and tartar, and traditional green lasagna ( pasta is made with spinach) - the menu is updated every day, so be sure to check piatto del giorno- dish of the day!
If you climb even higher - to the third floor, you can dine among wine cabinets. If you are tired of meat, then on Wednesdays for those tired of stews there is a fish day. The choice of wines is not only extensive, but also expertly selected: you can order from the menu after consulting with the waiter, or you can take your favorite bottle directly from the rack. Of course, you can’t help but try lambrusco - “ Italian Coca-Cola”, as one professor friend once called her. Just don’t get carried away: if you decide to buy a bottle of wine you like to take with you, hurry up: the cash desk on the ground floor is only open until half past ten.
