Bologna, often dubbed the “Food Capital of Italy,” is a paradise for culinary enthusiasts. Nestled in the heart of the Emilia-Romagna region, Bologna boasts a rich history and a vibrant food scene that beckons travelers from around the globe. A culinary tour of this charming city is a journey into the heart of Italian gastronomy, offering a taste of traditional flavors and age-old recipes.
We begin our adventure in the bustling streets of the Quadrilatero district, where local markets overflow with fresh produce, artisanal cheeses, and cured meats. Here, we’ll encounter mortadella, prosciutto and rich, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano. Venture into family-run trattorias to savor tagliatelle al ragù, the authentic Bolognese sauce, and discover the delicate art of crafting tortellini, often lovingly referred to as “the navel of Venus.”
No visit to Bologna is complete without sampling the region’s famous balsamic vinegar from nearby Modena or enjoying a glass of Lambrusco, the sparkling red wine that perfectly complements the local fare. Our culinary tour will include a pasta-making workshop, where you can try your hand at making fresh pasta. As well as visits to world renowned producers.
A tour through Bologna and Emilia Romagna is not just a feast for the senses but an unforgettable immersion into one of the most delicious and culturally rich regions of Italy. Embark on this gastronomic journey and let Bologna’s culinary treasures captivate your palate.
INCLUSIONS
NOT INCLUDED
Arrive at our accommodations in the afternoon. Settle in and unpack knowing you will not have to repack for the entire week. Ward off jet lag with a quick walk to the many specialty shops in Piazza Maggiore, which is steps away from our hotel, and perhaps grab your first gelato for the week. In the evening, we will meet for our first group activity. After a wine tasting, we will enjoy our first taste of real authentic Bolognese cuisine during our group dinner at a carefully selected restaurant.
We kick off our week in Emilia Romagna by introducing you to the three most iconic culinary products of the area!
In the morning, we will visit a small artisan Parmigiano Reggiano dairy within the official Parmesan Production zone that supplies some of the best restaurants in the area. The producer makes a few wheels a day – far removed from the large ‘industrial’ producers. We will arrive early enough to see the entire production process and the aging of the golden wheels that are made in the same way as the monks did 1000 years ago. We will be able to taste a selection of Parmigiano from minimum 18 months up to 40 months!
We will then travel to a small, privately owned Prosciuttificio in the hills of Modena making some of Italy’s finest charcuterie products and supplier to Osteria Francescana.We will carry out a tour of the production where each stage of curing and the differences in the various products will be explained and shown in detail. Since the Prosciuttificio still works in an artisan manner, there are several stages to the process, each of which will be revealed. At the end of the tour we will enjoy lunch including handmade pasta, a selection of their own produced charcuterie and local breads.
We will then visit one of Modena’s unique traditional and, most importantly, purist producers of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale. The house near the vinegar attic is built in Liberty style and protected by the Italian Ministry of Culture. This is one of few producers who has not succumbed to Japanese and American demands for strangely flavoured vinegars, but who has diligently adhered to historical and traditional production methods for the 5 products he makes.
It’s going to be an amazing food-filled day!
Emilia Romagna thrives on its tradition of making pasta by hand with a rolling pin. With our instructor at the helm, you will learn the very specific technique, not only to mixing the flour and egg, but also to ‘pulling’ the dough, as they say, so that it is thin enough to read a newspaper through it. You will learn how to make Tagliatelle and filled Tortelloni, and one other iconic pasta shape. You will also learn how to make the fillings/condiments and receive the most important recipe for the classic ‘Bolognese Sauce’ here known as ‘Ragù alla Bolognese’ (it normally takes 6-8 hours to cook).
At the end of your course we will all sit down together to dine on your efforts together with a delicious antipasto and dessert…and enjoy a couple of glasses of local wine.
Today, we will discover the hillsides and olive groves for a unique experience in one of Italy’s finest but possibly least-known olive-growing areas. We will visit the best olive-oil producer of this area, making an oil from a local and indigenous olive cultivar called “La Brisighella” that is herbal, acidic and wonderfully aromatic. You will learn about the different cultivars and why this particular oil was designated with Italy’s very first DOP certification. The area, unlike the arid expanses of olive groves found in southern Italy has a microclimate and the olive trees grow on ledges on the hillsides with a relatively humid climate. This particular producer has one of the most sophisticated (and fascinating) presses, allowing a production of olive oil that is pure and respects the olives’ most sacred characteristics. The experience includes a lesson in olive-oil tasting, enabling you to understand how to recognise a ‘good’ oil from a defective one and learn about the different aromatic, taste and flavour characteristics of not only the Brisighello Cultivar but also a selection of other blended and local cultivars.
Today, we will wander to Bologna’s famed ‘Quadrilatero’ area. We will go on to explore some of the most historic ‘bottegas’ and purveyors of the region’s finest foods, and en route we will buy some of the most famous charcuterie and breads to eat as we meander along the tiny streets and the market stalls. We will also pick up our desserts from Bologna’s oldest bakery dating back to 1880s.
Next we will make our way along Via Ugo Bassi, one of the city’s three most famous shopping streets and onto the Mercato delle Erbe, Bologna’s oldest closed markets where we will carry out a tasting many different products. We will finish off with the World’s Best Pecorino carefully paired with fig jam and Balsamic Vinegar.
We will continue with our tour around the market, see the pasta makers or ‘sfogline’ making pasta by hand, listen to some of the legends surrounding the creation of some of the city’s iconic pasta dishes such as Tortellini in Brodo and Tagliatelle al Ragù.
Last but certainly not least, we will end our tour by opening some bottles of local wine to be paired with a typical Bolognese lunch and to finish a soft chocolate cake known as ‘Tenerina’.
today, we will see this incredible area of Romagna which is largely unexplored and learn about these rare cheeses that were originally hidden from pillaging armies and how burying these cheeses caused an accidental fermentation process that is unique to this DOP cheese of the Romagna region. We will visit the pits located in the producer’s home as well as the tiny museum which tells the story of the pits and cheese production. We will finish with tastings of various cheeses made with cow’s, sheep’s and goat’s milk and a selection of other local products which will include a crash course in how to taste cheese.
Our time in Bologna is winding down and by this time, we’ve eaten our way through the food capital of Italy. Today, you’ll enjoy some time on your own to shop, visit a museum or simply enjoy Italy’s Dolce Vita by relaxing in Piazza Maggiore.
A delicious final farewell is planned for our last evening together.
The week in Bologna is winding down. Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before checking out.
8 Days / 7 Nights
$5,550 USD Per Person / Single Supplement is $1,200 USD.
$1,000 USD Non-refundable deposit is required to secure your spot.
Francesca Montillo, Native Italian, Owner and Tour Leader Accompanies all Activities. Contact Francesca at francesca@thelazyitalian.com for booking/reservation and further details.
If you would like to reserve a spot for this tour, or have any questions, please use the contact form below and we will send you the necessary booking instructions or additional information.
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