Whats the best food in Emilia-Romagna, Italy?
What’s the best thing you ate on your vacation in Italy? In the 24 hours since I returned from 10 days in Emilia-Romagna, this is the question I’ve fielded most frequently. Emilia-Romagna, the region directly north of Tuscany, is generally regarded as Italy’s culinary epicenter. It’s not just that the cuisine is great – virtually every part of Italy can make that claim – it’s that many of Italy’s most famous foodstuffs originate from and, by law, can only be produced in Emilia-Romagna. The three most celebrated are Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, balsamic vinegar and prosciutto di Parma. The manufacture of all three items is closely monitored by individual consortiums that set standards and inspect finished products. For example, the hundreds of individually owned facilities that make Parmigiano-Reggiano must adhere to rules set forth by the consortium. The rules state, in very small part, that the cheese can only be produced in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and Mantua on t
