Emilia Romagna is more than a geographic region in Italy. It is, at the same time, a spot of undeniable individuality on the gastronomic map of the peninsula. Rimini shares much of the culinary profile of the region, the main ingredients used for cooking the specific dishes referring to pasta, meats, vegetables and cheeses. Despite its location on the Adriatic coast, Rimini does not necessarily excel in fish dishes though, without a doubt, fish and seafood are a common presence on locals’ table.

The cuisine specific to Emilia Romagna and, hence, to Rimini, has often been slated as to its poor origins. Yet, what is striking about the region refers to its rich palette of tastes and flavors, which should be appreciated since the culinary art resides precisely in making the best of ones resources, regardless of their gastronomic rating.

Pasta

Emilia Romagna is one of the regions of Italy where pasta dishes are at their best. Chiefly made of fine wheat flour, as if to bring to the ultimate refinement the nutritious richness of grains, pasta gains in Rimini a little extra hue and consistence owed to the egg mixed in the paste (though adding eggs is optional). Pasta is enriched with sundry cheese and meat fillings or seasoned with hearty and colorful meat based sauces (such as ragu, the Bolognese pasta sauce) or, why not, clam sauce. Tagliatelle, ravioli and strozzapreti, just to count a few, are some of the most popular types of pasta in Rimini, and they represent the basis for the most mouthwatering plates.

On top of that, there seems to be a consensus of opinion with respect to another type of pasta dish, namely, passatelli. The dough used for making passatelli features an extra granulation and flavor due to the fact the composition is made of bread crumbs, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, to the fact Parmesan cheese and nutmeg are mixed together in the dough. To increase even more the thrill of having such a meal, the pasta as such is boiled in various types of broths, most commonly, chicken broth.

Meats and meat products

Meats are virtually ever-present on the plates of the locals. Pork, chicken, rabbit, mutton and even pigeons complement and add consistency and taste to the traditional dishes, regardless of the form they finally take and of the way they are cooked: minced, sliced, boiled, fried, cooked, steamed or grilled. Meat products, such as salamis and sausages made of pork are also held in great respect in Emilia Romagna. Pork seams to be, indeed, the top choice locals usually make when it comes to meats, and it is extensively used in preparing Mortadella, Cotechino and Zampone (types of salamis and sausages).

Piadina

Piadina is the closest thing to the idea of gastronomic symbol of Emilia Romagna. This is a sort of bread (though the classification is rather inaccurate) made simply of flour, water and salt. Variations refer to adding lard and sodium bicarbonate to the dough in order to give it a little extra flexibility and fluffiness, though crispiness is the dominant feature of piadina. Some prefer to make it really thin, others enjoy biting into a thicker slice, which is why they put more dough on the flat pan the specialty is supposed to be cooked.

Given the elementariness of its ingredients, piadina can easily be associated with a large range of foodstuffs. Thus, it can accompany meats and cheeses alike, but it can also be spread with jam or sweet delights and butter.

Desserts

The most appreciated desserts in Emilia Romagna refer to sundry pastry-based specialties. Some of them are served only during certain festive events. Vanilla, orange juice and grated orange peel are commonly used for flavoring these delights. They usually deeply fried and then generously sugar coated. Sfrappole, lasagnette and castagnole hold the bill of the sweet treats in Emilia Romagna.

Zuppa Inglese should definitely be mentioned as notable local dessert, combining the fluffiness of the sponge cake (pan di spagna), the viscosity of the egg custard and the strong flavor of Alchermes (a highly flavored Italian liqueur). The cake is often topped with chocolate cream, though other toppings are not unheard off.

Cheeses

The Parmesan cheese is, undeniably, the queen of all cheeses in Emilia Romagna. It is a worldwide famous cheese, appreciated for its taste, flavor and toughness, as well as for its ability to complement a large range of dishes (pasta included) and to actually represent an ingredient of plenty of dishes (the above mentioned passatelli is just an example). In Emilia Romagna, Parmigiano Reggiano is the most appreciated of all cheeses.

However, in order to get a complete image of Emilia Romagna and its cheese offer, tourists should definitely try the so called formaggio di fossa, originally produced in the commune of Sogliano al Rubicone. The process of producing this goat milk cheese takes almost 4 months, but the waiting is worth undergoing. The result is highly versatile, being able to accompany sweet products like honey and jam, to be used as filling for pasta, or it can be eaten as such. Grilling is also an excellent idea for a snack. The fact it goes very well with wine (preferably red) is a matter of course, given the marriage of cheeses and wine is one formula the prestige of which speaks for itself.

Wines

Having a meal is an experience which can be interpreted as a mere act of feeding or, on the contrary, as an entire array of rituals pegged out by elements which, by their absence, could definitely compromise one’s grasp of the meaning of eating. Washing down the meal with a glass of the appropriate wine or, as the case may be, accompanying the bites with a swallow of wine at the right time is a manner of enhancing the gratifications one should know how to obtain from eating.

Most wines produced in Emilia Romagna are historic wines the making of which goes back to ancient times. Even the average or the least appreciated wines boast of being traditionally produced here, which is an ascertainment all the same or, at least, indicative of how the wine culture is kept alive in the region.

The wines commercialized and consumed under the Colli di Rimini DOC label range from intense red to translucent white, from sweet to dry, covering a large array of flavors and bouquets. Besides the Colli di Rimini wines, tourists can also sample some Sangiovese di Romagna, Lambrusco, Cagnigna di Romagna or even Trebbiano.

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