Cured meats, parmesans and vinegars
Emilia-Romagna is a paradise for top-quality cured meats, including the famous prosciutto di Parma DOP, Parma cured ham. But also culatello di Zibello DOP, a delicate charcuterie highly prized in the region's restaurants. Cotechino di Modena IGP has the appearance of a large sausage and is seasoned with a variety of spices and herbs (black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, bay leaf). Mortadella di Bologna IGP is a large sausage made from finely chopped lean pork meat, topped with small cubes of pork fat and spices, sometimes pistachios.
Of course, it's also a province of cheese. Emilia-Romagna produces two types of Parmesan: Parmigiano Reggiano DOP and Grana Padano DOP. Parmesan can be aged for between 12 and 48 months, or even longer for Parmigiano, depending on personal taste: as it ages, it acquires a more pronounced, piquant flavor and a crumbly texture.
Pasta and wine
In every town, you'll be spoilt for choice: there are plenty of shops selling handmade dry pasta that's easy to pack in your suitcase, as well as fresh pasta by weight, the price of which can be quite affordable if it's been made by hand. Buy at the last minute before you go home, as they can't be kept out of the fridge!
Emilia-Romagna produces some excellent wines, which you can buy from your wine merchant or directly from a winery. Emilia produces lambrusco, a light, sparkling red wine that goes wonderfully with cured meats. Romagna produces excellent white wines such as trebbiano, pignoletto and the elegant albana, which has DOCG status. As for red wines, Sangiovese di Romagna DOC, whose production area stretches from the province of Bologna to the Adriatic, offers a wide variety of wines, from the lightest to the most structured.
Beautifully crafted ceramics and mosaics
The two ceramic capitals of Emilia-Romagna are Sassuolo, in the province of Modena, and Faenza, in the province of Ravenna. In Sassuolo, you'll find more stores specializing in tiles and ceramics for the home. Faenza, meanwhile, has been linked to the ceramics and majolica industry since the 12th century. The word "faïence" was first coined here. Numerous workshops and stores line the historic center. Ravenna is known as the città del mosaico ("city of mosaics"), due to the precious mosaics adorning its early Christian buildings, which are listed by UNESCO. A skill that is still alive and well, passed on in several of the city's schools and perpetuated by contemporary artists.
Printed fabric and wrought iron
Hand-printed fabric is a tradition in the provinces of Forlì and Rimini. In the village of Sant'Arcangelo di Romagna, these age-old gestures are still reproduced today in stamperie (presses). The Stamperia Marchi, founded in the 17th century, has a store selling cushion covers, tablecloths and other tableware made from fabrics printed using hand-hewn walnut or pear wood dies.
The picturesque streets of Grazzano Visconti, in the province of Piacenza, are dotted with workshops where the tradition of wrought iron is perpetuated. Handcrafted decorative objects are on display and for sale.
