To enjoy the very Best of Romagna - don't miss these typical local delights:
WINES: Sangiovese DOC is the wonderful Romagna red wine that is adored by locals and visitors alike. The name’s literal meaning – ‘Blood of Jove’ – attests to its strength and beauty. It is said that the original Sangiovese vineyard was sited on Mons Jovis the hill on which Santargangelo di Romagna now stands and where its wine is kept carefully in the city’s catacombs – always at the right temperature summer or winter. Good vintage Sangiovese is extraordinary good value.
Albana DOCG was the first white wine to gain this important Italian appellation – because not only is it very good but it has also been grown and been revered in Romagna for thousands of years. The Empress Galla Placidia is said to have been given a drink of Albana in an earthenware beaker. She said “This wine is so good it should be drunk in gold!” thus giving the name to one of Romagna’s most important vineyard cities ‘Bert in Oro’. It comes as a delicious dry wine and a sublime sweet dessert wine – ideal for dipping your biscuit in!
Pagadebit (‘Pays the Bills’) is another local wine, always good value, that comes in sparkling and flat always dry always fruity, spicy and delicious.
Albana DOCG was the first white wine to gain this important Italian appellation – because not only is it very good but it has also been grown and been revered in Romagna for thousands of years. The Empress Galla Placidia is said to have been given a drink of Albana in an earthenware beaker. She said “This wine is so good it should be drunk in gold!” thus giving the name to one of Romagna’s most important vineyard cities ‘Bert in Oro’. It comes as a delicious dry wine and a sublime sweet dessert wine – ideal for dipping your biscuit in!
Pagadebit (‘Pays the Bills’) is another local wine, always good value, that comes in sparkling and flat always dry always fruity, spicy and delicious.
MEAT AND MORE: Mora Romagnola is very important. It is the local rare-breed pig who usually lives a pampered life. Here is the difference – mass-produced pigs on the supermarket rarely get to 10 months old before they get to be slaughtered. Mora Romagnola pigs take a couple of years or so and give birth to smaller litters. So smaller pig families have a high time eating acorns in the woods before they become delicious Prosciutto, Salami and other wonderful deliciously tasty morsels.
CHEESE: Squaquerone DOP is difficult to pronounce but very, very easy to eat! But you’ll have to eat it in Romagna because it is so amazingly fresh and piquant it simply doesn’t travel but it does provide the perfect companion to Savor – more later – and prosciutto. On the other hand Formaggio di Fossa is specially bred to last! This tart sheep, cow, goat or mixture cheese spends months in a hay-filled pit before it is properly matured. In Romagna it is described as ‘Amber’.
PASTA: In Romagna pasta is always fresh – that means that it is made the morning you eat it and with a rolling pin, not a machine. Passatelli is the exception – it is not made with a rolling pin because it’s not made with flour. Breadcrumbs, old parmesan, eggs, nutmeg and lemon zest are combined to make this deliciousness, which is then usually squeezed into an amazing broth. Other speciality local pasta is tagliatelli (for ragu) and Cappelletti (cheese stuffed little hats for broth).
ITALIAN HOME CHRISTMAS COOKING: You can learn while you are here to make fabulous Christmas Cappelletti, Christmas sweets and lots of other special dishes to make your Christmas meal a really memorable FEAST.
THE UBIQUITOUS PIADINA: It’s the flatbread that goes with everything. Easy to make, incredibly difficult to make to a great standard, it always comes hot and nearly fluffy to the table. Ingredients simply good flour, water, a little salt and either olive oil or strutto (very special lard). It is always cooked on a ‘Telia’ from mountaintop Montetiffi. And it’s delicious. Simply every Romagnolo person adores it!
DELICIOUS CHUTNEYS AND JAMS: Savor is sensational and particularly so in a combo with Piadina and Squaquerone – it’s made over a few days with grape must, almonds, walnuts, quinces, apples and other secret ingredients – every grandmother has a recipe! And of course as Romagna is full of fruit and veg in the winter it’s full of preserved fruit and veg and jams – caramelised figs, apricot compote, pomegranate gelatine, Persimmon and Quince jams and all the rest!
BAKING: The queen of the Romagna kitchen is Ciambella, a wonderfully light cake made sometimes with ricotta, sometimes with almonds and dried fruit, sometimes with marzipan but much more often plain because plain it’s so good to dip in your glass of Albana wine! Of course at Christmas there is Panettone (don’t ask before December 8th when they are baked!) and at Easter there is Colomba (Easter Dove). And there are always seasonal spiced Pagnotto.
GIVE YOURSELF A GIFT OF BEAUTY: Nowhere in the world will you see so many glorious 5th, 6th and 7th century Basilicas – it is the East in the West. Plus they are stuffed full of totally amazing colourful mosaics glistening as though there were laid yesterday. Ravenna is packed full of ancient characters too and stories that you will find it difficult to believe – they are so true!
CASTLES: Do you like medieval castles? There are probably more of them in Romagna per square kilometre than anywhere else in the world. Mainly soaring on mountains but also great citadels on the plain. And each one has a colourful history, was created by a colourful family and has stories galore! Creepy stories like that of Azzurina the beautiful little girl, romantic stories like that of Francesca and Paolo (on which Rodin’s sculpture ‘The Kiss’ was based on) and horror stories like that of Torriana with its dozens of pit prisons and San Leo with its torture chamber.
CHRISTMAS CITIES: The run-up to Christmas as truly passionate in Romagna and amazing. There are at least two cities (and one country!) that give themselves over to all the music and fun and celebrations from the end of November to Epiphany in January.
Sant Agata Feltria becomes Christmas Village - There is an enchanting atmosphere as the streets of the mediaeval village are filled with the traditional sounds of (Romagnolo) bagpipes and there are handcrafted cribs on display on the ancient street. Father Christmas and his elves have games for old and young kids on the market square. And there are reindeers and naturally great Christmas food and naturally an enormous Christmas market and naturally a beautiful 1000-year old fairytale castle.
Cesenatico is the historic Leonardo da Vinci - designed sea harbour of Cesenatico, you’ll see ancient ships with Nativity Scenes on each with a background of Christmas music and lovely lights, naturally there is a Christmas market and a wonderful stroll by the port past the ships each with its nativity scene is something really different.
San Marino’s Christmas of Marvels: The Republic of San Marino creates possibly the most magical Christmastime event in the world. Naturally there is an ice-skating rink; naturally Santa Claus sets up his village (with lots of Elf helpers) to help lots of kiddies - of all ages - make Christmas delicacies and wrap presents; naturally there is a beautiful Nativity scene, naturally there are traditional carol concerts in the atmospheric churches, naturally there is a vast array of duty-free and branded outlet shopping in the pretty boutiques; naturally there are Christmas shops with a vast array of Christmas goods from decorations to cuckoo clocks to electronic Santas - everything… and naturally there is a fabulous local Christmas Market.
Sant Agata Feltria becomes Christmas Village - There is an enchanting atmosphere as the streets of the mediaeval village are filled with the traditional sounds of (Romagnolo) bagpipes and there are handcrafted cribs on display on the ancient street. Father Christmas and his elves have games for old and young kids on the market square. And there are reindeers and naturally great Christmas food and naturally an enormous Christmas market and naturally a beautiful 1000-year old fairytale castle.
Cesenatico is the historic Leonardo da Vinci - designed sea harbour of Cesenatico, you’ll see ancient ships with Nativity Scenes on each with a background of Christmas music and lovely lights, naturally there is a Christmas market and a wonderful stroll by the port past the ships each with its nativity scene is something really different.
San Marino’s Christmas of Marvels: The Republic of San Marino creates possibly the most magical Christmastime event in the world. Naturally there is an ice-skating rink; naturally Santa Claus sets up his village (with lots of Elf helpers) to help lots of kiddies - of all ages - make Christmas delicacies and wrap presents; naturally there is a beautiful Nativity scene, naturally there are traditional carol concerts in the atmospheric churches, naturally there is a vast array of duty-free and branded outlet shopping in the pretty boutiques; naturally there are Christmas shops with a vast array of Christmas goods from decorations to cuckoo clocks to electronic Santas - everything… and naturally there is a fabulous local Christmas Market.
BEAUTIFUL HAND PRINTED MATERIALS Stamperia Pascucci moved into new premises in 1826! Still now they design and print specially-made materials all by hand. The designs are a mixture of ancient and modern and visitors can buy aprons, cushions, door stops, table cloths and napkins – in fact everything you need for a modern home – but created carefully by hand.
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