TYPISKA PRODUKTER
Fantastisk, Oefterhärmlig, Enastående
Emilia Romagna, detta land av smaker och lång tradition, kommer att finna sin väg in i ditt hjärta. Låt dig vinnas av dess tusentals specialiteter. Inte någon annan plats i världen finns en sådan koncentration av traditionella produkter av toppkvalitet, sensuella dofter, intensiva smaker och romantisk atmosfär. Detta lands karaktär är passion, styrka, ärlighet och hjärtlighet. Dess produkter är sanna uttryck för en sådan tradition och du kommer säkert att hitta något som för alltid blir en del av ditt liv.
Dessa sidor beskriver bara en liten del av våra produkter - de mest berömda - men har du möjlighet att komma och hälsa på oss kommer du att finna en hel värld av mindre kända gastronomiska speicaliteter som kanske till och med är än mer smakfulla än det mer välkända.
PARMIGIANO REGGIANO
Eight Centuries of Excellence. Its Origins.
When it is said that Parmigiano Reggiano cheese has been "a great cheese for at least eight centuries", it is not only highlighting its ancient origin. Indeed, it means pointing out that this cheese today is still identical to how it was eight centuries ago, having the same appearance and the same extraordinary fragrance, made in the same way, in the same places, with the same expert ritual gestures.
Historical evidence shows that already in 1200-1300, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese had reached its perfect typicality that has remained unchanged until the present day. This means that the dairy activity in the production region certainly has very old origins, since it can be reasonably assumed that the unique features of the product had already been reached long before then. The Parmigiano Reggiano standard is, in fact, an evolution of ancient and extraordinary cheeses - already mentioned by Latin authors - determined by a constant improvement of cheese making techniques.
The first cheese masters that obtained those unique features, in the processed wheels, that still today render the product inimitable, realised immediately that they had created a work of art, but being wise, they were quite happy with the qualitative excellence achieved. Their commitment and devotion have been rewarded; but like in all creative works, "God's help" has a play in it. In fact, besides the help of individuals, many other elements independent from their efforts had contributed to produce a perfect result. These elements are rarely found anywhere else and never are they found in the same unrepeatable composition: the geological formation of the soil, the particularity of breeding farms, a balanced combination of agri-geo-environmental and human circumstances that enable the production of a valuable milk - even differing from areas geographically close - the only milk that can originate an exceptional cheese, that can withstand a very slow maturation which enriches it with inimitable flavours. It is instead the human beings' exclusive merit to have proudly preserved Parmigiano-Reggiano's noble aspects down through the centuries and to not have surrendered to the temptation of simplifying functions and activities, not even today when everything is technology and automation. Therefore, today like in the past, cheese masters continue in their effort and in their risk by sincerely and proudly persisting in making their cheese with solely milk, rennet, fire and art, and in abiding by the rigorous centuries-old methods and application of the technique that is the result of special vocations and matured experiences.
PASTA BARILLA | (top)
Barilla was founded in 1877 in Parma, more than 125 years ago, as a bread and pasta shop. Today it is Italy's largest food-processing industry, articulated into 29 production plants, with direct control over 10 mills supplying 70% of raw material requirements.
Barilla is undisputedly the leading name in pasta in Italy and throughout the world. It is the premier Italian group for baked products (not to mention pasta sauces) and third in Europe with the brands Mulino Bianco, Pavesi and Wasa.
In 2001, its production sites in Europe, Asia and America recorded an overall output of 1,265,000 tons of food products featured on dining tables the world over: semolina pasta, egg and filled pasta, pasta sauces, bread surrogates, short pastry and filled biscuits, snacks, cakes and crispbread.
Barilla is a very special company - a "great family-run multinational", squarely-set on the shoulders of four generations of the Barilla family. A business approach born of the traditions and principles of its founders.
Barilla food production is based on three principles: product quality, attention to nutritionally-balanced eating and of course flavour, the unmistakable hallmark of the entire Barilla range. The Group objective is to make its contribution to good health by offering nutritious, high-quality products.
Barilla's commitment to the environment ranges from the supply of raw materials through to the quality of products and personnel training. For Barilla, ecological practices amount to total quality and cost reduction, starting with packaging.
GRANA PADANO | (top)
Grana Padano has been part of Italy's proud gastronomic tradition and culture since the dawn of the second millennium, and has grown alongside the entire milk and dairy industry. Today, Grana Padano is the best selling cheese in the world, and has become a landmark for the entire industry, from the milk producer to the retailer.
However, it is not only an economic powerhouse. The Grana Padano trademark safeguards a product based on tradition and reflective of Man's individuality and lifestyle.
Every day, "Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Grana Padano" inspects and oversees the entire process, from milk production to the end-consumer, in order to ensure compliance with a set of age-old regulations so that a first-class cheese reaches tables throughout the world.
"Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Grana Padano" promotes its product with due respect; as a result its success continues to grow world-wide.
One of the keys to Grana Padano's distinctive organoleptic properties is the milk used to make it, which, in turn, is linked to the cattle fodder.
The Production Disciplinary issued by Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Grana Padano permits a limited range of foodstuffs in that a broader selection would be unsuitable for the production of top quality milk.
Today, stable crops in some areas of Mantua are being farmed alongside rotational crops, including alfalfa, which is considered to be one of the best fodders available.
Over the years, summer and autumn cover crops have been added, and today maize is one of the most common crops grown for animal fodder across the Paduan Plain. In some cases, dairy cattle are only fed on unifeed, whose components must also comply with the Production Disciplinary issued by Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Grana Padano.
ACETO BALSAMICO TRADIZIONALE di Modena Dop | (top)
The traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena is a unique reality in the world of food-dressing. As opposed to vinegars obtained from alcoholic liquid, balsamic vinegar is obtained from boiled must of white, sweet grapes typical of this area. The gastronomic traditions of Modena enriches quite often its dishes with the delicious taste of this dressing, the origins of which date back to the Roman Era, who used concentrated boiled must to flavour their food.
Consumotion
Balsamic vinegar is versatile, and must be used wisely to avoid wasting it: it's all about finding the right equilibrium between the quantity used and the result you want to obtain. It is recommended to taste the vinegar by putting a drop on a tablespoon before adding it to food, to perceive its roundness or its intense acidity. The traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena can be served on fresh or boiled vegetables, on boiled meat, or added to sauces or to meat and fish-based dishes; it is delicious on Parmigiano Reggiano, on fruit (ideal with strawberries) and with ice-cream.
Production
The Aceto Balsamico tradizionale di Modena is produced from typical grapes the must of which, once it is cooked on a burning fire in an open dish, is then placed in barrels made from prized wood where the products acetifies directly. Following various decantation in barrels of different smaller sizes, and following many years of maturation, the vinegar obtains its characteristic features. At this point the word of the experts becomes fundamental, who decide if the miraculous equilibrium has been reached.
OLIO COLLINE DI ROMAGNA d.o.p. | (top)
Colline di Romagna olive oil is produced in the hills behind the Adriatic coast in the Province of Rimini, as well as in the medium and lower-height hills of the Forlì-Cesena Province. Olives and grapes are the only practicable arboreal cultures in these areas, where they are grown on marginal, very steep slopes that make cultivation very difficult, and thus have become an important feature of the rural landscape.
Most of the area's trees are of the "Correggiolo" variety, whose olives endow Colline di Romagna oil with unique and valuable characteristics. The earliest known evidence of olive tree cultivation in the Romagna hills dates back to the Villanovian era (Ninth Century B.C.). From medieval times on, abundant archival and ecclesiastic sources as well as property records attested to the important role of olive oil in the rural economy of Romagna.
Consumotion
Due to the strong presence of aromatic notes, this olive oil is especially suitable for use with substantial dishes such as grilled meats, wild herbs salads, boiled vegetables, legumes and pasta.
Production
Colline di Romagna extra-virgin olive oil is produced from olive varieties found in local groves.
Typically, no less than 60% of the olives used are of the "Correggiolo" variety, and no more than 40% "Leccino". Lesser quantities, up to a maximum of 10%, of other olives, including Pendolino, Moraiolo and Rossina, may be used. Pest and weed controls must meet the requirements of the Emilia-Romagna Region regulations. Olives are harvested yearly from October 20 to December 15. Olives are picked directly from the branches, manually or with mechanical devices, in order to avoid any contact with the soil. Olives are processed no later than two days after harvesting. Oil extraction is carried out exclusively with mechanical and physical means at local presses, after defoliation and washing. Practices such as "ripasso" (second pressing) and the use of any chemical or biochemical product in the pressing process are forbidden.
MORTADELLA DI BOLOGNA i.g.p. | (top)
The word "mortadella" dates back to the Roman period. According to some sources, it derives from "Mortarium" (mortar), an instrument which was used to mash pork. The production of Bolognese sausage, however, can be located in an area of great Roman influence and which extends from Emilia Romagna to the region of Lazio. In fact mortadella is the most well known cold-cut of the Bolognese tradition, with historical origins dating back to the 16th century.
In recent times the original production area has extended also to neighbouring areas. As from the late Renaissance period, the presence of mortadella on Italian tables is widely evidenced by the many literary and historic witnesses. A rather picturesque curiosity is linked to cinema: Mario Monicelli's film "La Mortadella" shot in 1971, where Sophia Loren, a Neapolitan country girl goes to New York to meet her boyfriend. She is stopped at the airport because of a chunk of mortadella, whose importation in America was prohibited.
Consumotion
The Bolognese sausage can be eaten in many different ways. It can be sliced in little cubes and served with fresh vegetables and cheese, or it can be finely sliced and used as a stuffing to flavour typical dishes which are meat-based or rustic timbale.
Production
The production technique for the Mortadella Bologna is unique: it starts as mashed meat, treated according to a specification recognised on a European level, and which is mashed and reduced to a creamy emulsion following different phases in different meat grinders (the last type of grinder is significantly called "extermination"). Cubes of fat are then prepared, mainly from gullets, which supply the most hard and prized of fats. The result is packed in desired measures (mortadella is available in all sizes: from 500 grs to 50 Kg) in natural or plastic packing and which then undergoes a boiling phase. This phase is the most delicate, which gives the mortadella its characteristic aroma and its typical softness: the process also foresees the use of dried air furnaces, with cooking times which can last a few hours to a whole day. What follows is a cold water shower and a period in cold cells, which allows the product to stabilise itself.
PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA | (top)
The secrets of a natural processing
Parma ham is a completely natural foodstuff consisting of pork and salt. Lots of factors affect the flavour of this ham: the great skill of the master salters, the sweet-smelling air of the hills of Parma and the long and patient ageing it is subjected to. Parma ham is seasoned, salt-cured and air-dried but not smoked: no chemical substances, preservatives or food additives are used to produce it.Its proper consortium, 'Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma', controls production in order to give consumers a guarantee of a natural product, in conformity with traditional food processing techniques.
The symbol of the Consorzio - the five-pointed ducal crown - is really a quality trademark.
The sweet-smelling air of the hills of Parma
There are many reasons why the most famous ham of the world comes from this territory, ranging from the quality and the breed of the animals (nowhere else pigs feed on the left-overs of cheese-processing and are so big and beautiful), the air of the sea (that overcomes the obstacle of the Apennines), the utilization of salt, to the lenght of the ageing (Parma ham goes through many months of maturing).
Parma ham is so sweet
Parma ham is a pleasure for gourmets: the old processing techniques and the slow ageing in a proper place produce its refined bouquet and unmistakable and famous sweetness. It is a pleasure you should taste slowly and carefully. Parma ham is energetic and healthy, low in fat, rich in mineral salts, easily-digestible proteins and vitamins. You should never throw away the fat part of Parma ham because it is very low in cholesterol and has a high percentage of oleic acid. It is a guarantee, indeed.
FORMAGGIO DI FOSSA or "pit" cheese | (top)
A culinary legend of Sogliano del Rubicone in the province of Forlì-Cesena
The custom of burying cheese has been passed down through the centuries and forms an important part of Sogliano's farming traditions.The origins of this tradition are unknown, but documents from the 15th century gave evidence to its existence. According to the legend, the people of Sogliano placed cheese in pits, when they were defending themselves from raids by the Aragoneses in the 15th century. On opening the pits after the raids, the farmers discovered that the cheese had acquired a new and desirable flavour.
The formaggio di fossa or "pit" cheese is produced in the regions of Romagna and Marche. The tufa underground pits, are of medieval origin, and were once used for grain storage.
They are different shapes and sizes, but commonly bottle-shaped, with a base 2m wide and 2m deep. There are four stages in the production of "pit cheese": the cleaning and preparation of the pit, the burying, the seasoning and the removing from the pit.
The cleaning and the preparation of the pit involves burning straw inside the pit dry it out. This is a kind of sterilization to eliminate any harmful germs. Next, the pit is prepared; the pit walls are covered with a layer of straw (approx. 10cm in thickness) and held in place by sticks. This acts as insulation. The floor is covered in wooden boards. The next stage is the burying of the cheese.
It is placed in the pit in sealed white cloth bags and stacked up to the top of the pit. Once the pit is filled up, its opening is covered with tarpaulins to avoid perspiration and then closed with a wooden cover. This in turn is sealed with plaster and covered with stones and sand.
Every "pouch" of cheese is marked with two numbers - one identifying the owner and the second one the weight (in pounds). The burying of the cheese is traditionally carried out in the period of August to September, with the cheese then being removed in November. "Pit cheese" is however also carried out in two other periods, which have to end in the same solar year - spring seasoning (from 1st March to June 20th) and summer seasoning (June 21st to September 20th).
PBetween these two seasonings a period of rest is essential - ten days allowing for the necessary preparations of cleaning and drying.
The duration of the seasoning stage varies from 80 - 100 days, during which cheese undergoes a change in its properties with a resultant change in the flavour. After this the cheese is removed from the pit, with the traditional opening of the pits around St. Catherine's day (25th November).
CULATELLO DI ZIBELLO d.o.p. | (top)
PHistoric references on the ancient origins of the Culatello di Zibello and its diffusion in the region of Emilia Romagna in the areas close to the River Po are very numerous.
In this area, the combination of the hot summers and the autumn fogs are a key element to the slow process which allows the Culatello to develop its characteristic taste and smell.
Among the famous people who have described the unique taste of this cold cut is the journalist Bonaventura Angeli in his "Historia della città di Parma" and the historian Angelo Pezzana.
However the most celebrated estimator of the Culatello was without doubt the great Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, known as the swan of Bussetto which is situated in the province of Parma and is one of the areas of production of this prized cold cuts.
Consumption
Before serving the Culatello it is necessary to get rid of the string which is wrapped around the meat and remove the bladder; to facilitate this last operation the product should be immersed in water for about an hour. Then it is cleaned under water and then dried by means of a cloth and where necessary, kept in a cloth humidified in white wine for a few days. The Culatello is then cut with a very sharp knife in order to obtain very thin slices. The Culatello is best accompanied by the typical bread of the region, with some butter, and by a glass of sparkling wine.
Production
Firstly, the hind leg is degreased and skinned and by means of a cut the Culatello is extracted. Trimming follows: the femoral bone is extracted together with the excessive fat layers; the remaining part is covered with salt and left to rest for not more than 6 days. Salted meat is than packed inside pork bladder and tied up very tightly to avoid air entering and to confer the product its classical pear shape. It is then left to drip for a whole week, then it is dried for around a month or two. Since it does not dispose of a meaningful external layer of fat the Culatello needs a humid climate for its maturation. In fact, dehydration proceeds very slowly and without letting the external layers drying up too much. Since seasoning must not be less than 12 months, the entire reproductive cycle lasts in all for 14 months. The average weight of the Culatello is of 3-5 kg.
PIADINA ROMAGNOLA | (top)
Poet Giovanni Pascoli called it the "bread of Romagna".
It is made from very simple ingredients: flour, water and salt. Renowned and appreciated by lots of gourmets the world over - and, why not, also much envied - piadina has its roots set deep in time and recounts the history of the people of Romagna (who have always lived close to the land and are well acquainted with the hardships this entails). Like them, it is simple, goes down well with everything and is generous. This traditional "bread" (made ever since Roman times) has been recognised as a healthy and wholesome representative of Romagna gastronomy and, like many other specialities and traditional foods, has a history of its own amid popular culture and kitchen recipes. At first it was a peasant dish, eaten instead of bread when poverty was more widespread; the type of dough was such as to kill the pangs of hunger. Then, over the years, the original recipe was changed according to the traditions and culture of the different towns and cities of Romagna and piadina earned itself a place among the region's traditional gastronomic products and gradually also acquired not only national but also international renown.
It can be eaten hot or cold and is excellent both by itself or filled with dressed pork products, cheese, sausage or greens (some people also like it sweet with chocolate spread, honey or jam), but in any case, always accompanied by fine and generous Romagna wines ( sangiovese, trebbiano, pagadebit, albana, cagnina, etc.).
It is to be found everywhere and, along the roads of Romagna, numerous small kiosks sell both classic and filled piadina. This is a fragrant and tasty speciality that everyone can afford and because it is a good substitute for bread, the piadina of Romagna can accompany any type of food...give it a try!!
THE WHITE GOLD OF CERVIA | (top)
The salt of Cervia is "sweet", without additives and of the highest quality and has many valuable properties.
The origins of the Salt Pans of Cervia are very ancient, probably Etruscan. Today the resumption of production has made it possible to put the salt of Cervia to good use as a typical local asset and food product. It is a salt with special properties, "sweet" due to the purity of the sodium chloride and absence of other salts with bitter flavours that are usually contained in sea water. It is a wholesome salt because it maintains the original characteristics or raw sea salt without additives or antiagglomerates.The salt obtained from the Salt Pans of Cervia exists in three types of product:
Cervia Salt: sea salt collected and packed according to the traditional method. Processed simply and then centrifuged, it keeps all its wealth of trace elements present in sea water. The natural humidity (2%) is typical of pure sea salt.
Sweet salt of the "Camillone": produced according to the thousand year old tradition know as multiple collection in which the pans are dug every day.
Cervia salt with aromatic herbs: sea salt with aromatic herbs of Romagna grown organically and added in just the right quantities.
The white gold is celebrated in the famous Salt Festival, full of gastronomic features, in the month of September. In any case, if you want to try the recipes of the ancient culinary tradition of the Salt Pans, just pop into one of the restaurants that specialise in fish, to be found mostly in Borgo Marina.
One typical recipe is fillets of sardelles in salt: cut off the heads and remove the bones, lay the fillets in layers in a baking tray with salt for about 2 hours; remove the salt and dress with olive oil.
top