My in-laws decided to make a trip across the pond to visit us! But, since they already came to London back in the fall, we decided to meet up in Italy instead. They spent a few days in Venice and then we all met in Bologna, which is a cute foodie city in northern Italy. So much of Italy’s best cuisine (spaghetti bolognese, anyone?) comes from this region; one of the city’s nicknames is “La Grassa” or “the Fat” because of all of its delicious food!
We did the most epic food tour while we were there. It was a full day of food, factory tours, and lots of wine! We started off at a parmigiano-reggiano cheese factory, where we learned all about how the cheese is made and also about the differences between REAL parmigiano-reggiano and the parmesan that you get in a green shaker at the grocery store. Let’s just say I wish I could un-hear some of what is in that “cheese” that I cover my pizza with back home (hint: wood chips)! This tour was followed up with a tasting of the cheeses at different points in the aging process – 13 months, 36 months, and 72 months – along with wine (yes, wine for breakfast).
The next stop was a balsamic vinegar farm which was really interesting. Have you ever had really good quality balsamic? I had not, and had no idea what I was missing. This was a super interesting tour! The balsamic is barrel aged for many many years before it is ready to use. The balsamic that I have in my cabinet right now is extremely watery and not great to taste alone, but the real balsamic that they are making in this region of Italy is thick, flavorful, and oh so delicious – that’s why they call it black gold!
Next was a prosciutto factory, where we learned about the aging process and then tried about 10 different types of meats. We also had more wine! By this point of the tour, we had a lot of food and wine in us, but when in Italy, you need to power through.
Last was a lunch at the most beautiful restaurant/winery. We had three courses of hand-made pasta (my favorite), several different kinds of grilled meats, dessert, and drank all the wine we wanted! We left the tour absolutely stuffed. All of this before 4pm!
On our second day, we explored Bologna. We stopped at a few churches, climbed a tower for some great views, and hopped around a few different restaurants for wine and snacks.
This was our fourth trip to Italy during our Great Fekspedition, and it won’t be the last. We are heading to Tuscany in a few weeks to soak in more of the amazing Italian culture, cuisine, and beauty, so stay tuned for my next post!
The Great Fekspedition 