The Food of Bologna

The Emilia-Romagna region of Italy is home to some of Italy's most delightful exports, parmesan, balsamic vinegar and tortellini, to name a few. Bologna, being smack in the middle of this region, claims quite a few famous powerhouses itself. Most namely, ragu sauce (never served on spaghetti), mortadella and lasagne verdi. 

Luckily for us, just off the Piazza Maggiore, we discovered a labyrinth of narrow, pedestrianised streets that offer up the city's delicacies at cut rate prices. Each shop front also doubled as a cafe and from noon until the late afternoon, tables were crammed with locals and tourists alike, sampling Bologna's meats, cheeses and pasta dishes. Couples, friends and families took their time; wait staff encouraged their patrons to enjoy. Even in wandering the pavements and making a choice, I had one of those bliss-filled perfect moments.

Because a bad decision didn't seem possible, Gemma and I situated ourselves at Vecchia Malga, a family run delicatessen and cafe that specialised in mega plates of meat and cheese. You choose the region and they provide you with a sampling of the highlights. I can't tell you everything that's on the plates below. But I can tell you that the combination of burrata, honey and sundried tomatoes made me think about taking up residence in Bologna permanently. 

Two hours later, we floated (sank) out on a cloud of cheese, meat and wine. And despite vowing to return to this little tastebud heaven, we ran out of time. But we did sample the many pastas of Bologna during the rest of our time here, making our way to tiny trattorias on the outskirts of town. Gemma got her bolognese, I drank the wine.

And it inspired in me a desire to return to this culinary corner of the world. To bring Paul. And my fat pants.