Savoring Balsamic on Its Home Turf - The Province of Modena

     Some food tastes are not only delicious, they are exquisite. One example is the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, Italy (Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena). The Traditional Balsamic is not the balsamic that we find on supermarket shelves. It is also not the balsamic that is sometimes mistakenly or deceitfully identified by U.S. vendors as “traditional balsamic,” but is not.

 Almost every evening for years, I’ve enjoyed dressing my dinner salad with Tuscan EVOO and what I mistakenly thought was traditional balsamic. So, when I decided to visit Emilia-Romagna last month and stay in Bologna, I wanted to take a day trip to Modena and visit an “acetaia,” a balsamic production facility. 

(Modena is both a city and a province in the Emilia-Romagna Region of Italy. When referring to balsamic production, the reference is to the province. The city is its capital.)

 In researching the possibilities, I discovered Villa San Donnino (https://www.villasandonnino.it/), which Is located a few miles outside the city of Modena. It had great reviews and a list of balsamic products that included traditional balsamic. It offered free, English-language tours and tastings, and accepted advance reservations. It seemed like a great choice. The two friends I would be meeting in Bologna liked the idea. So, I made reservations for the three of us. It turned out to be the perfect choice. It would be an eye-opening, mouth-watering, and tasty experience.

 Our guide/teacher/hostess was Chiara. She did a superb job.

First, she took us up several flights of stairs to the production and aging space, seen in the photo above. There, she explained the process. Each row of barrels, called a “battery,” eventually ends up with one year’s production.

After explaining the process, she led us back to the ground floor, where we enjoyed a tasting and had the opportunity to purchase San Donnino balsamic products.

 Before the visit, I had thought I understood the different types of balsamic vinegars. I discovered that I was misinformed.

There are three main types of balsamic

1. DOP  (Protected Designation of Origin) – aged 12 years & Extravecchio - aged 25 years. This class has very strict regulations governed by a consortium. Those regulations involve the types of grapes that can be used, where the grapes are grown, prohibitions against using any additives, etc. This type can only be made from grape must – unfermented grape juice.

Villa San Donnino belongs to the Consortium of Ancient Vinegar Producers (Consorzio Produttori Antiche Acetaie). A consortium taster must taste and approve a producer’s product in order for the product to be sold as Traditional Balsamic. The decision is not up to the producer. You can find consortium rules at https://balsamico.it/en/the-product/

All Traditional Balsamics from Modena come in the same bulb-shaped 100ml bottle. The labeling is different, depending on whether the age is 12 or 25 years.

So, the Chef Jeanne Pierre “18-year traditional barrel-aged” balsamic in 750 ml bottles that I had been buying on Amazon didn’t match either the packaging or the aging of requirements of authentic Traditional Balsamic of Modena.

Before buying on Amazon, I used to buy “traditional balsamic” from a local olive oil store. They had their “traditional balsamic” in large barrels; and would put the requested amount in a bottle. Clearly, that was not traditional balsamic.

 Traditional balsamic from neighboring Reggio Emilia only comes in a tulip-shaped 100ml bottle.

 2. IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) – This type or the third type are what you find on store shelves. It has fewer regulations . It must contain at least 10% wine vinegar, and can have up to 2% natural caramel added. This type need only be aged in wooden barrels for 60 days. It can be labeled “aged” if it is aged for at least 3 years in wooden barrels.

 3. “Condiment” (Condimento) balsamic has the fewest limitations. Other flavoring can be added.

 Villa San Donnino offers a number of wonderful balsamic products – the 25-year-old and 12-year-old traditional, dark and light condiment balsamic, and a balsamic jelly. We bought a variety of items for both personal use and as gifts. Villa S.D. also offers shipping, which is not inexpensive, but is easier than carrying in one’s luggage.

In the photo below, you will see in the top center the prince of their products the 12-year-old traditional balsamic, bottled in the only permissible bottle. Below the prince is the balsamic jelly. On the left is the light-colored condiment and on the right is the dark-colored condiment. The 25-year-old emperor is not pictured because I did not buy it. Each comes in a nice box. Santa may bring some of these to loved ones.

It was very easy to get to Villa San Donnino from Bologna. We took the train to Modena. Our second-class tickets were €4.30 ($4.73), and the trip took 32 minutes. After a bit of sightseeing at the Mercato Storico Albinelli, a neat covered food market full of stalls, we took a cab from there to Villa San Donnino. The fare was about €31 ($34.10), and the six-mile ride took just over 15 minutes. The cabbie was a bit confused about the destination because he said there were two places with the same name. Fortunately, I gave him the Villa San Donnino phone nr. He called and got the correct location.

 In a conversation with the cabbie who took us back to town, he told me that he,  like many others in town, produced traditional balsamic for his family. He said he had taken over the process from his father and grandfather. Both Chiara and the cabbie mentioned that families often start a batch when a child is born, and age it until the child grows up and marries. Then it is given as a wedding gift.

 If you’re ever in Modena or have time for a day trip from Bologna, I highly recommend Villa San Donnino. To make reservations for a tasting, you can contact the Villa at bookyourvinegartour@villasandonnino.it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Piadina - A Romagna Special Sandwich

 It seems there's no end of yummy sandwiches around the world. A special sandwich of the Romagna area of Emilia-Romagna is the Piadina flat-bread sandwich.

I was lucky enough to enjoy a Piadina lunch with two friends on a sunny afternoon at Mr. Dante restaurant on the Piazza del Popolo in Ravenna.

My sandwich had piadina bread, prosciutto, the unique Emillia-Romagna squacquerone fresh cheese, and arugula. I accompanied it with a glass of Albana Secca Emilia-Romagna DOCG white wine.

The squacquerone has a texture like yoghurt. It's nice, but not exciting. However, it worked perfectly with the prosciutto and arugula.

The sandwich and wine cost a total of about $17.05.

Enjoying lunch with two great friends made the experience even more special.

I had originally chosen a restaurant that had one of the very best ratings in Ravenna. Fortunately, it was closed when we got there. It was on a side street with little atmosphere.

Mr. Dante restaurant is undoubtedly named after Dante Alighieri, the iconic Italian poet, writer, and philosopher, who spent his final days in Ravenna.

The Foods & Wines of Emilia-Romagna

     I recently visited the Italian Region of Emilia-Romagna for the first time. Prior to preparing for the visit, I knew very little about the area except its reputation for prosciutto, parmesan cheese, and balsamic vinegar. I learned that it is a culinary paradise and also has nice wines.

    Below is a list of the foods and wines that I tried.  The list is intended to give you a sense of the culinary richness of the area.

 I really enjoyed most of them. The few that didn't turn me on were the very popular Cotoletta Alla Bolognese - Bolognese Veal Cutlet, Lasagna Sfoglia alla Bolognese, Squacquerone - a very fresh cheese with a yoghurt-like consistency, and Zuppa Inglese (English Soup) - a dessert. Perhaps I should have tried the cutlet and the lasagna at a second restaurant, but there were just too many foods to try.

    I plan to do postings about some of the meals in which I enjoyed these foods.

    I was surprised by the wines. Prior to this trip, the only wine type I knew about from the region was Lambrusco, a red wine that I find too sweet. I had many very pleasant reds, mostly Sangioveses, and a few whites and dessert wines.

    While I was there, I stayed in the capital of Bologna, but made day trips by train to Modena, Parma, Ravenna, and Padua (which is in the Veneto Region). I was joined by two friends. On the day trips, I tried local food and wine specialties - like the Piadina sandwich of Ravenna or wine from the Hills of Parma.

Foods & Wines Consumed

Balsamic Vinegar - Tour & Tasting at Villa San Donnino near Modena

- Tradizionale Extravecchio – aged 25 years

- Tradizionale Affinato – aged 12 years

- Nerone dressing – aged 6 years

- Bianco white dressing

- Jelly

Cheeses

- Grana Padana

- Parmiggiano Reggiano

- Pecorino

- Pecorino from Pienza

- Riviera

- Squacquerone

Prosciutto & Salumi (cured meats)

- Coppa di Parma IGP "Ferrari Cavalier Bruno"

- Culatello di Zibello DOP "Podere Cadassa" - Parma

- Leporati Parma prosciutto -  aged 28 months

- Mortadella

- Prosciutto

- Salame Felino IGP "Gran Riserva Cavalier Bruto Umberto Boschi" - Parma

- Salami

Breads

- Crescentina rolls

- Tigelle

- Torta fritta – Fried hollow bread – a Parma specialty

Appetizers

- Tortino di Parmigiana ai Porcini -  parmesan flan with porcini mushrooms

- Tortino di Verdure con Crema di Parmigiano Reggiano 24 mesi - vegetable flan in a fondue of 24-month-old parmesan cheese 

- Tortino di Zucchine au Fonduta di Parmigiano Reggiano 24 mesi e Glassa di Alceto Balsamico di Modena - mini zucchini flan with a fondue of 24-month aged Parmesan cheese

Pastas – Primi Piatti (There are primi piatti other than pastas, but I didn’t have any.)

- Anolini in brodo di manzo e cappone - Anolini pasta in beef & capon broth with parmesan cheese

- Balanzoni in crema di Parmigiano con Granella di Pistacchio - Balanzoni pasta in parmesan cream sauce with chopped pistacchios

- Cappellacci alla carbona  con guanciale croccante -  cheese & egg ravioli with crispy bacon

- Gramigna alla Salsiccia – Gramigna pasta with sausage

- Lasagna Sfoglia alla Bolognese

- Passatelli in Brodo - hand-made passatelli pasta in broth

- Passatelli with prosciutto

- Tagliatelle al Ragu

- Tagliatelle con salsiccia brasata al sangiovese e squacquerone -  tagliatelle with sausage braised in sangiovese & squacquerone

- Tortellini alla crema di Parmigiano -  meat-filled tortellini with parmesan cream sauce

- Tortellini alla moda di Bologna con burro e julienne di prosciutto di Parma - Bologna-style tortellini with butter and Parma ham julienne

- Tortellini in brodo di Capone - Home-made tortellini in capon broth with parmesan cheese to sprinkle

- Tortellini tradizionali, crema di zafferano e prosciutto di Parma croccante - tortellini with a saffron cream sauce and crispy Parma ham

-Tortelloni (not tortellini) ripieni di zucca alla Crema di Parmigiano - tortelloni filled with butternut squash in parmesan cream sauce

- Tortelloni di Zucca con funghi porcini e olio di tartufo  -  butternut squash-filled Tortelloni with porcini mushrooms and truffle oil

Main Dishes – Secondi Piatti

- Cotolette alla Bolognese – Bologna veal cutlet

Sandwiches

- Crescentina sandwich - fried bread with grilled porchetta ham and potato croquette, caramelized onions, & hand melted provolone cheese

- Piadina with Parma ham, squacquerone, and arugula – a Ravenna specialty made with Piadina bread

Side Dishes – Contorni

- Cicoria Saltata in Padella - Sauteed chicory

- Friggione - traditional bologna dish of stewed onions and tomatoes. Incredible!

Desserts

- Gelato con Amarena -  gelato with black cherries

- Semifreddo al Pistacchio con Caramello Salato - Pistacchio semifreddo

- Tenerina di Cioccolato -  a local type of chocolate cake with a sweet mascarpone cheese

- Torta di Riso - chocolate rice cake

- Tortino di Cioccolato fondente -  a dark chocolate flan

- Zabaglione & Sbrisolona 

- Zuppa Inglese

Wine

- Albana Secca Emilia-Romagna DOCG white

- Anino Pignoletto

- Ca' Grande Sangiovese Superiore

- Cavariol Colli Bolognesi Bologna Rosso

- Finitum Cantine Zuffa Colli d'Imola Sangiovese Superiore

- La Furha del Basino Sangiovese Superiore

- Passerino (dessert wine)

- Mastalsò Romagna DOC Sangiovese Superiore

- Monte dei Vigni (Mountain of Vines), a Colli di Parma (Parma Hills) red - 75% Sangiovese and 25% Bonarda grapes

- Rubicaia Romagna Sangiovese

- Santodeno Sangiovese Appassimento

- Tenuta la Viola, il Columbarone Sangiovese Superiore from Emilia-Romagna

- Tenuta Nasano Sancaberlot (Sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon, merlot)

- Torre Ca Bianca Colli Bolognesi Rosso

- Umberto Cesari Moma Sangiovese - Cabernet Sauvignon from nearby Castel San Pietro Terme

- Vittorio Romagna Sangiovese Superiore

After-Dinner Drinks

- Limoncello

- Nocino – a nut liqueur