The Red, The Learned & The Fat: A Bologna Food Tour

Italy itself could be easily considered one of the culinary strongholds of Europe, its food is loved, replicated and eaten throughout the world. Now imagine out of this famed foodie country that there is a region that is lovingly revered as the “gastronomic capital” and you’ll come to find Emilia Romagna as the heart of Italian cuisine within all of Italy. 

Bologna is the capital of Emilia Romagna and when you visit this area of Northern Italy, you come hungry. Appetites for both regional delicacies and local history can be satiated here by spending an afternoon with Taste Bologna. This local tour operator along with passionate guides are helping to fill the bellies and warm the hearts of curious travelers through the “la dotta, la grassa, la rossa” (the learned, the fat and the red).    

La Rossa; The Red 

Our tour begins at the Piazza Magiorre where you’ll have the statue of Neptune to greet you before you begin your day of feasting.

The Neptune fountain is an easy meeting place for both guests and locals alike. The statue is a prominent fixture in the square and has an interesting history. If you’ve come to Bologna by way of Florence and happened to visit the Accademia Gallery then you’ll recognize the sculpture, Giambologna or Jean de Bologne. A Flemish artists, he worked for the Medici family and was commissioned to create a statue for the piazza. Designed with a nod to the Greco-Roman figure in mind, the final form caused a stir for being too provocative for the churches liking. The statue has a dirty, not so little secret… if you have your back to Via Indipendenza and stand at the bottom end of the staircase leading to the Salaborsa, at just the right angle you’ll see the outstretched thumb of Neptune revealing how well endowed Giambologna had envisioned his Netpune. 

Be sure to take a long look at the Basilica of St. Petronius, the build began in the late 1300s and still remains unfinished. The history of the church is interesting, as it was slated to eclipse that of St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. 

Bologna is recognizable for its architecture. With UNESCO porticos the saying that this is a “red city” is due to the terra-cotta bricks that make up the archways throughout town as well as the medieval buildings that still stand today. The food tour is a fantastic way to learn about the city while navigating through the porticos and side streets, uncovering what makes Bologna so fantastic. 

The Learned;  La Dotta 

The University is the oldest continuously operating school in the world, open since 1088. Because of the history of academia, part of the trilogy of the city is its commitment to education. 

Be sure to spend time visiting the university, the school’s buildings are gorgeous and self guided tours of the library and anatomical theatre. Several popes and other famous students like Dante and Copernicus once graced the halls on this campus. 

 

The Fat; La Grossa

Now for the part we’ve come for, the food. Come with an empty stomach because you will not leave this Bologna food tour hungry. We started at a coffee shop, getting to see the region’s cafe culture up close and personally. Italian breakfast is not your typical bacon and eggs, it’s often simply a cup of quality coffee and a pastry. Uncomplicated at first glance, coffee can be complicated. Italians will have cappuccinos, macchiatos or caffe latte in the mornings alongside a small cake, biscotti or cornetti. Milky coffee drinks for Italians are strictly in the am! 

Often if you mosey into a coffee shop you’ll see locals taking a ‘pausa’, hovering over the bar, small mug in hand and confection crumbs on the counter. Take away coffee is not typical here so do as the locals do and enjoy your espresso in house.   

We also had a chance to see the nonnas at work, window shopping at a famed past shop learning about the technique involved when making tortellini, a meat-filled symbol for the city.  Put to work, we had the opportunity to see how these pasta pinching women make the task look easy, with a hands on attempt. 

Tortellini en brodo is not the only well-known pasta in Bologna. A plate of home made tagliatelle with bolognese sauce, a namesake ragu is in order when in town. After weaving through the city and stopping at the markets within the Quadrilatero area of town to enjoy some pasta, we grabbed our cured meats and cheeses and headed to Osteria del Sole. Do as the locals do and “byof”, you bring your own snacks, grab a table and share a bottle of wine with friends. This particular bar is one of the city’s oldest. 

After grazing, chatting and drinking we ended the day with a delicious gelato.  

Why book Taste Bologna for your Bologna food tour? 

I always look for tour operators that have a local connection and that is exactly what Taste Bologna is about. Their local guides show a love for their city and the food created here in a way that can’t be replicated by someone not as familiar or realize how intertwined food is with the history of Emilia Romagna. A food tour is a perfect way to see a culture through the lens of a meal.