Emilia-Romagna derives its name from the Via Emilia, the old Roman road between Piacenza and Rimini. It was the birthplace of many famous people, like Verdi and Toscanini, who no doubt were able to compose such beautiful music because they were well fed. And so are the pigs, which enables us to buy delicious products like mortadella and Parma ham.
The capital is Bologna, Emilia is west of the capital and Romagna east. Bologna is situated at the foot of the Apenine mountains and is famous for its mortadella, tagliatelle and tortellini and obviously for lending its name to "Bolognaise". The area is large and covers Adriatic sea coast, the river Po, lakes and the Apenine mountains. As a result, the food is also varied. Obviously, “Bolognese” recipes come from this region, even though in the region itself the pasta is not called "Spaghetti Bolognese" but "pasta al ragů. lso many recipes with cheese, particularly Parmesan (a cheese which exists already for ages and is made only around Parma; it ripens for a very long time) and Grana Padano (grana means "grain" and Padano is derived from the word Po; the cheese is produced throughout the Po valley). The Emilia-Romagna region is also home to the famous aceto balsamico and the wine Lambrusco.