Bologna is a food city first. Where to eat tagliatelle al ragu, where to stand at the bar for an aperitivo, and what to order once you are there.
Let’s establish something immediately: Mortadella and “bologna” (or “baloney”) are not the same product. Mortadella Bologna IGP is a Protected Geographical Indication product made from 100% selected pork — lean pork and precise cubes of pork fat (called lardelli) — finely emulsified and gently spiced with whole black peppercorns, then slow-cooked in a dry oven…
First, let us settle something. The dish you know as “spaghetti Bolognese” does not exist in Bologna. It is not served here. It has never been served here in any traditional sense. If you ask for spaghetti Bolognese in a Bolognese trattoria, the response you receive will range from polite confusion to visible disappointment. The…
Tortellini in Brodo is the dish that defines Bologna more than any other. Not the ragù, not the mortadella — the small, navel-shaped pasta ring, hand-folded by a sfoglina, filled with pork loin, prosciutto, mortadella, Parmigiano Reggiano and nutmeg, and floating in a clear golden capon broth that has been simmering since early morning. It…
You cannot visit Bologna without eating pasta. But if you want to take the magic home, you need to learn how to make it. Bologna is the undisputed world capital of fresh egg pasta — the birthplace of Tagliatelle al Ragù, Tortellini in Brodo, and the legendary Sfogline: the pasta ladies who roll dough so…
If you have Celiac disease, booking a trip to Bologna — the capital of fresh egg pasta — might sound like a recipe for disaster. You probably imagine sitting sadly with a plain salad while everyone around you devours Tortellini and Lasagna. Here is the good news: Italy is actually one of the best countries…
If you try to order a “Venti Vanilla Latte” in Bologna, you will get a confused look. Coffee culture here is serious, fast, and codified. For Italians, an espresso (or caffè) is a quick jolt of energy taken standing at the bar — ordered, paid for, drunk in 90 seconds, done. Bologna is also a…
Bologna is nicknamed La Grassa — The Fat — because of its lifelong love affair with pork. Mortadella, prosciutto, meat ragù, and lard-fried dough are everywhere. On the surface, it sounds like a challenging destination for vegetarians and vegans. The reality is more nuanced and significantly more encouraging. Some of the most famous dishes in…
In Bologna, gelato is not just a dessert. It is a daily ritual. While Florence claims to have invented it, Bologna has perfected it — and has the institution to prove it. The city is home to the Carpigiani Gelato University, a real academic institution that draws students from across the world to study the…
In Bologna, 6:00 PM is not just a time. It is a religion. This is aperitivo hour — that golden window between work and dinner when the entire city spills out onto the street to drink wine, eat snacks, and argue about football. Unlike Milan, where aperitivo can be expensive and self-consciously chic, Bologna’s scene…
Let’s get one thing clear immediately: Spaghetti Bolognese does not exist. If you see it on a menu in Bologna, you are in a tourist trap. Run away. In this city, we eat Tagliatelle al Ragù. We eat Tortellini the size of a pinky finger. We eat Mortadella sliced so thin it melts on your…