The best way to explore Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region is on an empty stomach | Canada Voices

I’ve been trying for weeks to recreate a sandwich I bought in September in Modena, a small city halfway between Bologna and Parma in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. By the time I ate it, it had spent nearly 24 hours in my bike pannier. But that day-old sandwich was nothing short of revelatory.

I’ve tried making batches of the local pan-fried flat bread called tigelle with two different flours, spent too much time squinting at jars of condiments at an Italian grocer and blended pesto from scratch, but my sandwiches are clear reproductions. The ingredients I am working with don’t live up to the ones so readily available to the Modenese.

Emilia-Romagna has its geographical sweet spot to thank for this bounty. It lies between the Apennine Mountains in the south and the Po Valley in the north. To the east is the Adriatic Sea. These topographical features contribute to the region’s unique microclimate, enhanced by a varying landscape of mountains, hills, farmland and coastline. I explored it on a solo cycling trip – my route and accommodations were preplanned for me by ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours. All that was left to do was pedal and decide where and what to eat.

On day one, I arrived in Bologna with a list of dishes I had to try and reservations at the highly rated Casa Merlo, which I’d made a month in advance. The restaurant was packed at noon on a Sunday and guests trying their luck at the door were turned away. I sat down to a bowl of tagliatelle bolognese (my all-time favourite dish) and a glass of fizzy Lambrusco, a regional red wine that dates back to Roman times. The pasta was perfect and I worried I’d peaked too early, meal-wise, but my concern was unfounded. Each meal I had that week, whether from a hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop, an upscale hotel-recommended restaurant or a busy but nondescript trattoria, was a testament to locally sourced ingredients and carefully guarded culinary traditions.

In a country renowned for its cuisine, this region boasts the highest number of food products that have received protected geographical status from the European Union. In Emilia-Romagna, 44 products – from prosciutto di Parma and mortadella to Parmigiano Reggiano and aceto balsamico have DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta, which translates to Protected Designation of Origin) approval. Each of these protected foods must be produced in a certain region. The restrictions are designed to create a superior product and to preserve long-established methods of production.

To see how these rules are put into practice, I cycled to Consorzio Vacche Rosse in Reggio Emilia, donned a hair net, shoe covers and a disposable white lab coat to watch cheesemakers tenderly bathe, salt and dry wheels of Red Cow Parmigiano-Reggiano. Then I stopped in at Cavalli Ferdinando to learn how a small, family run vinegar producer ages their balsamic (in an attic for at least 12 years in old barrels that have formerly housed wine or spirits). I learned that naturally lactose-free Parmigiano tasted much better than the Parmesan I get from the grocery store – its earthy umami hit at the back of the tongue – and the aged balsamico I tried had more in common with maple syrup than any vinegar I’ve ever encountered. That’s when I realized it was impossible or at least unlikely to have a bad meal in this part of Italy (and I was free to test that theory at least three times a day).

Cycling burns a lot of energy, especially when you’re on the bike for 50 to 60 kilometres each day for nearly a week. On my own, I didn’t have to convince a travel companion to stay in Modena to try the spinach-infused green lasagna (another Bolognese tradition) at one of the lunch-only restaurants in the Mercato Albinelli. And I didn’t have to consult anyone on how much food to purchase and pack for the next leg of the journey. I was stocking up for a stay at an agriturismo (half farm, half hotel) where I’d been warned that the only nearby restaurant was closed for the week. I picked up a bottle of white Pignoletto wine and some pecorino before heading across the street to Bottega Mamma Puglia for focaccia and the sandwich.

The next morning, with panniers full of provisions, I pedalled through light rain and arrived muddy at La Razza, where I had a room that looked out over the farm’s 25-acre vineyard and fields of organically grown wheat, barley and polenta. The rain grew heavier and cycling 30 minutes on skinny tires for a real meal became impossible.

But I was prepared. I had the sandwich. A perfect sandwich is an alchemy of flavours and textures. This one had crunchy tigelle bread, creamy burrata, silken capocollo and chewy, seasoned semi-dried pomodorini tomatoes. It was constructed so that every bite was perfect and each element was represented evenly from start to finish. I wished I ordered two. Or six.

Alone on a bike in Emilia-Romagna you get to take in the landscape that produces the food you’re enjoying – the cows, the grapevines, the orchards and the fields. You begin to anticipate the next meal and appreciate it before you’ve even ordered. On my last morning in Italy, I reluctantly returned my bike and caught a train from Parma back to Bologna. I had just enough time to stash my suitcase in a locker and sit down for one last plate of pasta. It was midafternoon and restaurants were nearing the end of lunch service but I squeezed into the last empty table at a featureless trattoria and ordered the tagliatelle bolognese. It was perfect.

If you go

The trick to eating really well is to order well. Choose products and dishes the area is known for such as tortellini in brodo (broth), pasta bolognese, mortadella-stuffed crescentine sandwiches or gnocco fritto, a crispy and slightly sweet bread pocket that’s fried in lard until it puffs up like a pillow.

Don’t shy away from solo dining. A book acts as a great security blanket, but this is Italy – you’ll end up chatting with someone.

Skip the hotel breakfasts. Unless you’re staying somewhere fabulous, you’ll find better Italian coffee and pastries elsewhere, like at Parma’s Bombé patisserie.

ExperiencePlus! Bicycle tours operates guided and self-guided group or solo tours in Italy, across Europe and in Latin America and the Caribbean. You can choose between road bikes, mountain bikes or hybrids. My eight-day self guided tour starts at US$2,045 based on double occupancy. experienceplus.com

While I loved the hybrid road bike I chose, some terrain would have been easier to navigate on a bike with sturdier tires. eBikes are also available.

The writer was a guest of ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours. It did not review or approve the story before publication.