Ferrara Food & Wine
When you think of Italian cuisine, you think ravioli, tortellini, parmesan cheese, ham, salami, porcini mushrooms – the list is endless! Food in this fabulous city is absolutely worth the trip alone. You could happily walk from café to restaurant to gelato bar and never eat the same thing twice. The culinary traditions of this wonderful city have been traced back to the Middle Ages and the influence of the historic Jewish community. One of the oldest dishes that is still made today is the Cappellacci di Zucca Ferraresi. This fragrant ravioli is stuffed with pumpkin and topped with a butter sage sauce. Long ago, cooks would flavor it with ginger, pepper, or nutmeg, but today it is now flavored with garlic and nutmeg. This city’s bread is a specialty dish that received the IGP mark, designating its authenticity as a traditional food product originating from this region.
The bread is a type of sourdough bread formed into a central knot with twisted breadsticks attached. It can be crusty or soft and is delicious dipped in olive oil. Another local dish is the pasticcio di maccheroni – a domed macaroni pie. This pie has a sweet dough crust with a filling of macaroni, Béchamel sauce, porcini mushrooms, and a Bolognese sauce. Seafood is also a local favorite, with many dishes featuring clams and eels sourced locally from the Po River. Desserts can range from simple chocolate pie, to the decadent Torta di Taglia of the Torta Tacolenta.
Not to be outdone, the wines are just as fabulous as the cuisine. Wines made from the Uva d’Oro vine are light and slightly pungent, with an aromatic taste that pairs well with the local dishes. Bosco Eliceo, Ferrara’s prominent winemaker, offers a wide range of delectable wines that receive high ratings from sommeliers around the world.
