‘Eating the land': Emilia-Romagna
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LOST IN TRANSLATION: LIFE OF A JAPANESE GIRL IN ITALY
Bologna, the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region. It is known as 'La Grassa' (the fat city) because of its abundance of rich, high-calorie food, 'La Dotta' (the learned city) because it is home to the oldest university in the Western world, and 'La Rossa' (the red city) because the entire city is unified by the terracotta red of its buildings. The streets lined with porticoes and the sight of trams running through the centre of the roads are especially striking. Step into a narrow alley, and you will find countless charming trattorias; simply walking around lifts your spirits. It quickly becomes clear why the city is called a culinary capital. However, the appeal of this city lies in more than just 'having a lot of delicious food.'
Why has such a rich and deeply rooted food culture developed here?
Behind it lies a combination of factors, including geography, climate, logistics, and a concentration of knowledge.
Through fieldwork conducted as part of my studies at a university of food science, as well as two visits to the city to see a friend, I found myself deeply drawn to this question. Rather than presenting dishes such as ragù alla Bolognese, lasagna, tortellini, and gnocco fritto simply as local specialties, I would like to trace them from the perspective of 'why they were born here.'
1. Geography shaping Northern Italian food culture: the Po River and the Po Valley
The Po River, the longest river in Italy, runs across northern Italy from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea. As it carries vast amounts of sediment from the mountains, it has formed the Po Valley, the largest plain in Italy. Considering that about 75% of Italy’s land is mountainous, this 'vast and flat land' plays a crucial role.
Sustained by the abundant water brought by the river and its fertile soil, this plain has become a major production area for livestock such as pigs and cattle, as well as cheese, rice, wine, and leafy vegetables like spinach and chard. The humid environment, shaped by Alpine snowmelt and the fog of the Po River basin, is another defining characteristic of this region.
But, at the same time, this humidity was closely linked to the risk of spoilage. As a result, techniques for preserving and processing food developed in this region. By making use of salt and fermentation, systems also emerged that allowed dairy and meat to be fully integrated and cycled. For example, pigs consume the whey produced during the making of Parmigiano Reggiano, which is then transformed into ham and lard.
2. The 'heaviness' shaped by winter cold
Emilia-Romagna lies to the north of the Apennine Mountains, which divide Italy into north and south, and is shaped by a continental climate. As a result, winters are bitterly cold, with dense fog settling over the Po Valley, creating conditions quite unlike the mild Mediterranean climate often associated with Italy.
In such a climate, an abundance of ingredients alone is not sufficient. To sustain the body through the cold, it is necessary to maximise energy intake and transform food into forms that can be preserved. Consequently, the region developed a cuisine rich in animal fats such as lard and butter, alongside high-calorie dishes combining meat and cheese. At the same time, techniques for producing foods suited to long-term preservation also evolved.
In other words, the food culture of this region emerged not only from favourable natural resources, but was also shaped in response to a cold and humid environment. As knowledge of preservation and processing accumulated over time, the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna became not only abundant, but also rich, hearty, and substantial.
3. Bologna was a ‘city of water’ in the Middle Ages
Today, it is hard to imagine, but in the Middle Ages Bologna developed as a city of canals, second only to Venice, and was known as a true ‘city of water’. A network of artificial canals, connected to the River Po and extending as far as the Adriatic Sea, ran through the city, with water playing a fundamental role in its urban infrastructure. Even today, there are still places in Bologna where traces of this past can be glimpsed.
In the past, watermills once lined these canals and were used to grind wheat. The power of water was also harnessed for silk production, and the wealth generated from this industry steadily accumulated. As a result, a rich pasta culture developed, characterised by the abundant use of refined flour and eggs. At the same time, all of the canals converged into the Canale di Navile, which connected the city towards Venice. Water from the river was thus integrated into urban planning and functioned as a system of logistics.
Traces of this history can still be found in Parco 11 Settembre 2001, a park that once served as the port of Bologna. Today, it is a public space where people come to relax, but its low entrance and basin-like terrain, surrounded by buildings, suggest it was once a hub where boats came and went. The present landscape seems to overlap with the past, and I found myself deeply moved.
4. The learned are gourmets
Bologna is known as a ‘city of learning’, home to the University of Bologna, one of the oldest universities in the world. Since the Middle Ages, many intellectuals and students have gathered here from across Europe, bringing with them not only ideas and culture, but also their culinary preferences. In addition, exchanges among aristocrats during the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as the conquests of Napoleon Bonaparte and the French army, created further opportunities for outside influences to flow into the region.
As a result, the cuisine of this area shows strong French elements. For example, the use of béchamel sauce in lasagne, the pairing of butter and sage with stuffed pasta, and cornetti made with Chantilly cream are all characteristics not commonly found south of Rome.
In other words, just as knowledge accumulated in this place, so too was taste refined. I came to feel that food culture is not merely a product of ingredients, but is shaped and polished through the movement of people and the intersection of cultures.
5. Grandmothers’ Bolognese cooking, its elevation by modern chefs, and the legal systems that protect it
What strikes me as remarkable about Italian food culture is that ‘regional cuisine and home cooking are almost synonymous’. It is said that each household has its own recipe for regional pasta, and a friend from Bologna once told me, “If you want to understand local cuisine, just ask a grandmother.” These home-cooked flavours can’t be fully reproduced in restaurants; they are, in a sense, memories deeply rooted in the place itself. In fact, even for a world-renowned chef like Massimo Bottura, who runs a restaurant in the same region, the dishes prepared by his grandmother form the original landscape of his cuisine. While his cooking is innovative, it remains grounded in the memory of home cooking.
In Italy, such traditions are also protected at an institutional level. I had the opportunity to speak with a representative from the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium and learned that they strictly regulate production methods and regions of origin, inspect restaurants and supermarkets to ensure quality, and handle global advertising and marketing—actively safeguarding the region’s food culture. I was genuinely surprised to discover that organisations operate at such a professional level for this purpose.
In other words, Bologna’s food culture is supported on multiple layers: from the microcosm of a grandmother’s kitchen, to the creativity of chefs, and up to macro-level systems of institutional protection. Today, new forms such as street food featuring fried tortellini are also emerging, and I came to feel that tradition is not something fixed, but a living culture that continues to evolve through constant renewal.
Finally, I would like to share a few lesser-known regional specialities.
● The ‘guardians’ that make a Bolognese meal work
In this region, there are essential elements that support the overall balance of a meal, eaten alongside rich cheeses, ham, and salami.
The lightly sparkling, pleasantly acidic red wine 'Lambrusco'
Soft, fluffy, and slightly chewy bread that gently ‘catches’ and complements the ingredients
'Mostarda,' fruit preserved in syrup and flavoured with mustard, and 'giardiniera,' tangy pickled vegetables
Each of these plays a role in resetting the palate, making it possible to continue enjoying rich, heavy dishes. In other words, they are not mere accompaniments, but serve as 'guardians' that maintain the balance of the entire meal.
● Erbazzone, recommended by my professor
The last thing I ate on this trip was erbazzone, a traditional dish from the Emilia-Romagna region. It was a dish my university professor had told me was 'her favourite food,' and I had been determined to try it.
That same morning, I had visited a Parmigiano Reggiano factory, so the moment I heard the ingredients at a bar, all the scenes I had witnessed up to that point suddenly connected in my mind. It felt as if I were 'eating the land itself.'
The ingredients used include leafy greens such as spinach and chard, Parmigiano Reggiano, and fats like lard and olive oil. The dough (pasta sfoglia) has a crisp texture with a delicate, well-balanced hint of salt on the surface, and as the richness of the dough blends with the moisture of the vegetables, it creates a simple yet deeply satisfying flavour.
This combination of leafy greens and cheese is commonly found in this region and is said to have developed as a way to provide sustenance during Christian fasting days. Later, in a Quality Law class, I learned that Erbazzone Reggiano was officially recognised as a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) product in 2026, which gave me a new perspective: that 'the recipe itself is preserved as a form of culture.' This means that cuisine is not simply about eating; it may also function as a way for people to express and preserve the identity of where they come from.
Somehow, Bologna felt to me like the 'Osaka' of Japan. Both are known as 'food capitals,' places that attract nationwide trust with the promise that you can eat something truly delicious if you go there. Behind this reputation lies a shared history: fertile plains shaped by rivers, the convergence of logistics from all directions, and their development as cultural hubs. There is also a common thread in how the finest ingredients gathered in these places are transformed through refined techniques. Even the presence of a flour-based food culture and the distinctive character of the people who sustain it feel strikingly similar. The cuisine of Emilia-Romagna seems designed so that everything works in harmony—something that, from a modern perspective, might resemble a 'circular economy.' However, this was not intentionally engineered for environmental sustainability; rather, it is a system that has naturally accumulated over time as a way of living.
At its core lie 'terroir' and the wisdom of preservation. Climate, ingredients, human skill, time, and microorganisms all intertwine to shape a food culture unique to this land.
The fact that it can only exist in this specific environment is, in itself, part of the region’s value. I felt that this is precisely why people are drawn to return to this place again and again.
