Explore Italy from top to bottom and you’ll often find yourself surprised – this is a nation that boasts more gastronomic diversity than most of us give it credit for. In the far northern provinces of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino Alto-Adige, there’s a significant if unsurprising Germanic influence – strudel, sauerkraut and potatoes are all staples of the northern diet. In southern regions like Calabria and Sicily, the regular use of nuts, dried fruit, saffron and cinnamon is the indelible mark of north African, Arabic and Turkish influences. We recognise these things as Italian and yet, they don’t subscribe to the traditional idea of Italian food. If you’re looking for fresh egg pasta, sumptuous, meaty ragùs, beautiful cheeses and succulent salumi, you should be making a beeline for the medieval city of Modena. These cobbled streets are the epicentre of Italian gastronomy, home to a rich culinary tradition that stretches back a thousand years.
Much of what makes Modena and the surrounding region special is in the landscape and climate. The Po River runs through Emilia-Romagna from west to east, creating a fertile plain known as the Pianura Padana that has been the agricultural heart of Italy for millennia. The Romans were the first to realise the potential of the area – they planted cereal crops and reared livestock on the Pianura Padana, and subsequently gave birth to two great Emilian food traditions – pasta production and cheesemaking.
The city of Modena is a hotspot for food tourists, but beautiful to visit in its own right. Some of the finest baroque architecture in the country is nestled in amongst its colonnades, and both the Piazza Grande and Modena Cathedral are protected UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Serious foodies come here to visit Osteria Francescana – Massimo Bottura’s world-famous restaurant – but can find themselves wandering the streets in search of an alternative when they can’t get in. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of wonderful restaurants along Modena’s back streets, so a good meal is easy to find. Here’s a look at what you can expect to eat when you visit the city.