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1 giugno 2019

BIG BOXBOLOGNESE

SOME SEE IT AS -THE DISNEYLAND OF PASTAOTHERS AS A CELEBRATION OF ITALY' S

CULINARY TRADITIONS . EITHER WAY . THESLEEK FICO EATALY WORLD PROMISES TO

DRAW EVEN MORE FOODIES TO BOLOGNA.THE CAPITAL OF ITALIAN CUISINE

Words BOYD FARROW

Phutugraphy CLAUDIO MORELLI



1 giugno 2019



1 giugno 2019

Early spring is unseasonably mild in Bologna ,the historic capital of the Emilia-Romagna region in

northern Italy , but I fly into a political storm . Accordingto the morning papers , Virginio Merola , the city' s mayor ,is in a froth over tourists requesting

"

authentic" spaghettiBolognese . Here , ragil alla Bolognese is served withribbony tagliatelle , which is better for delivering the

rich meat sauce that typically has bubbled for 12 hours.In these parts , culinary traditions are taken seriously.

EMILIA-ROMAGNA

HAS LONG BEENconsidered the cradle of Italiancuisine . Along the mazy medievallanes of Bologna' s Quadrilater°

area , storefronts are crammed withpicturesquefoodstuffs: hams hanging like punchingbags , cheeses stacked like tires , dunes of

yolk-yellow tortellini . And every business not

selling produce seems to be a trattoria , oateriaristorante or pizzeria-unless it' s a eaffetteria.gelateria , crenzeria or just a bar grilling panini.At times: the city feels like one bigItalianfoodheme park.

For the last 18 months , there has been anactual Italian-food theme park just outsideBologna' s city center , a 25-acre sprawlcontainingdozens of restaurants , scores of artisanalstands and several mini-factories and farms.Cofounded by Oscar Farinetti , of the Eatalyfood hall empire . FICO Eataly World claimsto be more than a tourist trap . Rather , we aretold , it aims to convey

"

the taste and the beautyof Italy illustrated to all citizens of the world ."

Mayor Merola is said to be collecting dubiousIbreign interpretations of ragiz a,lla Bolognesefor some kind of spaghetti-shaming exhibition.

There are a number of people in Bologna ,meanwhile , who can reasonably claim tohavinghad the "

taste and beauty" thing coveredfor a while now . Among them is GiovanniTamburini , a stout , charismatic man whosefamily has owned Bologna' s Ditta A .F.Tamburini restaurant since 1932 , and whichhas been selling produce in this region since1855 . " Food in this part of Italy is produced thesame way it was seven centuries before Christwas born ,

" he says in his wood-lined diningroom . In front of us is a platter of mortadella

Clockwisefrom topleft , ViaRizzoli nearthe Quadrilatero:Giovanni Tamburinibehind the counter;the vegetablegardenoutside FICO;squacqueronecheeseproduction at FICO

Bologna' s famous heat-cured sausage , alongwith crusty bread and Lambrusco the colorof

" This mortadella ," Tamburini says ,

gesturingfor me to dig in . " The bread , thecheese , everything is so good here because

they' re high-quality products , made slowly ,by hand . Food is like life: You cannot cutcorners . " I nod , resisting the urge to utter ," Yes , godfather ."

34 firms making mortadella in Emilia-

Romagna use ingredients and methods

approved by a certification board that

safeguardsthe heritage . Producers are free toadd their own seasonings-pistachios , say , orolives or cinnamon-but the pork must comefrom the leg and shoulder of the animal , whilethe cubes of fat must come from the neck." It is all about continuity ,

" Tamburini says ,though he admits to reducing the fat contentof his awn mortadella by up to percent formodern palates.

A couple of decades ago , there were 200differentsalami (cold cuts) made in the region:today only 70 or types are available . dueto what Tamburini calls " the globalizationof taste .

"

On the plus side , he has openedthree delis in Japan to add to the fourestablishmentshe owns in Bologna . People from

Tokyo , Yokohama and Chiba come here tolearn our way" he says.

I sense that may not besympatheticto the idea of food courts , and less soto the outsized pageantry of the FICO Eatalyproject , but when I mention that I' ll be goingthere the following morning . be shrugs . " If it

promotes the region' s food he says ," IL can

only benefit business ."

AMERICAN WAY - 73



1 giugno 2019

Breakfast

this morning is An-Bran

though the waitress who sawme decimate yesterday' s buffetassumes I am kidding and keeps

returning to take my real order . The truthis I am pacing myself for a day of seriousgrazing at FICO Eataly World , a 20-minutecab ride away.

It' s hard not to be impressed by the scalethis place . From the outside , it looks like a

massive shed-the world ' s biggest gardencenter, perhaps , or a Scandinavian collegecampus. Eataly World is so big , in fact that thefeted Italian cycle firm Bianchi designedspecialthree-wheeled bikes with baskets forvisitorsto get around . You could rustle a herd ofChianina cattle through the main entrancewithout anyone noticing-except , perhaps ,

proprietor of the restaurant La Came.It would be easy to dismiss FICO Eataly

World as a culinary Disneyland , but it couldalso he thought of as a kind of interactivemuseum . FICO is an acronym for FabbricaItaliana Contadina (Italian Farming Factory) ,and as walk down the runway-widecorridorsyou are flanked by 40 or so glass-frontedkitchens in which experts are kneadingbreads , stirring sauces , or coloring sugaredalmonds in tiny spray-tanning booths.

I wander around for a while , watching oliveoil flowing through iubes , strands of pastadrying , gelato churning , focaccia rising anda guy kneading a slab of licorice as shiny as

glass_ Behind one window , a womanin hospital scrubs vigorously stirs thecontents of a Jacuzzi-sized tubmakingthe rich and tangy spreadablecheese squacquerone . Another displayfeatures a robotic arm placing trays of

pasta into a cooker . I wonder if it is afourth-generation robot.

On tside , you get . whiff of a gri -huness-there are four acres of fieldsand farms . which are part of the

- AMERICAN WAY

Clockwise From topleft all at FICO

Teatro restaurant ;fresh tagliatelle alragii ; guests

special basket bikes byBianchi ; a multimedia

carousel abouthumans' relationshipto natural resources

" WHAT I LOVEABOUT BOLOGNA

IS ITS TOTALAUTHENTICITY . "

educational aspect of the enterprise . Thereis also an embryonic vineyard , a " TruffleLand" exhibit and a butterfly house . The mostDisney-like element is actually the realanimals-Sardinian sheep , Saanen goats ,variousbreeds of bunnies-who are so cute youfeel must have been involved somehow.

Just . as I start thinking about eating somefood rather than simply looking at it , I' minvited to watch mortadella being made

andforgetting for a moment that mortadella isluncheon meat and not another cheese-Isay sure . A few minutes later am in a whiteroom , watching pink being squeezedinto a cow bladder . See how fine the meatis? "

chirps my guide . " in closer ifyou like

Making my way towards the eatery whereI' ll be having lunch , I pass shops and stalls

with artisanal products from everypart of Italy-from Piedmont in thenorth to Sicily in the south-alongwith a post effice for visitors to mailtheir goodies home . At the far end is aterminal-sized wine emporium , alongwith one of the largest selections ofItalian craft beer in the country butit would lake a Beni by rather I ha na Bianchi to get me all the way downthat corridor . >



1 giugno 2019

Children gazeon mortadella

production atFICO the meat andcheese counter atSakimeria Simoni

VERYTHING IS SO GOOD HERE BECAUSE THEY' REHIGH-QUALITY PRODUCTS . MADE SLOWLY . BY HAND.

FOOD IS LIKE LIFE: YOU CANNOT CUT CORNERS . "



1 giugno 2019



1 giugno 2019

At one stand , I chew the fat with CarlottaMontali of the Rulia ,no family , which has

producing Parma ham for 70 years . Shehands me a few slices which literally melt in

my mouth . The meat is coated in sea salt andhung for 24 months to cure , but Montaliconfidesthat the company recently found a wholeham that had somehow been mislaid for eightyears . It tasted pretty good , she says , althoughperhaps you wouldn' t want to eat more than 10slices in one go . It was very intense ."

At one of the many casual pasta eateries ,Osteria del Fritto , I meet Tiziana PrimoriFICO' s CEO . Although the park is fairly quiettoday . Primori assures me that visitornumbers-3million in the first 14 months-havesurpassed expectations . Later this year , moreoutdoor attractions will be added for kids , andthere are plans for an eco-hotel . want

everyone to see, and hopefully sample , the

Clockwise From above:Tiziana Primori ;Osteria del Sole inthe Quadrilatero ;various black pig coldcuts from NCO' s IISuino Nero

WHERE TO EAT

'

Osteria BottegaThe modest exterior and basic furnishings belie

extraordinary cured meats . Try the Culatellodi the most refined saiume in

Emilia-Romagna . 05758 5117

Trattoria del GalloThis informal . tucked-away trattoria has a lovely

terrace and serves beautiful homemade pasta.along with exceptional meat and fish dishes.

6873791

Ristorante al PappagalloThis famous old-school restaurant serves localfavorites like terrine of rabbit rare steak and

charred eggplant and peppers.eipappagatio ,itien

Ristorante CesarinaThe seafood issourced from Sardinia orTuscany and everything else such as the

Rana Romagnola beef , is from top-qualitylocal suppliers . ristorantecesarinait

Osteria FrancescanaThere isa long waiting list for a table atModena' s Osteria Francescana , named

best restaurant in the world ( again) in the2018 World s 50 Best Restaurants list.

osteriafrancescanait

AMERICAN WAY - 79



1 giugno 2019

amazing biodiversity this country offers theworld , she says.

Primori orders a tasting menu for us both ,but keeps leaving the table and returning with

samples from other restaurants-a scoop ofpeppery radicchio sliver of citrusysquid on crunchy fried potato . lovefoodcookingit and eating it , " she says . ' We' re solucky here , not only because of the qualityof the food but because of the simplicity ofour dishes . " Which is not to say that Primoriwill only eat Italian food: " Just five or sixdays a week .

"

Just then , I spot Eataly founder OscarFarinetti rushing by. lives in Barelo.three-hour drive away , and is lunching herewith the head of the Parmigiano ReggianoConsortium-literally , the big cheese . I askFarinetti what he thinks Americans will getout of a visit to the FICO Eataly complex.Americans know pizza and pasta , but it is

amazing how many regional dishes or uniqueingredients they have no idea about ," he says." And as for the few moments laterhe hurries away again off to plot his latestcommercial venture.

Back

in the Quadrilatero , in thestoried grocery Drogheria Gilberto ,I buy a 25-year-old balsamicvinegar from Modena-sweeter

than jam-hut pass on the hundred-year-oldversion , which costs more than S2 ,000 fora small ceramic flask . As in most ofthese densely stocked shops , the packagingis as exquisite as the food: tiny chocolates

Left: prizedbalsamicvinegarfromDrogheriaGilberto.Right:DavideSimonioutsidehis shop

" FOOD HERE ISPRODUCED THESAME WAYIT WAS SEVENCENTURIESBEFORE CHRIST ."

individually wrapped in mini portraits.gold-embossed pickle jars , belle Toquecoffee tins . Buying birthday gifts in Bolognamust be a cinch.

In the window of the 150-year-oldpasta-maker Paolo Atti & Figli is aphotograph of a smiling Pope Francis

holding one of its signature art deco boxesof tortellini . Inside , the owner , 84-year-oldAnna Maria Bonaga stands beside a stackof books containing her family' s recipes . Inthe kitchen out back , three middle-agedwomen rill squares

'

egg pasta with porkloin Parma ham , mortadella and Parmesan ,working with the precision or Swisswatchmakers.

On a neighboring street , before a wallof Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese , I meetDavide Simoni , scion of the family behindthe three Salumeria Simoni delis andrestaurantsin town . " What I love about Bologna

"

Simoni says ," is that nobody talks in terms

of ' tourist restaurants' or ' localrestaurants ,' like in other Italiancities . It' s total authenticityeverywhere . "

From his pungent shop . wediscuss Simoni' s plan to converta disused building into afacilityto make mortadella .

"

It willbring production back to thecity , for the first time in ageneration,

" he says , making it soundlike they now ship the stuff fromBeijing , rather than make it a

couple of miles away . >

AMERICAN WAY - Al



1 giugno 2019

WHERE TO STAY

Grand Hotel Majesticgia Baglioni

Bologna' s only Ave-starhotellives up to thehype Centrallylocated, the Grandoffersaclassicgourmet restauranta modernspa.elegantdecoranda selectionof luxurious.

spaciousroomsandsuites.grandhotelmajestic.duetorrihotels.com

Hotel Corona d OroWhilethe timberedportico andcoffered

ceilingshint at its medievalpast this formernoble familyhomehas40 modern, comfortable

rooms, a snugbar anda cozylobbyloungethat servesa generousbuffet of cocktailsnacks

eachevening.hco. it/ en

Casa Flub RelaisForsomethingmorerustic, this shabby-chic

farmhousea 10-minutecabridefrom Bologna' scobbledcore, issurroundedby vineyardsand

hasan enclosedverandaanda beautifulterracegarden. Thereareonly fourbedrooms, all

withWi-Fi.casafluo.it/ en

82 AMERICAN WAY

Customersindulgein tagliate lie al ragu

intakeawayboxesatrestaurant

Simoni says his family was approachedabout taking space at Eataly World butdecided against it . know some producerswho are doing good business there , and goodfor them , but we want to offer a moreauthenticexperience ,

" he says . I respect what FICOis trying to do , but everything there is alittletoo sanitized , even outside . Producing andpreparing food has always been messy ."

And yet despite the choreographedcheesemaking and blow-dried cattle , Simonisays he will be delighted if the supersi2edventure helps to bring more tourists to hisown expanding empire . Most businesses herefeel the same

" he says . Italians are proud.Nobody would like to see it fail .

Each January , Simoni tells me , his familyhosts a massive blowout in the countryside forall their production partners , with twoambulanceson standby . insists he is not joking:We eat vast quantities of rich fatty meats and

heavy creamy sauces all day and night . Someof these guys are in their 90s . This place is inthe middle of nowhere ."

I remember this later at the elegant I Carmelrestaurant at the Grand Hotel Majestic giaBaglioni , asmy tortellini in a double capon brothbeing ladled from a tureen . Luckily , my final stopis Osteria del Sole , a small tavern that datesbark to 1465 which is one of the few placesin Bologna where yeti cannot get food.Many guestsbring their own,spreading outhams,cheeses and breads on long communal tables.Beer or local wine is available from a counter bythe entrance . Water isn' t available anywhere.

We don' t serve it here ," the

bartender tells me . don' t actually knowIt' sjust a tradition ."



1 giugno 2019

paese : stati uniti · paese : stati uniti pagine : 70 superficie : 141 % 1 giugno 2019. amazing...

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