Are you planning a trip to visit Modena? Here you will find our Modena city guide and our travel tips to discover the city. A visit to the historic centre of Modena, with its small squares, porticoed alleys and typical little restaurants, is not to be missed.
Modena is situated in the so called "Food Valley", a region, which is well known for its culinary traditions and for the production of high-quality products. Therefore teh Food Valley is the perfect destinations for tourists, which want to taste and learn more about authentic Italian products and culinary traditions.
Motor Valley should be on every fast car enthusiast's bucket list, as it's a hub for the automotive and motorcycle industries. The most prestigious car brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Ducati and many others are based here.
DOP and IGP products from Modena and the Emilia Romagna region
The cuisine of this region is mostly derived from simple traditions of rural life. Among the typical products of the Food Valley there is certainly a wide range of cold cuts and cheeses. For example, this region is the birthplace of one of the world's most popular and beloved cheeses, the Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese PDO. A stark contrast, on the other hand, to the raw products of peasant cuisine is the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO, originally derived from the region's noblest families.
DOP and IGP Products from Emilia Romagna
Here are some of the 44 DOP and IGP Products from Emilia Romagna you must not miss during your trip trough the Food Valley:
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese PDO can be produced in the provinces of Parma, Reggio-Emilia, Modena, Bologna and Mantua. From the tradition of Emilia Romagna it has arrived on the tables of consumers all over the world. It is the most inidspensable cheese in Italian cuisine, which cannot be missing on almost any pasta dish. In Emilia Romagna you will not only have the chance to taste the original Parmigiano Reggiano in its place of origin but also to visit its factories and buy it directly on the spot. To find out more about this wonderful product that you can try and buy on your Food Valley tour, you can visit the official page of the consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO.
Particularly important for this product is seasoning. Depending on personal taste, use as well as food pairings and combinations, a young or a longer seasoning may be the appropriate choice. So how do we figure out which seasoning is right for us?
MILD - Between 12 - 19 months: The minimum seasoning of parmesan cheese is 12 months. Between 12 - 19 months we talk about a mild Parmigiano Reggiano (Delicato) has delicate hints of fresh milk, yogurt and a mild sweet-sour flavor. A still maturing cheese is therefore the perfect ingredient for an aperitif with cold cuts and goes well with dry white wines and lightly alcoholic cocktails.
HARMONIC - Between 20 - 26 months: A Parmigiano Reggiano of 20-26 months (Armonico) expresses a good balance between sweet and salty flavor. It therefore develops already a more complex and harmonious taste. The cheese when cut into flakes is in appearance and texture crumbly and grainy. A 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano is perfect grated or in petals on your pasta dishes, soups and vegetable creams.
AROMATIC - Between 27 - 34 months: An aromatic 27-34 months Parmigiano Reggiano (Aromatico) has notes of dried fruit and nutmeg aroma. The flake is soluble, very crumbly and dry. A 30-month Parmigiano Reggiano can be tasted with fruit and honey.
INTENSE - Between 35 - 45 months: If you love intense flavours, Parmigiano Reggiano aged between 35 and 45 months is ideal for you. A Parmigiano Reggiano which is aged between 35 and 45 months has a very intense aroma (Intenso) with spicy and umami notes. It is characterised by a deep yellow colour with visible tyrosine crystals. It is naturally lactose-free and it's the perfect choice for a tasty snack or aperitif with nuts, hazelnuts and other dried fruits.
Between 46-79 months: Parmigiano Reggiano 46-79 months has a straw-yellow amber colour. Its toasted aroma has typical notes of leather, dried mushrooms and smoked meat. An excellent 60-month Parmigiano Reggiano can be served with honey and a full-bodied wine.
Over 80 months: A Parmigiano Reggiano which has been aged over 80 months has a great aromatic complexity and is an exclusive gift or a tasty gourmet treat. It is a perfect food pairing with honey, grapes and sweet jams like the traditional spicy apple mostarda.
Prosciutto di Modena PDO
The main characteristics of the Prosciutto di Modena PDO are its bright red color when sliced, its sweet and intense flavor. This prosciutto crudo is savory, but not very salty. Prosciutto di Modena DOP is perhaps the lesser-known and thus more niche sibling of Prosciutto Crudo di Parma DOP, from the nearby city of Parma. A major difference and particularity of the Prosciutto di Modena is that it is the only PDO ham in whose specifications a minimum maturation period of 14 months is required. Learn more about the production process of the Prosciutto di Modena PDO.
Among the most popular pairings with Modena PDO ham is, of course, soft Squacqueronecheese and crescetine. In summer, it is also often served on melon, which enhances its flavor. Prosciutto also appears as an indispensable ingredient in some traditional Modena recipes. Indispensable is the Modena ham for example in the filling of Modena's beloved Tortellini.
Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI and Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and Reggio Emilia PDO
Balsamic vinegar, perhaps the most famous vinegar in the world, is also called the black gold of Modena. Balsamic vinegar comes from the two regions Modena and neighboring Reggio Emilia. But balsamic vinegar is not all the same; there are two quite different products that you can enjoy during your stay in the Food Valley. In fact, it's important to distinguish between balsamic vinegar PGI and traditional balsamic vinegar PDO.
This is the product safeguarded by the yellow and blue symbol of the protected geographical indication. It is the product that we can commonly find in the supermarket and can have a very variable cost that can already start from about two euros to half a liter. Its main ingredients are cooked grape must or concentrated grape must and wine vinegar, but it may also contain food coloring or caramel, so be sure to read the ingredient list on the label carefully.
True black gold is the traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena PDO. This product is very different in terms of quality and used ingredients from the more common balsamic vinegar of Modena PGI, as it contains only one ingredient namely cooked grape must and is aged in barrels of different woods for a minimum of 12 years. So it is certainly not surprising that, unlike the more common igp balsamic vinegar, the price of this product normally starts at 50 euros for a 100 ml bottle.
This product is produced in both Modena and the neighboring province of Reggio Emilia, but the products have two different protected designations:
You can distinguish the two products directly by the shape of the bottle. The one produced in Reggio Emilia has the typical inverted tulip shape, while the one from Modena is in the drop-shaped bottle designed by famous Ferrari car designer Giorgio Giugiaro.
For the most gourmet food lovers, the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO is also available in its "extravecchio" ("extra-old") version, that is, aged for 25 years in different wooden barrels.
Cotechino Modena PGI
Cotechino Modena IGP is a sausage made from a mixture of pork, rind, salt, pepper and spices. The mixture obtained from this mixture is stuffed into the casing, which can be natural or artificial. It is then cooked, maintaining a soft, rich texture and a very tasty flavor.
A typical soft sausage of the Modenese culinary tradition, which cannot be missed on the tables of Italians especially during holidays such as Christmas and New Year. Traditionally it is accompanied by lentils and puree or polenta.
Cherry of Vignola PGI
The Cherry of Vignola PGIis characterised by its firm and crunchy flesh. It has a beautiful shiny skin with a color ranging from bright red to dark red-brown. In addition to its intense and pleasant flavor, what makes this cherry particularly popular is that the Vignola PGI is generally much bigger and fleshier than other cherries, which is why it is also particularly appreciated for use in gastronomy. Since the middle of the 19th century, the Vignola cherry has been cultivated in the countryside around the characteristic town of Vignola.
Needless to say that, if you are in the food valley in spring, you absolutely cannot miss a visit to the ancient village of Vignola. At this time of year the landscape is turned white by the cherry trees in bloom. More information on a visit to the borgo and rocca di Vignola can be found below under the activities you can undertake in Food Valley.
Piadina Romagnola PGI
Piadina Romagnola PGI or Piada is a typical product of Romagna made from wheat flour and water, with the addition of fat and salt. Piadina is a very thin, round-shaped sheet of dough that is cooked in a hot pan. The Piadina is then folded in the middle and stuffed with typical products. It is often stuffed with soft cheeses such as Squacquerone and with cold cuts, such as the exquisite Modena PDO ham.
Squacquerone di Romagna PDO
Squacquerone is a very fresh cheese, a very short-ripening cow's milk cheese typical of Romagna.
It is similar to other traditional Italian soft cheeses such as crescenza and stracchino, but squacquerone has a higher percentage of water. It is characterised by its sweet and fresh flavour, its very soft texture and its bright white colour. It is used as an ingredient in cappelletti and to stuff piadina, crescentine or borlengo.
If you want to find out more about the gastronomic excellence of the Food Valley, here you can find the full list of the 44 DOP and IGP Products from Emilia Romagna you can taste during your trip in the Food Valley:
- Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI (Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP)
- Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO (Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP)
- Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia PDO (Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia DOP)
- Garlic of Voghiera PDO (Aglio di Voghiera DOP)
- Lamb of Central Italy PGI (Agnello del Centro Italia IGP)
- Sour Cherry of Modena PGI (Amarene Brusche di Modena IGP)
- Watermelon Reggiana PGI (Anguria Reggiana IGP)
- Green Asparagus of Altedo PGI (Asparago Verde di Altedo IGP)
- Cappellacci di Zucca Ferraresi PGI (Cappellacci di Zucca Ferraresi IGP)
- Casciotta d'Urbino PDO (Casciotta d'Urbino DOP)
- Vignola Cherry PGI (Ciliegia di Vignola IGP)
- Coppa di Parma PGI (Coppa di Parma IGP)
- Coppa Piacentina PDO (Coppa Piacentina DOP)
- Coppia Ferrarese PGI (Coppia Ferrarese IGP)
- Cotechino di Modena PGI (Cotechino di Modena IGP)
- Culatello di Zibello PDO (Culatello di Zibello DOP)
- Fossa cheese from Sogliano PDO (Formaggio di Fossa di Sogliano DOP)
- Borgotaro Mushroom PDO (Fungo di Borgotaro IGP)
- Grana Padano PDO (Grana Padano DOP)
- Chestnuts of Castel del Rio PGI (Marroni di Castel del Rio IGP)
- Melon Mantovano PGI (Melone Mantovano IGP)
- Mortadella di Bologna PGI (Mortadella di Bologna IGP)
- Brisighella DOP Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Olio Extravergine di Oliva Brisighella DOP)
- Colline di Romagna DOP Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Olio Extravergine di Oliva Colline di Romagna DOP)
- Pampapato or Pampepato di Ferrara PGI (Pampapato o Pampepato di Ferrara IGP)
