{"id":5053,"date":"2021-03-20T19:19:13","date_gmt":"2021-03-20T19:19:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/?p=5053"},"modified":"2021-03-20T19:19:19","modified_gmt":"2021-03-20T19:19:19","slug":"bologna-la-grassa-a-foodies-delight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/bologna-la-grassa-a-foodies-delight\/","title":{"rendered":"Bologna la Grassa: a foodie\u2019s delight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Not for nothing is Bologna known as \u2018La Grassa<\/em>\u2019, the Fat One. A visit here is truly a foodie\u2019s delight! The city has had the nickname since medieval times, indicating that it was already famous throughout Europe for its wonderful food and drink as far back as the 1300s.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One factor behind the development of this rich tradition is the ancient and prestigious university (another of the city\u2019s nicknames is \u2018La Dotta<\/em>\u2019, the Learned One). This attracted students from all over Europe and even further afield. You had to come from a rich family to go to university in those days; and these wealthy students brought with them servants, including cooks to provide them with the meals to which they were accustomed. Gradually foreign ingredients found their way into local Bolognese dishes, and foreign recipes were adapted to suit Bolognese tastes \u2013 all influencing what we find today in terms of regional specialities unique to this part of Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while the word \u2018fat\u2019 may be off-putting, don\u2019t worry; grassa<\/em> refers not to any fattiness in the food but to its copiousness, variety, and superior quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bolognese specialities<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Rag\u00f9 Bolognese<\/em><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The city’s specialities include of course the famous Rag\u00f9 Bolognese<\/em>, which is served not on spaghetti but on tagliatelle. The rougher surface of this pasta allows a heavier sauce to cling to it, instead of collecting at the bottom of the plate as it does with slippery spaghetti. This dish is served in almost every restaurant in the city.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Pasta
Rag\u00f9 Bolognese<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Mortadella di Bologna<\/em><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Another regional speciality is Mortadella di Bologna<\/em>. You might think from the name that this is the same sausage as the Americans know as bologna or baloney; but here in the city of its birth it is rather different and decidedly superior. It has been made in this region since the days of the Romans and in the past was considered a delicacy for the aristocracy as its heavy use of imported spices made it expensive. As with rag\u00f9<\/em> you find it served everywhere, usually on a platter with other meats and maybe cheese. <\/p>\n\n\n