Bologna Food Festivals

Biting into Bologna!



Throughout the ages Italy has managed to exert a massive influence - far above its size - on the world's food tastes. Whether it's pasta, pizza, balsamic vinegar or parmesan cheese, Italian cuisine, perhaps more so than any other nation's cuisine.



However, its continual worldly adaptations mean that the only place to get a taste of real Italian food is in the country's regional food strongholds. And few places in the country can match Emilia-Romagna - and its capital, Bologna - for embodying everything that's good about traditional Italian cuisine.



Parma Ham Festival



This exciting gastronomic extravaganza is a yearly celebration taking place in September and celebrates one of Italy's most sought after exports - cured ham from the Parma region.



Parma ham is the most valued of all Emilia-Romagna's gastronomic delight and Bologna hostels and hotels are generally teeming with activity around festival time, as travelers and locals alike do their best to get close to the culinary delight that is the Parma Ham Festival.



For the budget traveler, the celebrations are a particular delight, with Parma ham cathedrals offering a free tasting. Even the most seasoned food tourist will be surprised by the variety of ways in which the dedicated towns surrounding Bologna can prepare the famed Prosciutto delicacy.



Some 12 towns make up the Parma Ham production area, each running its own mini celebrations. For those travelers keen on visiting a few of these, there are plenty of appropriate transport links to take you to out to the villages of the region.



Bologna Food Festival



This three-day celebration of food-fun was held for the first time in 2003 and celebrates the wealth of local Bolognese specialties. It is also an excellent opportunity to explore the city, with each street and square designated its own cuisine throughout the festival.



Travelers may have the chance of staying in Bologna hostels on 'Tortellini Street', or on 'Lasagne Boulevard' for the duration of the event, taking place in the latter part of September.

Must-try foods include the 'bollito misto' (a seven-vegetable soup) and the famed 'cotechino sausage'.