“Squacquerone di Romagna” (“Squaquaron” in dialect) is a fresh cheese with ancient origins, typical of the rural environment, where it was common to produce and consume it during winter time ( because it could be kept cool for a few days).
It is a soft cheese made from whole cow’s milk exclusively from farms located in the typical area of production. There is no rind and it is pearly white in color, fundamental characteristics to recognize the authenticity of the product.
The white truffle is the most precious of the so-called hypogean (subterranean) mushrooms to which special qualities have always been attributed, including being an aphrodisiac and gift of the gods. The poet Juvenal claimed that the ‘Tuber Terrae’ was born from a thunderbolt hurled by Jupiter near an oak tree.
When autumn arrives (from October to December), droves of truffle seekers set out searching for this precious treasure, celebrated at numerous local festivals and fairs.
In the Romagna Apennines, this type of truffle is harvested. Differently from the black truffle, it does not blend in with other ingredients in the recipe, but dominates them with its aroma. The correct maturity should not be deduced from the color, which depends on the tree with which it cohabits, rather from the design within, where distinct veins appear.
‘Romagnola’ is a typical breed of cattle from Romagna.
Its breeding and feeding characteristics are peculiar to these animals, today a ‘Slow Food’ presidium.
Extensive grazing is widely practiced and lasts for a minimum of six months a year; in addition, calves are kept with their dams until the fifth/sixth month and finally sent to the fattening sheds.
Particular attention is paid to the feeding methods used to raise the animals: hay, field beans, maize, barley and bran guarantee an excellent quality of meat coming from calves (males) and rump (females), being lean and low in cholesterol.
Mora Romagnola is a high-quality pig breed typical of Romagna, originating near Ravenna, Forlì and Cesena.
Originally three variants existed, the Forlivese, the most esteemed (black coat with light patches), the Faentina (light red coat) and the Riminiese (red coat and white head).
The distinguishing taste of this meat is wild and spicy, similar to that of wild boar, and it is particularly suitable for producing high quality cured meats such as culatello, raw shoulder, roasts, grilled meats and chops.
Typically dishes in the Romagna valleys are stews, roasts of chicken, rabbit, lamb or pork.
Venison dishes are also very popular: hares, white meat birds (pheasant, gray partridge) and black meat birds (woodcock, thrush, quail and wood pigeon).
Among wild game meats, cooked especially in autumn and winter, wild boar and hare deserve special mention.
Pork is also a frequent ingredient on the Romagna menu: a flourishing sausage industry produces exquisite salami, strongly flavored and seasoned hams, as well as fragrant coppe, cotechini and pancetta.
Mutton is fresh meat obtained from male sheep that have undergone the neutering process, as long as they are of a suitable weight and age. It is traditionally produced with male animals of specialized meat breeds or derived from crosses for meat production.
In addition to pasture rearing, mutton is grown in stalls or in the sheepfold.
Chestnuts had always been a very important part of the peasant economy. Heritage of Roman domination, cultivation of these autumnal fruits went through a remarkable development.
For centuries they have provided food for the people who lived in the Apennines, an area rich in forests and hot springs.
The ‘marroni’ (the largest and sweetest chestnuts) are consumed boiled or roasted over embers, while the smaller ones are generally dried. Following further processing, a sweet flour is obtained, used to make porridge and cakes. Harvesting generally takes place in late September.
The woodlands along the hills, in the Casentino Forests and throughout the Apennine ridge between Tuscany and Romagna offer the ideal climatic habitat and undergrowth for mushrooms.
One of the most widespread and appreciated varieties is the porcino mushroom, which is fleshy, finely scented and endowed with persistent taste.
Among these are the blackthorn, the chanterelle, the prataioli (firm in texture and excellent when fried) and the ovoli ( delicious raw in salads, on the grill or even in a pan with butter). Also common are chiodini (excellent for making sauces), finferli and mazze da tamburi.
Bee-keeping in Romagna is practiced both hobbyistically and professionally to produce honey, royal jelly, pollen, propolis, beeswax and queen bees.
Honey is produced in the spring-summer period and the main varieties are: acacia, wildflower, alfalfa, sulla, lime, chestnut, forest honey and fir honeydew. Among the polyfloras, a wildflower honey is produced in the fields. Many farms and agritourism companies produce and sell honey jams directly.
The specific climatic conditions of this area allow the production of an olive oil with excellent chemical and organoleptic quality.
It is light, pleasant to the taste, with a slightly bitter and aromatic flavor, obtained by blending the fruit of different varieties of olive trees: Correggiolo (minimum 60%), Leccino (maximum 30%) and to a lesser extent (about 10%) Pendolino, Moraiolo and Rossina.
Picking the olives (whose cultivation in the hills of this part of Romagna has very ancient origins, dating back to the Etruscans) is done manually every year during the autumn period (mid-October – mid-December).
Following a defoliation and washing process, the oil is extracted exclusively by physical and mechanical methods the days immediately after.
The extra virgin olive oil has recently obtained the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) ‘Colline di Romagna’.
In the kitchen, it is excellent both raw and cooked.
Starting from 10 March 2011, Castrocaro bread has been included in the National List of Traditional Food Products.
After 125 years, the recipe based on Castrocaro water, local wheat flour, a pinch of salt and yeast, combined with the mastery of local bakers, still allows the famous Castrocarino or Pane di Castrocaro to be baked every day.
Raviggiolo is a fresh white cheese obtained by curdling raw cow’s milk of farm production without breaking.
It comes in round shapes and its texture is tender with a delicate, slightly buttery flavor.
So mild and fresh that it can be enjoyed as an extra meal, even at breakfast or as an afternoon snack. Thanks to its delicate characteristics, it is excellent when served with light, slightly sparkling and aromatic wines. Its shelf life is limited to a few days.
It is a ‘Slow Food’ Presidium product.
Saba, or Sapa, from Romagna is a sweet brown syrup.
It is combined with many dishes such as chickpeas, beans, chestnuts and filled pasta, but also ravioli and tortelli, fruit, vegetables, bread and polenta.
Savor is a sweet homemade preserve typical of the Romagna peasant tradition, a legacy of ancient rural customs, prepared immediately after the grape harvest.
Since it is a very calorific food, it was eaten during the winter months, from September to spring, when significant energy was needed, when working in the fields and withstanding the cold.
The basic ingredient is ‘saba’ or concentrated must, long cooked and ristretto, to which many different fruits are mixed. as it was once, it is enjoyed with snacks, cakes or appetizers.
A dish disappeared from our kitchens several decades ago and whose memory has been lost. It was prepared with a dough made from white flour, yellow flour and hot water (the yellow flour always had to be twice as much as the white one).
The dough was taken a piece at a time and worked with a rolling pin into a thick piadina and cut into small squares.
These squares were boiled in water for about three quarters of an hour.Ten minutes before removing the soup from the heat, a previously prepared bean sauce was thrown in.
The ragù was made of chopped garlic and onion, some sliced bacon, ripe tomatoes and beans.
This is another soup that is currently being forgotten.
It was prepared with white flour, eggs, water and salt. A thin sheet was rolled out, like tagliatelle, and cut into squares of about 3 cm per side.
Apart, oil, garlic and chopped parsley were sautéed, mixed with tomato puree, salt and pepper.
The “toppe”, cooked in boiling water, were seasoned with this ragù, dry bread and grated grana cheese.
To make this ancient Romagna soup, the following ingredients were mixed: beaten eggs, bread, Parmesan cheese, salt and nutmeg.
The batter obtained was poured into a meat broth, stirring it continuously for a few minutes. The soup was ready when it began to lump then served very hot.
To make maltagliati, a dough sheet was prepared with eggs and flour, rolled out very thin and then cut into tagliatelle, then cut crossways into irregularly shaped pieces of pasta.
Meanwhile, a sauté isprepared with chopped onion, garlic, carrots, celery and a little oil. When browned, add the beans (soaked in hot water the night before) and salted water. The beans are allowed to stew over low heat, adding water as necessary. When the beans are well cooked, Maltagliati are added and cooked in a few minutes. The dish is topped with a drizzle of raw oil and pepper.
Polenta was a staple food of the poor classes’ diet in the past.
Past the hour, its contents were poured onto the cutting board where polenta was sliced with a cotton thread.
Polenta was eaten also with garlic and onion or with a ragù made up of tomato, onion and chopped bacon, alternatively it could be eaten fried or roasted.
Ciambella is the most common cake in Romagna, and there is no lunch or snack without ending with a slice of ciambella soaked in a glass of Albana.
In order to make it, the following ingredients are required: flour, sugar, butter, margarine, lard, eggs, baking powder, and a lemon peel to grate. The flour is mixed with butter, the margarine, the lard and the eggs until a firm dough is obtained.
The baking powder and the lemon zest are added just before the kneading is done. Butter a mould and place the doughnut in it.
These biscuits could be kept for a very long time and are made of roasted almonds mixed with flour, honey and beaten egg whites.
When the dough is ready, grease a baking tin and spoon the mixture into it.
Place the mould in a moderately hot oven for about half an hour.
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