Eating typical in Ferrara, in addition to choosing the restaurant well, it is good to know the typical dishes of the city of Ferrara to eat well and spend little, here are the 5 best known in Emilia Romagna for the city of Ferrara, from cappellacci to pumpkin to salama da sugo , read the article.
Ferrara it is a city to be discovered and, in Italy, one of the least visited by tourists. Bad! Because this little Estense jewel has a lot to offer, not only from the historical-artistic point of view (you can find everything in Ferrara what to do in one day), but also from a gastronomic point of view.
It is certainly nice to come to Ferrara in Spring, but I recommend it even more in winter, when the Po valley mists give it a suspended, metaphysical, gloomy atmosphere, which only increases its ancient charm and which will gently push you inside. one of the many taverns in the beautiful historic center.
What to eat in Ferrara?
Ferrara cuisine is essentially winter: these are very tasty dishes, a little heavy (after all, Emilia is not a region that we associate with the idleness of the August holidays, being able to make a choice), but really noteworthy and palate. A cuisine that tastes of antiquity, of the Renaissance, of courts and of popes. A cuisine for refined and simple palates at the same time. Did I put curiosity in you? Here's one my personal choice of 5 typical dishes, which you really should not fail to taste, during your visit to Ferrara.
Salama da sugo
La salama da sugo it is a very very tasty pork sausage: it is prepared by grinding the various parts of the pig, and then it is left to mature hanging on hooks, like salami. It is very characteristic to enter the various Ferrara taverns and see the salami hanging from the ceilings! Compared to salami it is smaller and rounder. Once cooked, the salty is eaten hot, without skin, usually accompanied by a large portion of mashed potatoes.
Ferrara pie
Il Ferrara pie, of macaroni, consists of a shortcrust pastry crust, which contains macaroni, ragù, béchamel, mushrooms, truffles and nutmeg like a casket. The combination of these flavors, originally quite distant from each other, results in a truly surprising, unique and (let's face it!) Truly exquisite taste. Usually the pie is cooked in special copper containers, in the oven.
Pumpkin ravioli
An alternative to the Ferrara pasticcio, equally good and with an ancient tradition, is represented by Pumpkin ravioli. Something similar is also found in Mantua, for example. These too come from ancient Renaissance recipe books, linked to the Este family, where they are mentioned as "pumpkin ravioli with butirro" (source: Ferrara Terra e Acqua). Originally, the cappellacci were served with ginger and pepper and the shape would recall that of the caplaz (in Ferrara dialect: cappellaccio) of the peasants.
Couple, Ferrara bread
In any tavern, trattoria or restaurant in Ferrara you go to, you will immediately be brought to the table a basket containing at least one pair, that is the typical Ferrara bread. The couple consists of a central body from which 4 croissants branch off. It is a particularly fragrant and really “dangerous” bread: you can't stop eating it!
A secret: if you arrive in Ferrara by train, stop at the station oven, where Ferraresi dipped in chocolate are sold, called sweet salty; you can choose the more fragrant or the softer version, depending on your taste. These are not pairs, but single croissants, but the dough is still the same.
Panpepato
Our short list could only end with a dessert, typically Christmas (but you can find it all year round): the Panpepato (fruitcake with black pepper). According to the ancient tradition, this dessert was prepared by the Ferrara families in November, to be consumed during the Christmas period. Perhaps originally from the East, imported in the Renaissance by caravans carrying spices, this dessert is made up of ground spices (hence the name), almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, candied fruit, orange, cedar, raisins, all possibly (but not necessarily) mixed with honey, cocoa, coffee, liqueur.
It is actually difficult to describe precisely the ingredients of the gingerbread, because the recipes are many, the variations even more and the family traditions (each with its own secret variations), even more. What to say? You just have to taste it, to get an idea!
