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00:01I'm Adam Richmond, global food explorer and someone who loves exploring this wonderful world fork first.
00:08I'm making the map my menu.
00:09That is beautiful.
00:11And eating my way through a country that is synonymous with delicious food that's beloved the world over, Italy.
00:17Risotto alla milanese.
00:20I'm seeking the iconic dishes that are named for the legendary Italian cities that invented them.
00:26From Parma, Tortelli di Parma.
00:28Pasta in Parma that will leave you overjoyed.
00:32He's got a little weak.
00:34To Genoa, to Bologna.
00:36It's a great way to start the day in B-O-L-O-G-N-A.
00:41If you want to uncover a city's true food soul, eat the food that wears its name.
00:46Pistecca alla Fiorentina in Florence.
00:49I'm exploring the best.
00:52The freshest.
00:54Oh my God, it's amazing.
00:55The most delicious bites of each region of Italy I travel to.
00:59Tiramisu.
01:00At the restaurant where it was born.
01:02This is my incredible edible adventure.
01:05This is Adam Richmond Eats Italy.
01:10Bienvenuti a Bologna.
01:12Welcome to Bologna.
01:13The city that I'm in right now has roots all the way back to the ancient world with the Etruscans.
01:19It's where the first university was here in Italy.
01:23I am in the city of Bologna.
01:26Currently in Piazza Netuno, right adjacent to Piazza Maggiore, the center of town.
01:33This is a city celebrated for creating dishes that are loved the world over, like slow-cooked ragu bolognese.
01:42Tortellini al brodo, their iconic pasta dish of ring-shaped pasta and broth.
01:47A cake that is so beloved, so connected to this city that not one but two popes have had it
01:53while visiting Bologna.
01:55And yes, I have to have their contribution to every salumeria of the world over, the mighty, magnificent mortadella.
02:04It's a great way to start the day in B-O-L-O-G-N-A.
02:15Bologna sits in the heart of Emilia-Romagna, arguably Italy's most iconic food region.
02:21And this city's culinary superstar, ragu alla bolognese, slow-cooked meat sauce that's become a global symbol of Italian soul
02:31food.
02:32The first known recipe was born right here, and Bologna protects it like a treasure.
02:38So I've come to Osteria Bottega, where local dishes like lasagna bolognese run in owner Daniele's DNA.
02:49Oh, buongiorno, buongiorno.
02:50Ben arrivato, Osteria Bottega.
02:52Grazie per la sua considerazione.
02:53Prego, se vuole accomodarsi.
02:55È un onore essere qui.
02:56È l'onore mio per poter...
02:58Grazie, grazie per tutti.
02:59Grazie.
03:00Qui in cucina.
03:01Grazie.
03:02Ben arrivato ancora alla nostra cucina con Josef Valentino Rini.
03:06Siamo qua per...
03:07È un onore essere.
03:08Siamo qua per spiegarvi quello che è la lasagna, il nostro piatto di tradizione,
03:13il piatto che ci ricorda l'infanzia, è, diciamo, il piatto più richiesto dai turisti,
03:20ma anche è il piatto di tradizione, diciamo, grandissimo della nostra terra.
03:25I love, I love, I love your warmth, your energy, it's wonderful.
03:29So, chef, we have the ragù already made, and it's solamente de manzo.
03:34Manzo e baiale.
03:36So, pork and beef, and then it's tomate.
03:39Yes.
03:40È soffrito?
03:41Yes, of course.
03:42È un po' di vino.
03:44Vino bianco.
03:44Un po' di vino per far soffringere il tutto.
03:46Oh, so it sort of infuses everything.
03:48How long do you cook the ragù for?
03:50How many hours?
03:51Three, four hours.
03:53Three, four hours.
03:54Tomate.
03:55La parte, diciamo, più, più, più equilibrata tra il maiale, la pancetta del ragù, la parte
04:01è armonica del ragù.
04:03Their beautiful handmade lasagna sheets are made with fresh spinach.
04:08So that's bologna, it's always green?
04:09La lasagna, olive green.
04:11Should we put it together?
04:12Can we assemble?
04:13Many hands make light work to craft the layers that bring the flavors together.
04:18So now bechamel down, one layer of shavolino down.
04:22Oh, and then the ragù right on top.
04:25They want you to have each different taste.
04:28They want you to have the taste of the bechamel, the taste of the ragù, the taste of 36-month
04:33-aged
04:34parmigiano-reggiano.
04:35And there is a reason that you have to make sure that each thing is separate and not mixed.
04:41You come here for this energy, for this passion, for this experience, and if you think that the only reason
04:48why you're seeing five stars next to Osteria Bottega and your guides and TripAdvisor and Yelp and whatever else is
04:54because of the food, you are sorely mistaken.
04:58And tons of talent.
05:00And tons of talent.
05:28So I'm going to go into the dining room and wait to the sala.
05:31And then I will let you finita la lasagna.
05:34Vamo fer la lasagna.
05:38Yes, please.
05:41All right.
05:42Allora, a la sala, por mi.
05:43Okay.
05:44Yes, it's cool to have an iconic dish in the city it was created in, but it's something entirely different
05:51when you get layers of warmth and personality and fun layered in with the flavors of every bite.
05:56Okay.
05:57La lasagna verde bolognese.
06:00Oh, Mark, why don't you drop that boom in for a second.
06:02Let the people hear how crispy this is.
06:04I mean, right here, here we go.
06:07Hear that crispiness?
06:10Oh, yes.
06:11I mean, it's like a crisp.
06:13It's like a chip.
06:14It's just the coolest thing ever.
06:16All right.
06:28Oh, are you still here?
06:31Sorry, I was miles away.
06:34Mm.
06:35I've said it before, and I will say it again, mostly because I have a very limited Italian vocabulary.
06:44I'm touching the sky with one finger.
06:49It's magic.
06:50But it's crazy.
06:51You go from crispy to this rich meatiness to suddenly real creamy, decadent cheesiness.
06:58It's lasagna verde here in Bologna.
07:02I miss it at your barrel.
07:03Salud.
07:32Salud.
07:34And they would bake a special cake in the church's honor.
07:38It's called torta de riso, essentially a rice dessert with deceptively simple ingredients,
07:46but the flavor is explosive.
07:49And if you ask any local, the best place in Bologna to get this uniquely Bolognaese dessert,
07:54it's the bakery of Paolo Atti e Fili.
08:04Francesco?
08:05No.
08:06Salud.
08:07Adam.
08:24It's a lesser-known taste of Bologna, but every bit as traditional as the more popular ones.
08:30And hey, what's savory without a little sweet?
08:34Francesco's torta de riso is so eminent, he's even fed the most famous man on earth.
08:40Twice.
08:41We have to give our rice cake to Pope, to the Pope.
08:47To Pope?
08:48Wait.
08:49To Pope.
08:50Wow.
08:51Okay.
08:52But basically, the Pope came here, they wanted to give him an authentic taste of Bologna.
08:58This store is legendary.
09:00Tu sei la quinta generazione qui?
09:02Tu sei la quinta generazione qui?
09:06I'm the fifth generation.
09:08Quinta generazione qui?
09:10So he's the fifth generation.
09:12That's your great-great-great-great-grandpa?
09:14Really?
09:15Perfect.
09:16Francesco takes me back to the kitchen, where Chef Harvey is cooking this simple base of
09:21rice and milk.
09:23How long do you cook it down for?
09:25I've been cooking it for about 30 minutes.
09:28While the rice mixture cools, Harvey grinds together sugar, candied orange peel and blanched
09:34almonds, ingredients that back in the 15th century were reserved for only the most auspicious occasions.
09:55Oh, so it's like very high value, very special.
10:01Can I try like a little bit?
10:02There you go.
10:03That's plenty.
10:04Look at that.
10:07Oh, wow.
10:13That's one of the best things I've ever tasted.
10:16Egg is then added to the cooled rice and milk.
10:19Essentially, what we're making is like a rice custard.
10:22Then we add amaretto and almond liqueur.
10:25OK.
10:26Salute.
10:26Salute.
10:29Then we add the ground almond, sugar, candied orange, and I can't imagine anybody waiting
10:3510 years to taste this.
10:36Oh, this is going to be so good.
10:40Fortunately, this being TV and all, I don't even have to wait the 30 minutes it takes to
10:45bake.
10:45It smells like the holidays.
10:51It smells like Christmas.
10:52Just eggs and orange and sugary goodness.
10:56All right.
11:07The orange is like perfume.
11:09Arancha is more like the fragrance.
11:11And it does, it goes from custard to crunch, and the whole while, there's just this, there's
11:19no chewy bits of orange, there's crunchy bits of almond.
11:24That's unbelievable.
11:27Absolutely.
11:29Whoa.
11:30Whoa.
11:32That's incredible.
11:33If you want the sweets, this is where you come.
11:36And I promise you, I promise you, this is going to blow you away.
11:41It did me.
11:44I'm going to take this one.
11:45Bye-bye.
11:54I'm in the heart of Bologna, in the middle of Italy.
11:58Its famous porticos were the 12th century's ingenious solution to a population boom spurred
12:04on by its iconic university.
12:05With limited space within the city walls, the answer was to build up and out.
12:11And now these columns and passageways are as iconic to Bologna as its landmark dishes.
12:17After being surrounded by the art and artistry of the past, the muse is upon me.
12:23If you're in Milano, you have a Bellini, but if you're in Bologna, you have tortellini,
12:28an iconic stuffed pasta in the shape of a ring, and its origins are a puzzling thing.
12:33I don't think it's true, but if you believe the fable, it's apparently shaped like Venus's
12:38navel.
12:39Lots of ways to serve it that will make your heart flutter, smothered in ragu or simply
12:44in butter.
12:45Now, they're probably delicious, but those in the know know the best way to serve it
12:51is in a broth they call Brodo.
12:53A flavorful dish, not starchy or stodgy, and for one of the best, Ristorante Biaggi.
13:01One take, baby.
13:03But now for some real Bologna artistry.
13:07Restaurant owner Fabio Biaggi and his pasta guru, Renata, are making me their signature
13:13tortellini in Brodo.
13:14Is the traditional real way to have tortellini in Bologna tortellini in Brodo?
13:19Yes.
13:20Okay.
13:21Tortellini in Brodo.
13:22Really?
13:23Yes.
13:23It has to be in Brodo.
13:25And now I would like to show you tortellini.
13:28Oh, please.
13:29If you want.
13:29Of course I want.
13:30That's why I'm here.
13:31Lead on, sir.
13:32Andiamo.
13:33Andiamo, indeed.
13:34Ring pasta.
13:35Let's go.
13:37This isn't just a dish invented in Bologna.
13:40It's a steaming, delicate bowl of history, a centuries-old love letter to a city's craft,
13:46its ingredients, and its soul.
13:49E vero che la forma deriva dell'ombellico di Venere.
13:53Same.
13:54I asked, is it true that the form, the shape, comes from the belly button of Venus, and they're
14:00both like, yeah, yeah, of course it does.
14:03I just don't know how you make them so tiny.
14:05Will you teach me?
14:06Nonnas have passed down this recipe for centuries, and the filling celebrates the best ingredients
14:12of the area.
14:13Pork loin, prosciutto, mortadella di Bologna, parmigiano reggiano, eggs, and nutmeg.
14:20Look at it.
14:21I mean, it's the precision.
14:22It's remarkable.
14:24How do you say?
14:25Me...
14:25Is it dito?
14:27Me dito si es molto grande.
14:30Really?
14:31So she went over the top.
14:33Yes.
14:33Like that.
14:34She pinches, and then she brings it down onto there.
14:38Mmm.
14:39Oh!
14:39You saw that face?
14:42Oh, it broke my heart.
14:44I've had the nastiest things ever said to me.
14:46They didn't hurt as much as, mmm, mmm.
14:48Try again.
14:49And take this here, and this, and then it's a knot.
14:53It's behind, yeah?
14:55No?
14:56Si.
14:57Yes, yes.
14:58Yes?
15:00Eh?
15:02Tortellino.
15:02Tortellino.
15:04Oh, God.
15:05Adesso sempre meglio.
15:07Oh, it's a milagro.
15:12Santa, Santa Renata.
15:14Santa Renata.
15:15I make one tortellini.
15:17I'm gonna save this one.
15:18From this one, and to America.
15:23All right, I'm gonna let this beautiful lady make the last 20 tortellini for my portion.
15:28The broth is being made in the kitchen, and I'm gonna sit down and have authentic tortellini and brodo right
15:34here in Bologna.
15:35Now to create this beautiful bowl of tortellini.
15:40Just look at that brodo, the broth.
15:43Onion, carrot, celery, chicken, traditionally capon and beef, all simmered down into pure golden savory comfort.
15:52You've got a bowl that warms the soul.
15:55Oh, wow.
15:56This is your tortellini.
15:58Oh, grazie, grazie, grazie, grazie.
16:01Oh, my God.
16:05Oh, there is nothing like well-made broth to remind you of home.
16:12It's like medicine.
16:13One of the things I'm so struck by as I make them out my menu and eat my way through
16:18this beautiful boot that is the nation of Italy is that with a few ingredients, how massive flavors are made.
16:27Oh, I'm so excited.
16:43I mean, it feels like a hug.
16:45It's just, it's so savory, so light, but you have like sweetness from carrot and onion.
16:52You have a much more savory note from the celery and from the meat.
17:02All of the fireworks occur with every bite.
17:05I think that's kind of what I'm finding here.
17:08There's still the joy and the wonder, talent, time-honored techniques behind good old-fashioned home cooking.
17:15And yes, there are many, many ways to serve tortellini, but to me, tortellini and Brodo, undoubtedly, the Lord of
17:23the Rings.
17:31Italians from Bologna are fiercely proud of their food.
17:35And hey, fair enough.
17:36When it's this good, you've earned the right to brag a little.
17:38And one thing they hang their pride on is mortadella di Bologna, a cured pork cold cut like no other.
17:46A legendary deli staple using the finest meats of the region, it's not just from this city so much as
17:52a part of it.
17:54I'm in the heart of the Old Town at Salumeria Simoni to meet Davide to try a bite of pure
18:00Salumeria succulents.
18:03Yeah, yeah.
18:04Grazie, piacere mio.
18:05Welcome.
18:06Please, thank you.
18:07Let's eat some cured meat.
18:10The shirt.
18:12This is...
18:12There you go, here.
18:13This is so nice, I would say.
18:17Everybody loves mortadella in Italy.
18:20Good mortadella, the high-quality mortadella I'm talking about.
18:23It's the pink part is shoulder, so the best thin cut, and stomach, trippino, we call it.
18:31Tripe?
18:31Yeah, tripe.
18:33So, a little of tripe, it makes the amalgama.
18:36It makes it smooth without adding any chemical.
18:39Really?
18:39So, you start with the freezed meat, and while you grind it, getting to this strawberry ice cream, I call
18:51it, this pink pasta, and then you add the little pois, the white dots.
18:59It's guanciale, so the best fat of the animal, the cheek, the guanciale, you know?
19:06Guanciale is essentially Italian bacon to the max.
19:09Is there any kind of casing that holds it together, or is it a mold?
19:14This is a natural skin.
19:16This is cow.
19:17The cow intestine?
19:18The cow intestine.
19:19And it opens this big?
19:20Of course.
19:21And then you hang it, and then it goes inside the oven.
19:27Okay.
19:28It's a room, the oven.
19:29It cooks tied up.
19:31Yeah, it cooks tied up.
19:32Oh.
19:33So, the steam comes off, and it cooks it.
19:36And in 20 hours, 24, it gets ready.
19:42So, let me ask you, there's no aging or hanging like there is with prosciutto.
19:45No aging.
19:46No way.
19:46Cooking, cooling, selling.
19:47My old maestro, the old man where I learned.
19:52Yes.
19:52He used to say, it's perfect after one week, because the humidity.
19:56Because we use a natural skin, so the humid goes out naturally.
20:01What is the traditional way of serving it?
20:03Classic way to do it.
20:04You put it on a bread, and you make a little sandwich.
20:07Bread?
20:07Bread, it's just baked.
20:09We bake the bread.
20:10We have a laboratorio.
20:12The sandwich with mortadella.
20:18You're dealing with very well-cooked, high-quality cuts of pork.
20:24When you use it on a piece, especially a very well-made bread like this,
20:28it kind of becomes the meat and the condiment together.
20:32There's like a creaminess to it.
20:34I don't think people can imagine putting a meat on a piece of bread
20:37without adding mustard or mayo or something like this,
20:40but that it really and truly becomes very, very much like condiment
20:46and main course at the same time.
20:48Yeah, this is very Italian.
20:50We just have, like, pane, prosciutto.
20:53Pane, mortadella.
20:55Mozzarella, tomato, basil.
20:57Perfect. Caprese.
20:58Right.
20:58And we have really good taste.
21:01Not far from the basilica.
21:02We have our gorgeous stained glass window.
21:06And, yes, it's okay to eat with your hands.
21:09What's the verb again?
21:10It's agruño.
21:12Agruño.
21:13Agruño.
21:13You better believe it.
21:17Oh, so boy.
21:33I didn't hold it.
21:34I should stay there.
21:35Yeah, yeah.
21:46I have to be stepping on a fish.
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