Food Specialties

Ferrara food specialties – available ONLY in Ferrara, so don’t miss anyone of them during your visit to the City !!


Coppia Ferrarese
Coppia Ferrarese“

(ciopa, ciupeta or bread of Ferrara) is a PGI bakery product.The version in the shape resembling the current Ferrara couples comes from carnival of Year 1536. At that time, according to th legend,  Messer Giglio prepared a special dinner in honor of the Duke of Ferrara, and he presented a twisted bread on the table, with the characteristic “crostini” having a form similar to a croissant.The Coppia Ferrarese got numerous attempts at imitation, however, never succeeded. Tourists walking by a bakery in Ferrara cannot resist the tempting smell of bread fresh from the oven penetrating the air.
The writer Riccardo Bacchelli wrote: “This is the best bread in the world”.Today, the bread is shaped like an “X”, and is made from two long pieces of dough, knotted together and twisted at its four ends.

Cappellacci di Zucca

also called Capellacci Ferrara or Capellacci Este, are a type of stuffed pasta similar to ravioli, typical of the province of Ferrara. They have gained recognition IGP in 2016.Capellacci di Zucca consist of egg pastry wrappers, square shape of the closed size of about 7 cm, stuffed with a mixture of baked pumpkin (pumpkin traditionally Navy), grated parmesan cheese, nutmeg and salt. For the seasoning is correct, the melted butter and sage with addition of grated parmesan cheese, but there are several variants that predict tomato sauces or pork sausage.In some areas of the province of Ferrara, from September onwards, it is easy to find local festivals or fairs dedicated to Cappellacci di Zucca, including the ancient fair of Portomaggiore.  Visiting the City it is quite easy to find them in many Restaurants. Our only advice is to double check, before ordering that they are “hand made”. The difference of taste between the industrial production and the hand made one is absolute !!

Salama da Sugo

is probably the most representative of the Ferrara typical foods.A sort of symbol of Ferrara’s gastronomy, the salamina, is always present on the table of gourmets.It is prepared by grinding various parts of the pig and then it is seasoned in proper sites for not less than one year. The cooking process is quite complicate and this is not the right place to explain all the process. Anyway, basically it takes almost one day depending from the seasoning time and from the fat percentage present inside.After the cooking, it is imperative to consume it warm. First remove the top and then pull out the meat with a spoon if there are the conditions to do so. Otherwise remove entirely the skin and place the salamina still whole, on a chopping board, preferably in the basin, to raise more easily the juice that comes out while you cut it. Abundant mashed potatoes usually accompany salamina. They have the dual function of excellent side dish and necessary component to the dilution of the intense flavor of the sausage.

Pampapato Ferrarese

is typically made from dark chocolate, both in the dough and in the outer glazing. Hazelnuts, almonds, cinnamon, pepper aroma, dark chocolate are the flavors of this dessert.

Especially relevant is to consume it fresh and soft, avoiding it when hard and dry.
“Pampapato of Ferrara” is undoubtedly the typical Christmas cake and the main element of Ferrara’s pastry.

We warmly suggest you to try it if you are planning your visit in cold season – between November and February.

Eels

Eels live in sweet water but they can only reproduce in the sea. And to do so, they have to swim for thousands of kilometers, to the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean. The female lays the eggs – three thousand meters deep – the male fertilizes them and then both parents die. The larvae are trying to get back in the valleys and rivers from which parents arrived. Only the 10% of them succeed in that tough task.All over Europe Valli di Comacchio is the place where eels find there perfect natural habitat.Easy to find restaurants on seaside offering you a wide range of culinary variations. Anyway the best of all remain for us the classic – shown in the photo – grilled eels.If you are travelling in the area end of September or beginning of October, don’t miss the Eeel Festival in Comacchio.