Just north of the Apennine Mountains in Italy sits the country’s Food Valley, the Emilia-Romagna region. The region stretches from the mountains north to the Po River, east to Ravenna, and west just past Parma, with Bologna as its capital. Inside its borders, locals celebrate a rich cultural food heritage. Emilia-Romagna boasts 44 PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) food products.

Thanks to Emilia-Romagna’s location, bounded by the sea, rivers, and mountains, the climate and land have lent themselves to cultivation, winemaking and food production for centuries—so much so that this part of Italy is considered to be the gastronomic heart of the country.