Via Emilia
3 typical baked treats from Bologna and their history: crescente, streghe, raviole
Via Emilia is a special edition of Fritto Misto with tips and stories about Bologna and my region, Emilia-Romagna
Even if I love pasta, ragù, and mortadella, Bologna has a culinary heritage rich in tastes and recipes (even vegan). This repertoire is often less known than it deserves to be.
Today, I introduce you to three historic baked goods typical of Bologna:
crescente: typical focaccia of Bologna
streghe (witches): thin, savory crackers
raviole: traditional peasant cookies
Have you ever visited Bologna? Do you know or have you ever tasted any of these typical products? I look forward to hearing about your experience in the comments.
Crescente.
The focaccia from Bologna
From Pellegrino Artusi (Recipe No. 194) to the Simili sisters, legendary Bolognese cooking teachers, no cookbook does not mention this focaccia. I leave it to the Italian gastronome to introduce it in his own words:
When I first heard the Bolognese mention a crescent, I thought they were talking about the moon. Instead they were discussing the schiacciata or focaccia, the ordinary fried dough cake that everybody recognizes and all know how to make. The only difference is that the Bolognese, to make theirs more tender and digestible, add a little lard when mixing the flour with cool water and salt.
Crescente originated as a recycling recipe.
The word has the same root as the verb crescere (to rise). In the Bolognese dialect, carsent means "growing." And the name comes from kneading the surplus of the dough.
That focaccia, enriched with ranzétt (small cubes of discarded prosciutto crudo with a somewhat rancid taste), was originally the bakers' breakfast.
The crescente is a bakery and grocery product already known and appreciated in the nineteenth century when the baker's shop was often also a grocer with a salumi corner. For that reason, today you can find crescente in bakeries and delicatessens that sell cured meats (the old grocery shops).
After World War II, the Bologna Bakery Association understood the potential of this product. They pushed for introducing top-quality meats in the filling (usually now a mix of pancetta and prosciutto crudo or prosciutto crudo alone) to give a second life to the Crescente focaccia.
Since 2013, the recipe has been registered at the local Chamber of Commerce to preserve memory, ingredients, and process.
The crescente is a product I buy and make; find the recipe (also for the one with ciccioli, the other crescente from Bologna) on the blog.
Food tips
Remember, locals buy the crescente by indicating the size of the piece. Usually, while the baker/salami maker wields a large knife, you say something like more, no less.
The crescente goes in the bread basket, but you can also stuff it (here is one of the best addresses for eating stuffed crescente and having a wine glass. The place, authentically Bolognese, opens when the owner feels like it; it's no accident it's called Il Pigro /The Lazy).
Where buy it
Salumeria Bruno e Franco (Via Oberdan, 16a): Friday (after 11 a.m.) and Saturday
Da Simoni (Quadrilatero), Friday (after 11 a.m.) and Saturday
Forno Fiorini (via San Carlo, 53)Historic anecdote
The central raised pavement of Piazza Maggiore is of pink and white granite.
It was built in 1934 in front of the facade of San Petronio. If you see it from the above, in color and shape, it recalls the crescente focaccia. And ever since, the Bolognese people have called that step the Crescentone (big Crescente).
Streghe (Witches).
Savory crackers and black humor with a Bolognese twist
Streghe from Bologna are thin sheets of bread, savory and fragrant.
In an era of pre-industrial wood-fired bakeries, the streia (this is its name in dialect) was born with a precise function, the same as the Tuscan schiacciata and many other similar preparations: to test the oven temperature.
The baker's work began the night before with the preparation of the doughs, which were supposed to have time to rise. Over the evening/night, the baker's boy would light the wood-fired ovens. To test the temperature before cooking the bread, they would bake something to prove it: the streghe. If it came out well-cooked and crispy, the work began.
From this habit, with a macabre sense of irony, comes the name witch (find my recipe on the blog), with an evident reference to the women who, over the centuries, lost their lives burned as witches.
Originally, streghe, like crescente, were products for the bakers' mid-morning merenda and not also for sale.
People buy streghe by weight, but you may hear someone ask for 10 or 20 pieces.
Serve them in the bread basket or on the cutting board for aperitif.
Where buy them
Forno e Pastificio Paolo Atti e & Figli (Quadrilatero, Via Drapperie, 6 e via Caprarie, 7a)
Forno Fiorini (via San Carlo, 53)
Forno di Piazza Aldrovandi (Piazza Aldrovandi)
Raviole.
The peasant cookies
The word ravioli, masculine, indicates a fresh-filled pasta, while raviole, feminine, is a half-moon-shaped stuffed cookie.
Raviola is a typical cookie from the Bolognese countryside that you find today stuffed in many ways. At first, it was filled with Bolognese mustard. The local mostarda is nothing like the spicy, strong mustard from other parts of Italy.
It has a thick, dense, and very dark texture. The base is quince. And once upon a time, into the big pot used to go even all the fruit that had to be eaten between late summer and early fall. Although sometimes sour, it remains a jam (mostarda is also used to fill Pinza, the typical Bolognese ciambella).
They are now eaten all year round, but traditionally, raviole are the typical cookies for the feast of St. Joseph (March 19), which, in Italy, coincides with Father's Day. What traditional recipe do you make or buy for this occasion? Tell me in the comments :)
Returning to raviole, they are filled with mostarda, various jams, ricotta, chocolate cream, and custard. Outside, they are covered with powdered sugar, sugar icing, or, as they used to be made, brushed with Alchermes and topped with granulated sugar.
The half-moon shape makes the raviole look like smiles.
Between us, smiles and cookies are never enough.
You can buy them by asking for the number you want.
Where buy them
Forno Fiorini (via San Carlo, 53)
Bar Pasticceria Santo Stefano (Via Santo Stefano 3a)
Salumeria Bruno e Franco (Via Oberdan, 16a)
Forno Calzolari (Via Marchesana 4b)
Forno e Pastificio Paolo Atti e & Figli (Quadrilatero, Via Drapperie, 6 e via Caprarie, 7a)
From my blog
Raviole with red wine shortcrust pastry (vegan recipe)
My recipe for raviole filled with custard
Traditional Raviole di San Giuseppe
Let’s keep the conversation going.
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We recently visited Bologana, but sadly only for a few hours to do a food tour, I was blown away by the food in the city and have definite plans to return to discover more! We did try the crescente which was wonderful and I might try those crackers soon!
I like the sound of the crescente and the crackers too. I’m always keen to try a new cracker recipe! When you say fresh brewers yeast, I assume you mean the fresh cakes of yeast? I’ve never heard it called brewers yeast before.