My love affair with Italy continues. I’m currently inspired by balsamic vinegar – that dark mysterious liquid that so often isn’t the real deal. My search for the perfect balsamic took me through the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, which is about two hours away from Venice. On the way there, I passed through orchards of plums, apricots and cherries, and fields of corn and sunflowers before crossing the Po River and arriving in the historic town of Modena – the heart and home of aceto balsamico tradizionale de Modena. There I tasted tiny fragrant wild berries drizzled with a rich, slightly sweet and not too acidic balsamic that was aged in chestnut and juniper barrels for 20 years, and dunked chunks of real, grainy Parmigiano Reggiano into pots of balsamic aged in mulberry.

The highlight of my trip was one of the many spectacular dishes I ate at the fourth best restaurant in the world – Osteria Francescana, which is owned and run by chef Massimo Bottura. It was a foie gras lolly, almost like a Magnum ice cream. The top was dipped into hazelnuts from the north of the country, the bottom covered in almonds from the south, and the middle an eruption of Massimo’s own aged balsamic, which, he explains, preserves the heritage of the Emilia Romagna’s dishes – the core of his philosophy.

Back home over the weekend I had dinner at Massimo’s in Hout Bay, something that was long overdue. He makes a dish that’s a real treat, the thinnest sheets of pizza dough filled with bubbling Gorgonzola – sublime!

I’m on the lookout for the best Italian restaurant in SA, so please let me know where you love to eat Italian – posh or not!

Ciao!

Abigail