Taste Bologna - Bologna Food Tour — Local services in Bologna

My wife and took the Food tour of Modena, the food tour of Bologna, and the cooking class in Bologna. All three were filled with revelations. We were late to the Modena tour because I got my map directions turned upside down, but the tour guide, Lora, took everyone for cafe and waited for us. We loved the Market in Modena, and we were made very familiar with a great deal of it. We had a wonderful lunch in theme with the places we visited, and then we had a balsamic vinegar tasting, which is something you must do if you visit Modena. It is made here and there are very stringent rules for it's production. Most people are familiar with supermarket Balsamic Vinegar. This is nothing, nothing like the real thing at all, and there is no going back once you understand this. We ended up the tour with a gelato tasting. What a great day. We were on time for the tour in Bologna was similarly themed, but under Valentina's guidance we quickly learned that what is featured in Modena is different that what tis featured in Bologna. Products from the different regions in Emilia-Romagna are by regulation produced differently in the different areas. There are no less than 3 different types of Parmigiana for instance, and aging gradings within the different regions. Something that might be in season in Modena, may not be in season in Bologna - for instance the Modena Market was chock full of wonderful mushrooms. There were not many mushrooms in Bologna at all. The tour was similarly formated and we ended up at an award winning gelato stand in Bologna. Instead of a Balsamic vinegar tasting we had a Tortellini lesson, and were treated to an authentic tortellini in brodo -- which is the regional dish of Bologna. Every family here takes pride in their tortellini in Brodo. The cooking lesson by chef Barry on Day 3 put it all together for us. We learned how to make (all from scratch): tagliatelle in bolognese sauce, Tortelloni (in our case ravioli because we were using gluten free flour) in sage and butter sauce, and Tortellini (in our case Angieletti) in brodo. Chef Barry is an excellent teacher. He is a native italian and understands the traditions of these dishes and is very knowledgable about the processes he was teaching, and able to communicate it well - well enough for us to be able to make a real semblance of the real things, and then we sat down with a bottle of local red wine and ate our preparations. Yummy. Thank you Andrea for making this a reality for us. We really appreciated it and your gracious hospitality and your partners gracious hospitality. We are sorry not to go on the Parma tour -- but we want to return again and spend more time in Modena. Maybe then. Caio!...

It's always hard to discover a whole city in just a few days, that's what makes walking food tours so great - get to the heart of a place by tasting its food like a local. Taste Bologna has several tour options but we decided on the "Classic Bologna" tour as it started with coffee, ended with gelato and covered everything else in between! We met our guide (Sara) and fellow foodies on Piazza Maggiore; only a max of 8 guests makes it a nice number. We have coffee first at the best coffee spot in the city - all energized we head to the "newer" which is still over 100 years old. We taste olive oil, balsamic, and horse meat. We follow this up with a lesson in making tortellini - and we all get to have a go! Turns out I'm far better at eating them than making them! We then head on to the very old market in the oldest part of the city. We taste ragu and Sara tells us how it's traditionally made on Sundays - and takes all day to slowly cook. All along the journey, Sara has been collecting tasty bits of local foods, and we then head into a hidden public bar where it's BYO food (bring your own). After she orders some wine for us, we unpack our foraged picnic. While we eat Sara tells us more interesting facts and stories about the food of the region. After this massive feast, we are relieved to have a nice long stroll and learn about the history of Bologna. We arrive at our final stop just in time, as we are lusting for something sweet. Here we get to try 3 samples of gelato, each served in individual mini cups. A delicious finish to a delicious tour! An impressive tour with an impressive number of tastings, and a knowledgeable and...

We recently had the pleasure of joining Taste Bologna Food Tours for their Modena experience, and it was absolutely unforgettable! Lore, our guide, was simply outstanding. Her passion for the region, deep knowledge of its culinary traditions, and warm, engaging personality made the tour an extraordinary experience from start to finish.

From the moment we began, Lore made us feel like family. She led us through Modena’s charming streets and markets, sharing fascinating stories about the area's history and its famous delicacies. Every stop was a highlight, from sampling world-class balsamic vinegar to savoring local cheeses and other treats, all while learning about the artisans who produce them with such care and pride. Lore’s expertise and personal touch elevated every moment, making it feel authentic and special.

To top off our culinary adventure, we also did a pasta-making class in Bologna with one of Taste Bologna’s chefs. It was fabulous! The chef was an incredible teacher, guiding us through every step with patience, humor, and expert tips that made the process both fun and educational. Rolling out pasta by hand and creating traditional dishes from scratch was a truly rewarding experience, and, of course, the results were delicious beyond words.

We cannot recommend Taste Bologna Food Tours and their incredible team enough. If you're visiting Modena or Bologna, this is an absolute must-do! Thank you, Lore, and the entire Taste Bologna team, for such a magical experience. We will cherish these...