Plane, hills and mountains
Discover the traditional products made in Emilia, where for centuries people have farmed the plane and the hills and learned to enjoy what nature can give in the mountains.
This basket contains:
Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP Antica Trama Scura (Balsamic Vinegar from Modena Antica Trama Scura)
Funghi misti trifolati in crema di porcini (mushrooms mix prepared in Boletus mushroom sauce)
Nettare di mirtilli neri selvatici (nectar of wild mountain blueberries)
Parmigiano Reggiano DOP di montagna 24 mesi (mountain Parmesan matured 24 months)
Ragù di Bianca Modenese (meat sauce from bovine Bianca Modenese)
Salame Modena & Modena (salami Modena & Modena)
Vino rosso frizzante secco PuntoEAcapo * (red sparkling dry wine PuntoEAcapo)
IGP - Indicazione Geografica Protetta (PGI - Protected Geographical Indication)
DOP - Denominazione Origine Protetta (PDO - Protected Denomination of Origin)
* The product is certified organic
The Traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Modena was produced for centuries only for noble families, because incredibly precious and costly. Nowadays it remains priceless, because it is produced only from cooked grape must from a very small region, with a very slow process involving very small volumes. For this reason, craftsmen invented the Balsamic Vinegar from Modena, where the cooked grape must is mixed with wine vinegar. If done correctly, this product makes it possible for many people to enjoy the peculiar taste of Balsamic Vinegar, while retaining the high quality and the tradition behind its production. This Balsamic Vinegar contains more than 50% cooked grape must and comes from Acetaia La Tradizione, a cooperative of craftsmen united by the passion for traditional processes handed down from generation to generation. The cooked grape must and the wine vinegar are blended for at least 60 days, yielding a liquid with a good density and an excellent balance between sour and sweet.
The mushrooms and the nectar of wild mountain blueberries come from Sotto Bosco, a small firm with the workshop in Pavullo, a town at the foot of the Alto Appennino Modenese. This mountain area has a long tradition of gathering and using the fruits of the undergrowth for cooking. Here, Primo and his colleagues use traditional recipes and their experience to transform the local wild mountain blueberries and the best mushrooms from Europe into something special, like the two products we propose here. Recently, Primo decided to make also the traditional meat sauce using only meat from bovine Bianca Modenese. This traditional variety of bovine was bred locally for its high-quality milk and for the work in the fields. Characterised also by high-quality meat, this bovine has been rediscovered after decades of neglect caused by its lower productivity.
According to some documents Parmesan cheese was invented by monks in the medieval age and commercialised for the first time in 1254. Our Parmesan is crafted by Ennio1950, a family firm located in the village of Sestola, where the hills become mountains. Ennio learned the art of making Parmesan from his father Medardo and he is the kind of person that gets up at 5 am to milk the cows and goes in the field at midnight to avoid that the hay gets wet - he wants to give only the best to his cows. The Parmesan matured 24 months is harmonious, with flavours and aromas that remind of milk, fresh butter and grass.
The delicate salami is crafted and matured for 40-60 days by Salumificio Franceschini Gino, a workshop located in the town of Spilamberto. Here, Vincenzo continues the work started by his father Gino. His attention to the quality of the ingredients and to the crafting processes aims at creating traditional specialities that enable new generations to enjoy ancient flavours.
Finally, La Piana Winery is making the wine. On the hills of Castelvetro, Mirco and Martina have been among the first ones to accept the challenge: making all their wines according to organic agriculture practices. And that is just the way to achieve their aim - making a high-quality wine. For this reason, with the help of a few colleagues, Mirco and Martina combine tradition with innovation, attention with passion. The wine we propose here is fresh and balanced, produced from the local grape variety Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro.
Tips & Ideas to enjoy the products
Enjoy the Parmesan in chunks with fresh pear, eventually with a few drops of Balsamic Vinegar from Modena. You can also grate it on top of pasta or a salad, or make flakes using a knife! When you decide to slice the salami for the first time, wash it with cold water and a brush to remove some of the white mould. Then dry it with kitchen paper or a cloth, slice it and remove the casing (skin).
Tagliatelle al ragù di Bianca Modenese. Buy some Tagliatelle or make them following the recipe Tagliatelle emiliane (suggested in the section Recipes). Heat up the meat sauce slowly, in a small pot over the stove or in the microwave. When you boil pasta, take aside a glass of the water in which the pasta is boiling, you need it later. Once the pasta is ready, sieve the water and place the pasta back into the pot, add some extra virgin olive oil and mix gently. Add the meat sauce and mix gently. Keep mixing while adding a bit of the water from the boiling pasta: the mixing needs to feel smooth and the pasta needs to sound "smoochy". Now you are ready: serve on the plates, grate a bit of Parmigiano, pour a glass of the red sparkling dry wine and enjoy! Remember to place the wine in the fridge for some hours and to take it out 30 min before drinking it - it is best enjoyed fresh!
Scaloppine all’Aceto Balsamico con funghi trifolati. Prepare Scaloppine all'Aceto Balsamico with our recipe (suggested in the section Recipes). Heat up the mushrooms slowly, in a small pan over the stove. When Scaloppine are ready, add the mushrooms as a side dish and enjoy together with a glass of the red sparkling dry wine!
As an alternative, you can enjoy the mushrooms as a sauce for pasta, or even on top of a pizza (without tomato sauce) or inside a pie. This Balsamic Vinegar is best enjoyed on top of salads, Parmesanmatured for 24 months, meat and fish. The blueberry nectar is a good refreshing drink that you can enjoy as it is or diluted with water. Do not through out the Parmesan crust! There is no wax, it is just cheese. Use a knife to scrape the surface (just in case it is a bit dirty), cut it into small pieces (e.g. 2 x 2 cm) and bake them in the oven at 180 °C with ventilation for around 10 min. Let the pieces cool down and voilà...you have got a tasty snack! Gummy and/or crunchy according to the thickness of the pieces. You can also put the pieces in a soup without cooking them!
Packaging
The single products are packed as shown in the first picture. The basket is not included.
How to store the products
You can keep the Balsamic Vinegar for months, even years. Warmth is not a problem, since it has been stored in warm environments for the maturation process. The mushrooms and the meat sauce can last for around three years at room temperature, but once you open the jar you need to keep them in the fridge and consume within a few days. The blueberry nectar can be stored for around a year at room temperature and once opened you will not have the problem to finish it in one go. The Parmesan can last for several months in the fridge; once you open the vacuum package, put the Parmesan in a plastic container to avoid that it becomes dry. The salami lasts for a few months in a cool place. Once sliced for the first time, you can keep it for several weeks in the fridge wrapped with food paper or a textile cloth. You can add a plastic film, but just on top of the cut. It is normal to see a change of colour on the cut after some days, or salt crystals if the salami is kept at too low temperature. Just remove the first slice and enjoy from the second! Store the wine in a cool place away from direct light.Product ingredients
Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP Antica Trama Scura: cooked grape must, wine vinegar. Contains sulphites.
Funghi misti trifolati in crema di porcini: mushrooms (68%) in varying proportions: Pleurotus ostreatus, Lentinus edodes, Philota nameko, Boletus edulis and mushrooms of the same group; sunflower oil, water, rice starch, salt, parsley, spices, pepper, onion, garlic, citric acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
Nettare di mirtilli neri selvatici: wild mountain blueberries (60%), water, brown sugar.
Parmigiano Reggiano DOP di montagna 24 mesi: pasteurised milk from cow, rennet, salt.
Ragù di Bianca Modenese: meat from Bianca Modenese bovine from Italy (50%), tomato pulp (tomato, tomato juice, citric acid), red wine (contains sulphites), mix of vegetables (carrot, celery and onion in varying proportions), salt, rice starch, olive oil, mix of aromatic herbs, spices, sugar.
Salame Modena & Modena: meat from pig (origin: Italy), salt, dextrose, fructose, spices and flavourings, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate.
Vino rosso frizzante secco PuntoEAcapo: fermented grape Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro (Denomination of Protected Origin). Contains sulphites. 11% vol. alcohol.