It was probably the Celts who introduced pig farming into Emilia Romagna.

The abundance of oak trees meant their animals could eat and eat their favourite acorns, and so the roots for Parma ham and today's huge salumi industry were laid.

Coppa del Cardinale is the pork you may see in take away pizza and sandwich bars.

A light red color, moist in appearance and perhaps a touch fatty, it is incredibly tasty with white, fresh pizza bread 'pizza bianca' and a slice of mozzarella cheese.

There are a number of interesting food festivals or 'Sagre' during June in the region of Emilia Romagna. Look out for those dedicated to rosemary (in Lesignano), cherries (in Civitella), squid with peas (in Bellaria) and the wine and ciambella (in Castel Guelfo).

However, it is the festival held at Milano Marittima, celebrating the famous Piadina Romagnola, that we would like to highlight here.

First held in 1991, the festival is really a competition where the eight best piadinas are chosen by a poll amongst the public, followed by the choice of a supreme champion by an expert panel.

A recent press release outlined the increasing popularity of both Mortadella Bologna IGP and Cotechino Modena IGP. The IGP (indicazione geografica protetta) mark of quality was awarded to the Mortadella of Bologna in 1998, and in recent years sales have increased by over 35% and production by a similar figure.

This equals a total of 28 million kg of mortadella sold in the Italian market place each year, which is an awful lot of ham sandwiches.

The 'Camera di Commercio, Industria, Artigianato e Agricoltura di Bologna' has produced a small paperback called 'La Mercanzia' which outlines the history and background to tortellini pasta from Bologna and tagliatelle pasta. It is without doubt the definitive source for anyone seeking information about Emilia Romagna's classic pasta.

It is at the above Camera di Commercio where the official recipes for 'tortellini di Bologna' and 'ragu Bolognese' have been deposited for posterity, as well as the correct measurements for real tagliatella pasta from Bologna or 'tagliatella di Bologna'. There is even a sample tagliatella in a locked box used to settle arguments.

The full name of this rare breed is 'Antica Razza Reggiana' and the breed's main claim to fame is that the very first parmigiano reggiano cheese was made with its milk.

November 2003 saw the inauguration of the Museum of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in Soragna, province of Parma.

The 'Parmesan Cheese' museum is the first of four such food museums which celebrate the typical products of the zone, all famous across the world.

The other museums are dedicated to Parma ham, Salame Felino and Tomatoes and all information on each is behind the link below.

The initiative is supported by the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma and the Consorzio del Parmigiano Reggiano.

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is one of Italy's great cheeses, but whatever you do don't say 'parmesan cheese'.

A recent law has asserted that 'parmesan cheese' is not parmigiano-reggiano cheese and the name cannot be used to fool the customer into thinking the cheese they are buying is the real thing.

The vineyards of Emilia Romagna stretch over 60,000 hectares. Two thirds grow on the plain while the other third grows on the hills. Almost half the area produces white Trebbiano and red Sangiovese grapes.

In Italy, Nutella has an almost mythical status. It has taken on a type of cradle to the grave significance and has gone beyond just being a popular brand. It is a mix of chocolate cream and hazelnuts and produced by Ferrero Rocher at their factory in Alba, Piemonte.