From Piacenza to Recco: Cured Meats, Focaccia with Cheese, and a Lot of Road on a Bike

By Massimo Terracina

Photos: Thomas Maccabelli

Synergy is a magic word that means working together to achieve a better result. Often overused, it has never been more appropriate than in the collaboration between the Consortium for the Protection of PDO Piacentini Salumi (https://www.isitsalumi.it/en/consortium/consorzio-salumi-d-o-p-piacentini/) and the Consortium of Focaccia di Recco with Cheese PGI (https://www.focacciadirecco.it/).

Piacenza and Recco: the more opulent Emilia and the more rigorous Liguria might seem like very distant realities, but from a winning idea was born a partnership that enhances the typical flavors of each region. Thus, an initiative was born that brings together ideas, destinations, motors, itineraries, and good—delicious—food.

On a beautiful sunny morning with crisp air, 10 Yamaha Tenere 700 motorcycles set off, driven by journalists united by a passion for motorcycles and food and wine tourism, to travel a unique itinerary, the "Valtrebbia Food & Ride Moto Experience." This journey showcased the beauty, quality, and uniqueness of the territories separated by the Apennines and the Tidone, Trebbia, Aneto, and Nure valleys.

From the hills of Piacenza, along a captivating itinerary with interesting stops, among steep hills, curves, and hairpin bends, on a varied and fun route, you arrive at the Ligurian sea in Recco, in the heart of the Golfo Paradiso.

The experience of riding these light and easy-to-handle bikes, escorted by Alessandro, the soul of the Tramelli Motorbike Event Tour (technical partner of Yamaha Motor Italia), is exhilarating and engaging. It is a true moment of experiential tourism where the protagonists are the Piacenza and Ligurian territories and the products of the two Consortia. This story unfolds as a journey that anyone can undertake, by any means—even by bicycle, as we saw several times along the route.

The itinerary is wonderful: it goes from the beautiful center of Piacenza, Piazza Cavalli, towards Recco, crossing Val Tidone and Val Trebbia. Perhaps not everyone knows that Ernest Hemingway admired this valley in 1945 while traveling as a war reporter following the liberation army. He wrote in his notebook, "Today I crossed the most beautiful valley in the world."

The ride continues toward Pianello Val Tidone, the Caldarola Pass, and the Parcellara stone, famous for being the setting of an advertisement for a well-known petrol company, depicting a sailing boat racing on the road. We descend toward Perino, and the first stop is Strà di Pianello, where an informative visit to the Salumificio Grossetti reveals the secrets of the area's cured meats.

"Here it is humid, and the ham would not have the success and taste it has in the dry climate of Parma," explains Antonio Grossetti, president of the consortium and owner of the company. "So throughout history, the people of Piacenza have focused on three cured meats that represent our excellence: salami, coppa, and above all, pancetta."

A nice taste, which makes you reconcile with the world, preludes a long journey to discover the beauty and treasures of the Valtrebbia area, on a fascinating itinerary between hills, curves, and hairpin bends up to the Ligurian sea in Recco, in the heart of the Golfo Paradiso.

The stop in Bobbio is perfect for discovering the secrets of the Abbey of San Colombano, built in 614 by an itinerant saint of Irish origins. Due to its fame, Bobbio has been known since the Middle Ages as the "Montecassino of the North," one of the main spiritual and cultural centers of the Italian peninsula. In the Abbey, 12th-century mosaics have been brought to light, depicting scenes dedicated to the passing of the seasons. In the December mosaic, breeding, slaughtering, and processing of pork meat are represented.

From the glories of the past, Bobbio retains the medieval flavor of its village, made up of narrow streets, stone houses, and stately buildings, which grew around the monastery. Together with the picturesque landscapes of the valley, Bobbio is one of the main holiday resorts of the Piacenza area. The stop at the Piacentino hotel restaurant, with a long family tradition, offers various characteristic dishes, including a "pancetta" aged for three years, which says a lot.

We take the road again, proceeding towards Marsaglia, Ottone, Rovegno, Torriglia, and Uscio to reach Recco, where a masterclass awaits us at the historic "Manuelina." After learning the secrets of Piacenza cured meats, we discover the art of making Focaccia di Recco col Formaggio.

RECCO AND ITS FOCACCIA WITH CHEESE

The visit to the panoramic part of Recco is already worth the trip. But the dinner at Manuelina's, featuring a show cooking demonstration to understand how Focaccia with cheese is made, followed by a tasting in synergy with Grossetti's cured meats, is an apotheosis, repeated daily. After a trip to the splendid Camogli, seen from the sea, we continue the culinary adventure at Ö Vittorio, a historic Ligurian restaurant. There, a cooking show reiterates the steps for making focaccia with its five ingredients (water, flour, salt, oil, crescenza) and pesto with its seven ingredients (garlic, pine nuts, basil, coarse salt, Parmesan, pecorino, oil).

These important flavors establish the perfect pairing with the Piacentini cured meats, marking the end of our adventure.

"You can eat an excellent focaccia with cheese anywhere, but you can only taste the real Focaccia di Recco with cheese PGI here," explains Lucio Bernini, director of the Consortium. "If you pair it with slices of very tasty coppa Piacentina, very thin Piacenza pancetta, or fragrant Piacenza salami, you will never want to leave the table."

Recco offers much, from the promenade along the seafront to the panoramic terrace overlooking the legendary Pro Recco (water polo) swimming pool. The beaches are partly sandy and partly rocky. The town hosts numerous events linked to the local gastronomic tradition, including the Recco Focaccia Festival on the last Sunday of May, and the fireworks shows in conjunction with the Fire Festival (September 7-8) and the Sanctuary of Nostra Signora of Suffrage.

We set off again after a restful night, still savoring the flavors of focaccia and cured meats. Breakfast at Manuelina includes Focaccia Genovese, Pandolce, yogurt from Val di Vara, and honey from Tenuta Esedra di Santo Stefano.

The return route to Piacenza crosses the Val d'Aveto and Val Nure. The road to S. Stefano d'Aveto is beautiful. From the Tomarlo Pass, we proceed towards Val di Nure, with the road flattening after the curves between crossroads and roundabouts.

Thus ends an adventure filled with strong emotions from the landscape, driving, and excellent food, accompanied by distinctive Piacenza wines like Garrito and Ortrugo. This adventure will remain in our memories for a long time. And you too can repeat it... Bon appetit and happy riding!