First stop Santarcangelo di Romagna: onions and pride

Just a few kilometres from the beaches of the Riviera, Santarcangelo is not just an elegant and lively village: it is also a place where Romagna can be savoured at every turn. Among cosy squares, international events and village festivals, an agricultural tradition rooted in the Marecchia River is cultivated here.

The Cipolla dell’Acqua, a product that has written entire pages of local history, has now become a Slow Food Presidium and is experiencing a new season of rebirth. It is sweet, versatile, intense. It can be eaten raw in salads, cooked on the grill, in rustic piadinas or even in some traditional desserts. An onion that does not make you cry, but excites you.

To make the most of this stage:

• Visit the historic centre early in the morning, when the city wakes up at a leisurely pace.
• Stop by the local markets to buy water onions directly from the producers.
• In summer, look for events related to traditional cuisine: there is no shortage of festivals.

Second stop Poggio Torriana: honey, snails and wonder

We continue on towards Poggio Torriana and Montebello, where the cuisine is interwoven with the wildest nature.

Here the honey is not just a foodstuff: it is the fruit of a long coexistence between man and bees, and it is the protagonist of one of the most delicious autumn festivals. Every September, the Honey Festival transforms Montebello into an open-air market where fragrances and flavours chase each other among the stands of local producers, tastings and local specialities.

The honey festival is a great opportunity to enjoy the honey.

And if you thought you were all set with honey, the area also offers land snails, protagonists of an ancient but still very much alive cuisine. Bred in the Rimini hills, they are cooked in stews or fried in the Romagna tradition, but are also the basis of a line of natural cosmetics. If you want to try them, mark the first weekend in June in your diary: Poggio Torriana celebrates “The Snail Festival” a unique event where taste and creativity meet.

To make the most of this stage:

• Planning your visit around the festivals: honey in September, snails in June.
• If you are travelling with children, you can enjoy exciting experiences because many beekeeping companies offer guided tours and workshops.

Third stop Maiolo: bread, wheat and memory

Our last stop is a small village in the heart of the Valmarecchia, where the air smells of wood and flour: Maiolo. Here, bread è much more than a food: è a ritual, an ancient knowledge guarded by expert hands and hot ovens.

The bread of Maiolo è made with local flours, sourdough and a patience that is not in a hurry. Since 2005, it has also been possible to taste the “pane del gentilrosso” made from a variety of ancient wheat grown in the area. It is tall, rustic, resistant, with a yellow-red ear that tells of a proud, peasant Romagna. The wheat is stone ground and the result is a fragrant bread with a crunchy crust and a soft soul, which every June becomes the star of the Festa del Pane.

Travel advice

• If you can, visit Maiolo in June during the Bread Festival: the atmosphere is unique.
• Pre-book a visit to the local bakeries: some bakeries tell the story of wheat and offer tastings.
• If you love walking, the surrounding area offers scenic paths through fields and ancient parish churches.

An itinerary to be savoured slowly, bite by bite.