Tortellini and capon for broth, certosino not panettone. A few mortadella cubes and chocolate-covered orange peel. What to eat in Bologna at Christmas and every address for where to find it. The essential point is the tortellini. And the only way is with broth. It’s okay to be missing something else. But not tortellini, as it’s just not Christmas in Bologna without them.

Simply ask any home in the shadow of the city’s two towers and beyond. Toiling grandmas makes everything at home. They begin in mid-November with certosino, the typical dessert, and continue until the week before Christmas, rolling out the dough just a couple of days before the holiday while simultaneously preparing the broth. The zampone and cotechino are purchased in advance from the trusted butcher, and the green sauce is made at home.