In Parma, they call it torta fritta (fried pie).

In Reggio Emilia, gnocco fritto (fried dumpling).

In Faenza (in Romagna, to the west of Emilia in the region of Emilia-Romagna), they call it pizza fritta (above).

Last night, we were served what was arguably the best meal of a week of best meals at the Trattoria Manuèli outside Faenza proper.

Here they didn’t serve us the fried dough with prosciutto or other salumi. Instead it was accompanied by squacquerone (below), a creamy cow’s milk cheese.

Even though Hosteria Giusti in Modena (where we ate for lunch yesterday) had some of the best gnocco fritto I’ve ever eaten, it was Manuèli who emerged supreme in the end with its pizza fritta.

Manuèli’s cappelletti served with ragù were also among the best things I’ve eaten on this trip — a total immersion into the enogastronomy of Emilia-Romagna.

I’d never been to Faenza before. Wholeheartedly, I recommend it to you.

Now it’s onward and upward: we’re heading out shortly to Modena and then Bologna province this evening. Stay tuned…