Italy, dear friends, is not only the country of good food, but it is also the land of festivals which celebrate it. From north to south, from east to west, there is no region, nor province, town or village that has not its own gastronomic feast al least one time a year. And all these feasts are always associated with music, dance and cultural events.
It’s no accident that just some days ago, the great festival of all gastronomic feasts in Italy (its name is MISEN) was set in Ferrara, a wonderful city full of history and art, in Emilia Romagna region, in northern Italy. This great event opens the season of all other local feasts from may to november.
Do you want to know any of them?
In a small sea village named Santa Giulia of Porto Tolle (Veneto region), the popular Mussel’s Feast will take place on next 24th, 25th and 26th may, for example. These mussels are very very good, big and tasty. The menu will include: mussels soup; spaghetti with mussels and clams; small fried squids and roasted sea bass.
In a small village near Ferrara named Scortichino, Cappellaccio Feast takes place during June and July. Cappellaccio is a kind of fresh hand made pasta stuffed with boiled pumkin and seasoned with minced meat and tomato sauce. It’s very very popular in private houses as well as in restaurants.
Snails Festival is a great event in the village of Casumaro, near Ferrara, during july and august. Snails are usually eaten fried, à la Bourguignonne, inside tortillas or inside soupes. A lot of people love them very much!
And last but not least, in fall (october), the Salama da Sugo I.G.P. is the protagonist of a very important festival in Ferrara’s province. Salama da Sugo is a very particular salami made by minced pork meat, salt, black pepper, cloves, red wine, nutmegs, rum or cognac. It has a round shape and a very particular taste. People usually taste it with mashed potatoes and it cannot be missed in the Christmas menu.
Another piece of interesting news is that there is an important and efficient Hotel School in Ferrara, which headquarters are in Palazzo Pendaglia, which collaborates with the whole territory and where it’s also possible to have lunch or dinner. The students are clever and passionate of their job and they can prepare delicious dishes like Ferrarese Lasagne; Pumkin Flan with Parmesan or Roasted Meat with Duchessa Potatoes.
Credits: Alberto Campanile; Misen Ferrara Fiere; Rita Orsatti Hotel School Orio Vergani.
