Food and Wine
The flavors of the Valley and the Mountain
Food and Wine
The flavors of the Valley and the Mountain
he mountain and its valleys are home to enveloping flavors and aromas, genuine products as harmonious as they are decisive and intense. To discover them, just stop in the several traditional restaurants and taverns.
The woods have always offered many delicacies: mushrooms, the perfect condiment for the famous “Formenton ottofile polenta”, local variety of corns; berries,; the chestnut which, transformed into Neccio della Garfagnana PDO flour, is the protagonist of several recipes.
The Spelt of Garfagana PGI deserves more than a taste in all its forms, from biscuits to soups and beer. Many typical cured meats such as Biroldo (Slow Food presidium) and Bazzone ham; alpine cheeses accompanied with the typical honey. Dairies, mills and cellars are the places of production of local specialities, perfect for discovering the most authentic flavours
The chestnut tradition
The queen of the table
The chestnut is the queen of the table: close to the harvest, the villages come alive thanks to the arrival of the festivals that celebrate this fruit.
The king is the “Castagnaccio”, a typical dessert prepared with the Neccio PDO flour from Garfagnana.
The chestnut tradition
The queen of the table
The chestnut is the queen of the table: close to the harvest, the villages come alive thanks to the arrival of the festivals that celebrate this fruit.
The king is the “Castagnaccio”, a typical dessert prepared with the Neccio PDO flour from Garfagnana.
The spelt of Garfagnana PGI
The European mark Protected Geographical Indication, obtained in 1996, guarantees the authenticity of this ancient cereal since the time of the Egyptians and Babylonians and then Romans.
Its cultivation has been handed down for centuries in Garfagnana and traditionally is used for making soup and savory pies, it is also perfect for first courses and salads as a substitute for rice.
The spelt of Garfagnana PGI
The European mark Protected Geographical Indication, obtained in 1996, guarantees the authenticity of this ancient cereal since the time of the Egyptians and Babylonians and then Romans.
Its cultivation has been handed down for centuries in Garfagnana and traditionally is used for making soup and savory pies, it is also perfect for first courses and salads as a substitute for rice.
Mushrooms
From chestnut groves to beech forests, every place is good for picking these delicious undergrowth fruits.
Garfagnana is famous for its mushrooms. From chestnut groves to beech forests, every place is good for picking these delicious undergrowth fruits.
Certainly the porcini mushrooms are the most sought after, but experts can find many varieties of edible mushrooms in Garfagnana. The mycological exhibitions that teach you to recognize the different species are numerous, the ASL health service certifies the safety of what is collected and if you are not an expert it is best to refrain from eating mushrooms whose edibility we are not sure of.
Mushrooms
From chestnut groves to beech forests, every place is good for picking these delicious undergrowth fruits.
Garfagnana is famous for its mushrooms. From chestnut groves to beech forests, every place is good for picking these delicious undergrowth fruits.
Certainly the porcini mushrooms are the most sought after, but experts can find many varieties of edible mushrooms in Garfagnana. The mycological exhibitions that teach you to recognize the different species are numerous, the ASL health service certifies the safety of what is collected and if you are not an expert it is best to refrain from eating mushrooms whose edibility we are not sure of.
The Trout
The queen of the "Blue Roads"
Since ancient times, the trout coming from the fresh and crystalline waters of the streams were highly appreciated both for fresh consumption and preserved with a special process called “marinatura”. Even today, modern dietetics considers trout a fundamental food due to the easy digestibility of its meat and the reduced fat content.
Two varieties of trout live in the Serchio Valley: the “fario” and the “iris”; both varieties are very valuable and can also be found among the numerous breeders who produce trout.
The European Community has recognized the waters of the Serchio Valley as an area free from diseases that usually affect these fish.
The Trout
The queen of the "Blue Roads"
Since ancient times, the trout coming from the fresh and crystalline waters of the streams were highly appreciated both for fresh consumption and preserved with a special process called “marinatura”. Even today, modern dietetics considers trout a fundamental food due to the easy digestibility of its meat and the reduced fat content.
Two varieties of trout live in the Serchio Valley: the “fario” and the “iris”; both varieties are very valuable and can also be found among the numerous breeders who produce trout.
The European Community has recognized the waters of the Serchio Valley as an area free from diseases that usually affect these fish.
Honey
In May, there are days when the scent of flowering acacias is really intense. The bees forage on those flowers to give us honey with an amber-white colour, light aroma and very sweet and delicate flavour. these are the characteristics of Acacia Honey from Garfagnana and Serchio Valley.
Between June and July the other great flowering, the chestnut woods, produces a dark amber colored honey with reddish tones, a very intense aroma, a strong and persistent flavour, basically bitter. Another monofloral honey is that of heather, already in flower at the beginning of spring.
The collective brand APIGARFAGNANA guarantees the origin and quality of Garfagnana honey, produced by over 50 members.
Honey
In May, there are days when the scent of flowering acacias is really intense. The bees forage on those flowers to give us honey with an amber-white colour, light aroma and very sweet and delicate flavour. these are the characteristics of Acacia Honey from Garfagnana and Serchio Valley.
Between June and July the other great flowering, the chestnut woods, produces a dark amber colored honey with reddish tones, a very intense aroma, a strong and persistent flavour, basically bitter. Another monofloral honey is that of heather, already in flower at the beginning of spring.
The collective brand APIGARFAGNANA guarantees the origin and quality of Garfagnana honey, produced by over 50 members.
Mountain wines
From Chianti to Brunello di Montalcino or Sassicaia, the wines of Tuscany are known throughout the world. The 18 wine and oil roads in Tuscany, such as that of the Lucchesi Hills and Montecarlo, tell us well how the landscape of Tuscany has been shaped over the centuries by the cultivation of vines and olive trees.
In Garfagnana and Serchio Valley, several excellent innovative wineries are being created. These producers of heroic mountain wines, as they are often called, organize tastings in the cellar and guided tours of the companies, happy to be able to illustrate the results of their hard daily work.
Mountain wines
From Chianti to Brunello di Montalcino or Sassicaia, the wines of Tuscany are known throughout the world. The 18 wine and oil roads in Tuscany, such as that of the Lucchesi Hills and Montecarlo, tell us well how the landscape of Tuscany has been shaped over the centuries by the cultivation of vines and olive trees.
In Garfagnana and Serchio Valley, several excellent innovative wineries are being created. These producers of heroic mountain wines, as they are often called, organize tastings in the cellar and guided tours of the companies, happy to be able to illustrate the results of their hard daily work.
