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Ferrara - Tantalising the taste buds |
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Cristoforo of Messisbugo, the famous Master of the Banquets
at the Este Court whose feasts and banquets
were renowned throughout Europe, talks of a “twisted
bread roll ”. This is probably the first time the “coppia”,
the originally shaped and distinctly flavoured Ferrara-style bread, gets a historical mention.
As then, the roll is still made manually by expert bakers, who mould it into shape
with great dexterity in but a few seconds. Another favourite with Ferrara gourmets are
stuffed pasta dumplings with a pumpkin filling called “cappellacci di zucca”. Larger than
their cousins, the “cappelletti”, which are supposed to be reminiscent of Venus’ belly-button,
this delicacy has a characteristic sweet and savoury taste. Then there’s the “salama
da sugo”. This spiced and wine-soaked salami meat speciality is juicy and strongly flavoured.
The guinea fowl gets top listing on a typical farmhouse menu. There are countless
traditional recipes to bring out the best of this fine speciality. Delta gourmet delights
are intensely fragrant and tasty. Of course fish, whether of the sea or the lagoon, takes
the gastronomic lead here. The reigning monarch is the greatly acclaimed Comacchio
eel, the number one ingredient of countless delicious recipes. Traditional mushroom- and
pinewood truffle-based dishes are imbued with tasteful gastronomic memories that are
exalted when they meet up with the excellent appellation wines of Bosco Eliceo. Fine
food prospecting will lead the gourmet-conscious visitor to discover a cuisine that comes
from afar and which still today feeds the identity of this territory.
Sagra hunting
Tasteful discoveries bring past and present
together. A Sagra is a popular food festival; going to one means reaching down and touching
the very cultural roots of a community. It’s also an opportunity to participate in the
history of a community while it is in the act of celebrating its cherished values and traditional
flavours. Bygone tastes of country fare, of grandmother’s recipes are brought back
to life at a sagra. It’s above all though an opportunity for discovering or rediscovering
hard-to-come-by or unfamiliar products of remarkable quality that often have fascinating
stories behind them. They’re products that may come from the land or sea, but they’re
all delicious, fragrant-and flavour-laden jewels, indeed the precious pearls of Ferrara
and its hinterland. They’re the tasteful highlights of festivals, balls and banquets. They’re
the spicy and wine-soaked salami sausage meat speciality known as “Salama da Sugo”,
they’re eel, garlic and snail, truffle and hop shoot, strawberry, pumpkin, and Asparagus.
And they all greatly enjoy being in the company of Bosco Eliceo wines. These, then, are
just some of the gourmet delights that make the cuisine of Ferrara such a tantalising experience
for the taste buds.
For precise sagra dates and venues please call the Tourist Information Office at 0532
299303 or access www.ferrarainfo.com.
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