A dive into the flavours of Garfagnana and the Mid Serchio Valley

Garfagnana’s ottofile maize, also known as formentone, is used to make the flour for the famous Formeton polenta, one of the quintessential dishes to fill tables during the winter months, enriched with sauces and ragù. It is also the main ingredient of infarinata, a traditional speciality that is excellent when eaten hot but also tasty when cooled, sliced and fried.

High quality IGP farro (spelt wheat) from Garfagnana is wonderfully versatile: the spelt is used in soups, summer salads, savoury pies, biscuits and thirst quenching beer.

When it comes to traditional flavours, cold meats and cheeses are a must.

In Garfagnana, pork production gives rise to unique products that are intriguing to the palate, such as biroldo, a sausage flavoured with many spices and shaped like a loaf of bread that's listed among the Slow Food Presidia. Also worth trying is bazzone prosciutto and mondiola, a salami enriched with spicy aromas and flavours.

Alpine cheeses are a worthy counterpart to the cured meats; the flocks of Garfagnana sheep (the local breed) that graze on the heights and in the mountain meadows produce excellent quality milk from which a strong-flavoured pecorino cheese is made, perfect to try in the dairies that produce it and accompanied by honey, another leading product of the Garfagnana and Mid Serchio Valley.

Mushrooms, chestnuts and berries are among the main ingredients of Garfagnana’s culinary tradition. The renowned porcini mushrooms, with their unmistakable flavour and aroma, enrich Formenton sauces and polenta, while chestnuts, the protagonist of numerous fairs and festivals, are used to make sweet and savoury specialities, as well as the DOP Chestnut Flour from Garganana.

The skilled processing of berries into jams, preserves and marmalades encloses the taste of summer in a jar, to be enjoyed all year round.

Among the typical products of the area, the trout stands out, which in two different varieties inhabits the crystal-clear waters of the streams and is traditionally prepared using the ancient process of marinating. This involves three basic steps: the fillets, dipped in flour, are browned for a few minutes and placed into a bowl; vinegar, garlic and chilli peppers are added to the cooking liquid and left to fry; finally, the entire mixture is poured over the fish fillets and covered with a lid.

Marinated trout is definitely a recipe not to be missed when uncovering the local flavours.

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Typical products of Garfagnana