With the arrival of spring, the sun-exposed terraces and dry-stone walls bordering the old mule tracks become covered with new vegetation. Among the many species of green that spring up, some prove particularly valuable. In Garfagnana and the Serchio Valley, the expression “erbi boni” or “erbucci” refers to any tasty plant used in cooking or folk medicine, while “erbuccio,” in the singular, means parsley.
Skilled hands, often of the local women, harvest these plants, distinguishing them from the poisonous “erbi degli streghi” (“witches’ weeds”). In ages past, this ancient wisdom led to such women being identified as witches, with atrocious consequences. Even today, the expression “erbo magico” (“magic herb”) refers to the secret ingredient in a recipe that a cook prefers not to reveal.
Cicerbite (common sowthistle), sportevecchie (common nipplewort), raponzoli (rapunzel), pastinache (parsnip), sassaioli (common brighteyes), ingrassaporci (catsear) and piscialletto (common dandelion) are some of the popular names for these herbs which, with the dissipation of winter, a season characterized by cooking rich in fats, provide an injection of vitamins and purifying principles at no cost.
Served in salads, in soups or as a boiled green side dish, erbucci form the most characteristic dishes of spring. The queen of soups, “Minestrella” from Gallicano, served with “Focacce Leve” or “Mignecci” (cornmeal focaccia), is prepared with 26 different herbs and the addition of fagioli giallorini (local beans).
Numerous events celebrate the use of edible herbs through guided hikes and nights dedicated to food. “Selvaggia - festa delle erbe spontanee, dei fiori e delle gemme” (“Selvaggia - feast of wild herbs, flowers and buds”) in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, opens the season of gastronomic events as the first date in Italy dedicated to wild herbs, with thematic menus, guided hikes, talks, cooking shows and herb markets.
