TASTE EXPERIENCE

FOOD AND WINE AN AREA TO BE FULLY SAVOURED The experiences you can live in Venezia Giulia

TASTE EXPERIENCE INDEX OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE

Friuli Venezia Giulia to savor: All the region’s fine food and wine on the go: tasting tours and activities All the activities for a dynamic vacation filled with sports and adventure. BIKE EXPERIENCE FAMILY EXPERIENCE

Friuli Venezia Giulia on two wheels: An area to be fully savoured La Barbatella — wine cutting All the activities to discover the beauty 5 46 of the region by bike. Friuli Venezia Giulia for the family: The Wine and Dine Route of FVG All the activities for a family-friendly 8 Prosciutto di San Daniele and other vacation to discover all that the region 48 cured meats has to offer. 10 The Mountains SLOW ART & 14 Wild Herbs 50 Pork meat EXPERIENCE CULTURE 20 From Malga to Malga 52 Montasio cheese EXPERIENCE 22 The magical world of beer 54 Tergeste Oil and other oils 24 The Hills 56 Brovada 34 The Trout 58 PGI products 35 The Apple 60 The Slow Food Presidia Friuli Venezia Giulia to relish: The Seaside A quick recap All the activities to help you slow Friuli Venezia Giulia with art: 36 66 All the activities for exploring the down, relax, and discover the region’s The Historical cafés of unhurried beauty. region and its historical, artistic and 42 Dulcis in fundo... cultural treasures. 68 44 Thewines of Friuli Venezia Giulia Tiramisù The Ultimate dessert! AN AREA TO BE FULLY SAVOURED

A trip to Friuli Venezia Giulia, a region with land borders, mountains, hills, lakes and the sea, combines the pleasure of good food and drink with a diverse, welcoming and lush natural environment, in addition to a history that dates back thousands of years, that is steeped in languages, traditions and important artistic heritage. This one region has everything. This is all in an area where, within the space of a few hours, you can go from contemplating the horizon of the sea, to admiring the majestic peaks or the beautiful panorama of the rolling hills which are covered with vineyards and stretch as far as the eye can see. There are more secluded corners and those that are more extroverted, but the inhabitants of this region pride themselves with the authenticity and respect they show for their roots and this area’s treasures. Friuli Venezia Giulia is easy to reach and rewards its visitors time and time again with the land’s riches, whilst providing unforgettable experiences. It is a unique, timeless place which is closer than you may think. Make sure you take everything in. The Friuli Venezia Giulia region between the mountains and the In order to discover the secrets boasts unique food and wine sea, a paradise where we annually of this land, you will definitely products which cannot be found produce some of the best white have to try the Ramandolo and in the rest of the world. There is wines in the world. Some of the Picolit; these are two dessert plenty to choose from. Among most renowned companies and wines which are also considered the selection of salty and sweet wineries stretch from the slopes to be great wines for reflection. foods, wines, beers and grappa, of Mount Bernadia, Ramandolo, The regional vine-growing and your taste buds are guaranteed the stony , the wine-producing area comprises to be in awe. From the or the River, nine DOC (Denomination of coast? The only thing that a curious and right up to the Malvasia vines Controlled Origin) areas (Colli traveller has to decide, is where to which are reflected in the Marano Orientali del Friuli, Collio, Carso, start from. The regional cuisine is lagoon. An area of twenty thousand Friuli Isonzo, Friuli , Friuli produced using local ingredients hectares, lovingly cultivated by Annia, Friuli , Friuli Grave which are enriched with the 1500 companies who annually and Friuli Venezia Giulia) and ancient knowledge that has been produce eighty million fine bottles three DOCG (Denomination of passed down by the cooks who of wine. Here you can sample the Controlled and Guaranteed Origin) during certain historical periods, Friulano, Malvasia and Ribolla areas (Ramandolo, Picolit and had to make do with what was Gialla wine from the hills that Rosazzo). This exciting culinary available. Ingenious dishes, honed stretch from to Cividale. journey can take many different by necessity, have flavours which There is also the Vitovska and the routes, depending on the season, are so good that they are still staple del Carso, in addition to climate and what everyone would dishes today. Friuli Venezia Giulia the Pinot and Sauvignon varieties like to do and see. Let yourself by is a garden of delights for any food which have been planted here since amazed by the special places and connoisseur. Discover these tastes the late nineteenth century. For warm welcome that you will receive not only on your plate, but also those who love red wine, Refosco, on this trip that you will most from your glass. In fact, the region , Pignolo and definitely not want to return from. is a large vineyard that is nestled Tazzelenghe bottles must be tried.

6 7 THE WINE AND DINE ROUTE OF FVG

A profound food and wine-based holiday to Aquileia and the Adriatic to Cividale in order experience that takes your senses on a to meet the people who produce the products, journey which ideally connects the coast with dishes and wines of Friuli Venezia Giulia and the mountainous area, by passing along the make these unique. Here, the doors of the vineyards and regional inland hills. wineries, agrifood companies and restaurants Six experiences are offered to help you discover are open to all those who would like to learn more the region and meet the producers and their about the true soul of Friuli Venezia Giulia. productions. Due to Strada del Vino e dei Sapori del FVG (Wine and Dine Route), this is all possible Do you fancy a visit to one of our producers in Friuli Venezia Giulia. A world of sensations, today? On our website you’ll find up-to-date faces, flavours and ancient knowledge that information on the opening times and events of unfolds into a set of intersecting roads with the Strada del Vino e dei Sapori. no boundaries from the coast to the Friulian Visit www.tastefvg.it Dolomites, from Collio to the great Tagliamento River, from Magredi to Carso, right up to the rolling hills around San Daniele and . Discover all the precious routes which in the hunt of great tastes and fine wines will lead you from Pordenone to Gorizia, the Alps to Isonzo, Trieste THE MOUNTAINS

In Friuli Venezia Giulia, even the mountain welcomes you gracefully. Advance among its peaks and calming nature to experience a mix of unique sensations, at any time of the year. Surround yourself in the unspoiled nature with spectacular trails, natural parks, lakes and canyons. Discover the local handicrafts and typical flavours of the area. Discover the local handicrafts and peaks offer a unique view of rural to try traditional dishes that belong typical flavours of the area. The architecture, crystal clear streams to both and Central Europe. nature is wonderful in the and lakes, picturesque villages and Here we find Resia garlic, which area. There are wide valleys, green woods. is called Strok in the local dialect, majestic peaks steeped in charm In addition to being associated and Radic di Mont, an extremely and an ancient forest which is one with a rich and varied production tender wild chicory which is of the oldest in Italy. opens of dairy products and cured picked on the alpine pastures. The the eyes of its visitors to an idyllic meats, such as Montasio cheese local dairy in produces landscape with seven valleys that which has been produced in the excellent cheeses, ice cream run through the and region since 1200 and takes its and ricotta. In the Gemona area, preserve the unspoiled nature. The name from the plateau itself, each we find the Pan di sorc (Slow Food Pordenone Mountain offers slow area has its own specialities: In Presidia): a sweet and spiced bread routes which will take you back to the Tarvisio area, thanks to the that is made using three different the quiet pace of an ancient rural culinary influences from its two flours and adding dried figs, spices world. Its valleys and Dolomite bordering countries, it is possible and Latteria Turnaria cheese.

12 13 WILD HERBS

Sclopìt (Silene Vulgaris)

For those who seek an authentic food Do not miss: “The Summer Solstice experience in unspoiled corners with a Festival,” a magical midsummer night which genuine natural charm and are curious to takes place in various parts of the region. disclose the secrets of the meadows and This recurring event is centred upon St their simple yet surprising culinary riches, John’s Bunch (known as Mac di Suan Zuan the wild herb harvest with local experts, is in the local language); a bunch consisting an opportunity that should not be missed. of wild herbs picked together at dawn on This takes place in the Carnia greenery, the the summer solstice, the 24th of June. The Pordenone Mountain, Tarvisio, the ancient herbs collected on this day have magical and Natisone valleys and the Karst powers to ward off evil and bring about good plateau. health and luck. Please note: not everything Used for preparing excellent risottos or can be collected and in any case there are omelettes, as ingredients in delicious weight limits as nature must be respected traditional dishes or as a side dish, wild and wild harvesting is prohibited. For this herbs tell the tale of the traditions and rituals reason, the harvesting of edible plants in of a distant past but which are still used in Friuli Venezia Giulia (i.e. plants that can be everyday simple rural life and are closely eaten), is regulated by the Regional Law of connected to the sweet rhythms of nature. September 2007.

14 15 Cjarsons

Carnia offers a magical world: a with melted butter and cinnamon. which leads to a valley where a large “village” with seven valleys Each family and each restaurant language with German origins in which run through the Carnic Alps, boasts their own closely-guarded spoken and the renowned smoked on the border with and the recipe. Many of the fruits grown Prosciutto di (PGI - Veneto region. Whilst travelling in this area are used to create Protected Geographical Indication) through this area, which has handmade specialities such as comes from. Furthermore, preserved a very colourful folkloric sea buckthorn syrup, dandelion Ossocollo (pork shoulder on the environment and fascinating syrup, apple juice and jams. bone), culatello, speck, salame nature, it will seem as though you There are also the Borlotti beans and Cotechino are also produced can still smell the aroma of the of Carnia, the Formadi Frant (a here, and pair perfectly with the Cramârs’ spices. The Cramârs Slow Food Presidia, made with a local craft beer. Even in Forni di were door-to-door salespersons mixture of grated dairy cheeses Sopra, in the heart of the Friulian before the term was invented, with various degrees of maturity, Dolomites, several craft beers are who between the sixteenth and in addition to salt, pepper, cream produced, and some of these are nineteenth centuries, pushed and milk), ont (melted butter), flavoured with the resins from the beyond the Alps, into German- mushrooms, fruits of the woods. The dairy production in the speaking countries in order to sell forest, mountain honey, maize local creameries is varied as they spices and fabrics. Here, the wild flour used to make the typical produce excellent dairy cheeses herbs which are a generous gift Carnian Polenta and Savôrs, a in addition to Formadi Salât and from the meadows, are also used mix of chopped vegetables rich in Formadi Frant. In , you can to prepare Cjarsons, semi-sweet flavour and packed in glass jars. taste the typical crunchy Esse (S in ravioli stuffed with various herbs or In Sauris, the highest Italian) biscuits, which have been potatoes, with a mixture of raisins of Friuli Venezia Giulia, there is given this name due to their shape. and sometimes even chocolate, a spectacularly green lake and which is seasoned after cooking enchanting alpine architecture

16 17 Pitina

Specialities such as the Pitina di Sauris. Asìno cheese, on the web of narrow streets that are (also called Petuccia, Petina and other hand, originated from the lined with wooden and stone Peta) come from the Pordenone Clauzetto and Vito d’Asio area. houses in Frisanco and Poffabro. Mountain. It was created in the It is a white cheese made with Near Clauzetto, you can visit nineteenth century from the cow’s milk. It gets its unique the Green Cave of Pradis, and need to preserve the game meat taste from the salting process in Anduins, there are sulphur which could not be consumed used by delicatessens: brines springs. Whilst further north, in immediately. The meat was aged in wooden vats which enrich the Tramontina Valley, a special formed into balls, sprinkled with the flavour of the product. From cheese is produced: Formai polenta flour and placed under the foothills of Livenza, near the dal Cit. It is prepared by cutting the hood of the fireplace: to Veneto border, the Cellina Valley the defective cheeses into little smoke the meat, juniper wood lies to the north. In these areas, pieces and then covering with was used. Today lamb or mutton you can enjoy a Filon, a lean milk, cream and natural herbs. It is increasingly being used, which boneless sirloin steak which has is mixed together to obtain a thick is minced and seasoned with been preserved and smoked with cream and then stored in a stone salt, pepper and wild fennel. It is beechwood or juniper wood and vase: a cit. eaten in many ways: sliced and Brusaula (or Pindulis), which eaten raw, grilled or prepared in instead consists of lean strips of a polenta broth. The Pitina is also meat which have been preserved one of the Friuli Venezia Giulia- and dried out. Maniago is known produced products in the Slow as the city of steel blades and in Food Presidia. It is also a PGI the Colvera Valley which is not Formai dal cit product, along with the Prosciutto far away, there is a fascinating

18 19 FROM MALGA TO MALGA

Climbing up onto the alpine pastures (malga) the special pace of life up on the high grounds. allows you to immerse yourself in extraordinary We recommend that you climb up to the alpine environments and unspoiled landscapes which pastures in the early hours of the morning are framed by the awe-inspiring mountains when the aroma of flowers is in the air, the and woods and which make the slopes of the cattle are grazing and you can watch the milk majestic Julian and Carnic Alps stand out, in being processed to make butter, cheese and addition to the magical backdrop of the Friulian ricotta. The dairy products can be purchased Dolomites. The trails which lead up to the directly here and the cheese-maker is always alpine pastures are perfect routes for finding on hand to answer any questions you may have. blueberries and raspberries, for identifying The flavours and scents change from mountain aromatic or medicinal herbs and flowers, and pasture to mountain pasture so why don’t you for having unexpected encounters with the try to search for the perfect flavour? Many wildlife that inhabits these areas. Even the alpine pastures offer farm accommodation soundtrack here is one of the best: you can facilities and the chance to try traditional hear the wind whistling through the branches dishes, in addition to the products of the Friulian of the fir trees and beech trees, the chirps of Mountain. In some cases, you may also be able the birds and, in the background, there is the to have the honour of following the shepherds sound of rushing streams and brooks. A trip to in the pasture, watching the milking procedure the alpine pastures is a real treat for the senses and sleeping outdoors in order to enjoy the for anyone who would like to be rejuvenated by enchanting starry sky and sounds of the night.

Alpine cheese (formadi di mont, Çuç or formai culture, so much so that we can safely say that de malga), smoked ricotta (scuete fumade di every valley produces its own cheese, ricotta mont) and butter (spongje di mont) are the and butter. The different soils, vegetation and symbolic products of the Friulian mountain, microclimate that is found on each alpine and are produced in Carnia, the Canale Valley, pasture, the natural food rations of the animals, Canal Del Ferro, the Gemona area and in the the characteristics of the buildings where the mountainous area of Livenza. The first two cheese-making process takes place and the products are included in the ministerial list passion and expertise of the cheese-maker: of traditional regional products. These are all these factors determine that these products products which are full of flavour and cheese are all completely unique.

20 21 THE MAGICAL WORLD OF BEER

There is a magical world which in this wine- produced with malted barley and/or wheat malt predominant region, Friuli Venezia Giulia, is (and in some cases, other malted cereals are making itself more and more known: the world used), the basic elements to which hops, yeast of beer. The beer in this region has ancient roots and water are added. No preservatives and/ which bind it to three important names: Birra or chemical additives are necessary. The most Moretti, Birra Dormisch and Birra Dreher. By important element of the entire production is moving away from a rather industrial production, the master brewer. This brewer must be able we also rediscovered a taste for producing craft to balance flavour/ taste and create their own beer: a beer made with passion, effort and lots “beer” recipe. In Friuli Venezia Giulia, a FVG of imagination by the master brewers. Craft Artisan Brewer Association has recently beer is an unpasteurised product, i.e. it is not been set up, which represents all craft beer sterilised for long-term conservation. It is also producers, the regional companies who have a unfiltered, so it retains all the components beer brand which is produced using third-party which helped make the organoleptic profile, equipment but do not have their own production which is full of aromas and flavours. The craft licence and those who, although they are not brewers use natural ingredients, and if they professional traders, concern themselves with have a microbrewery, they often use barley and the Association’s activities and in trying to hops from the surrounding area. All of this helps expand the culture of high-quality craft beer. create products which are completely unique and cannot be imitated. The beer is mainly

22 23 THE HILLS

In the hills of the Gorizia province, the Torre and Natisone Valleys and the stony and gravelly alluvial earth of Magredi, there is a promised land for tourists with good taste. Four of the DOC areas which intersect this large area (Collio, Friuli Isonzo, Friuli Colli Orientali and Friuli Grave), along with their DOCG areas (Picolit, Ramandolo, Rosazzo), represent our winemaking heritage, in addition to the high- quality agricultural food we produce.

24 25 Starting from the east, there is from cold north winds, whilst the has an acquired taste is the These delicious local products square with one foot in Italy and by being so close to the sea, the internationally-recognised near-by Adriatic cost, which is on Rosa di Gorizia, a chicory with can be found in the province’s one in . In the historical is also particularly suitable for land of wines, Collio, which is average twenty kilometres away, a deep red colour which comes restaurants, the inviting trattorias town centre, the medieval castle growing vines. If you pass through nestled in a unique setting: to the helps promote a more humid in various shades of red and or the characteristic privade who with its charming village perched the Slovenian municipality of east of the Isonzo river, west of summer temperature. This allows pink, and has a slightly bitter open their doors in the spring on the hill overlooking the city, d’Isonzo, you will arrive the Judrio river and north of the almost two thousand hectares of and crisp flavour. Furthermore, time so that the new or old wines is a real gem. In addition to at Gradisca d’Isonzo, a very crown of the Julian Alps. Collio specialised hillside vineyards to due to past encounters with the can be tasted, in addition to the spectacular view, the taste charming fortress town which is one of the most prestigious grow. These vineyards produce culinary traditions of Austria, one of the village festivals which buds can easily be satisfied should ideally be explored by areas for wine production. It excellent quality wines such Friuli and Slovenia, there are animate the landscape from here with the potato gnocchi foot in order to savour the views. was one of the first to obtain as Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, dishes such as goulash, blecs, May to September. Cormòns, with plums drizzled with melted In the villages you can find small the Controlled Designation of Friulian wine, Sauvignon, glizlikrof (a type of stuffed , San Floriano butter, cinnamon and a pinch of antique shops in addition to Origin in 1968. The quality of the Ribolla Gialla, Cabernet Franc, ravioli), bread dumplings, kipfel del Collio, (the sugar, the pan-cooked potatoes, ancient trattorias and wine bars, wine produced is the result of a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and (small fried crescent-shaped Castle of Spessa is a must-see kaiserfleisch (smoked pork loin, including the Enoteca Regionale perfect microclimate for skilfully Collio (DOC blend of grapes). biscuits, with a dough that is with its magnificent grounds) sprinkled with freshly grated La Serenissima, which in growing vines: there is a mild However, other delicacies are also similar to gnocchi), repa garba and Oslavia are just some of the horseradish and served with conjunction with the wine bar in and temperate climate, thanks produced which will delight your and other typical desserts such towns in this wine country, all of sauerkraut), pinza and putizza. Cormòns, both accommodate to the slopes which grow almost palate. Prosciutto di Cormòns as putizza, pinza, strudel, which have microclimates that If you head south, you will reach their visitors so that they can try uninterruptedly along the east is smoked over cherry and laurel Berliners and palatschinke (an are conducive to growing grapes. the plain crossed by the Isonzo the local wines whilst enjoying the and west, leaving large south- wood and then set to “rest” for omelette that can be sweet or waters, which gives its name to views. facing areas exposed. In addition, twelve months in special rooms salty with ancient Greek-Latin Gorizia has the characteristic the DOC area; an area of land the close-by Julian Prealps that are kept open throughout origins, which later became an feel of a border town: you can which, thanks to its current effectively shelter the ground the day. Another speciality which Austro-Hungarian tradition). walk through the Transalpina microclimate, which is helped

26 27 Natisone and Torre are located in in the typical shape of a spiral. the olives collected on the rolling (starting from the north), the vine varieties to be cultivated a visit to the Cave and Shrine of the north east: two rivers which The filling is very tasty. It contains slopes of the Colli Orientali of , , here since time immemorial, just San Giovanni d’Antro is a must sketch out fascinating trails along raisins, pine nuts, walnuts and del Friuli are used to obtain an , , , the like the other varieties which and the local goat cheeses and the north-eastern valleys of Udine, depending on the recipe, grappa, extraordinary extra virgin olive eastern area of Cividale, San come from different parts of the traditional Slavic specialities on the Slovenian border. They Slivovitz, honey, candied fruit oil. The olives are pressed using Pietro al Natisone, , Europe. These vine varieties grow must be tried: palatschinke, follow the course of the seasons and almonds. Strucchi are also millstones. The Grotta Nuova di , , Manzano, well here and produce significant šlicinjaki (a sort of gnocchi and witness the birth of the area’s prepared here. They are small Villanova cave is located near and results in terms of quality. The made with flour) and štakanije products, which the local cuisine biscuits with a Gubana filling. Tarcento, which is the largest , which has native grape varieties grown in the (mashed potatoes and seasonal has always used wisely, such as, When paired with the wonderful cavity between two types of a combined total of more than area of Colli Orientali del Friuli vegetables). From , you wild herbs, mushrooms, truffles, local sweet wines of the Colli rocks in Europe. It is an authentic 2000 hectares of vineyards. are Malvasia, Picolit, Pignolo, can skirt along the border and chestnuts and apples; the latter of Orientali del Friuli, such as Picolit symposium of stalactites and The wines produced in this area Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, through Tribil until you reach which is used to prepare tempting and Ramandolo, even those that stalagmites. is are the result of a terroir, i.e. Ribolla Gialla, Schioppettino, , where you can try dishes strudels. The symbolic dessert are the most difficult to please, considered to be the centre of this the combination of particularly- Tazzelenghe, Tocai Friulano and such as mederjauka (camomile of Friuli Venezia Giulia originates will be satiated. The grapes aren’t wine-making area, which includes favourable soil, climate and vine Verduzzo Friulano. It is really easy soup) and nettle gnocchi. from the Natisone valleys: the the only ingredients that produce the hilly areas in the province varieties. The soil and climate to reach the magical Natisone Gubana, made with yeast dough delicious products here: in fact, of Udine, or more specifically conditions have enabled native Valleys from Cividale: In ,

Rosa di Gorizia Putizza, Gubana

28 29 Frico morbido

The Tagliamento is the river great classics which are Friulian not be overlooked here is pork from the pomace, then peeled, those in Fossalon di Grado, a visit. It is also celebrated at that shaped the history of Friuli DOC staple dishes. Let’s start with and all its derivatives: there is cut into strips and cooked. In are celebrated in several spring the same time in Lavariano di Venezia Giulia. It also produced a cheese-based delight which few first and foremost the Friulian Colloredo di Monte Albano, events. If we go down a little , together with its a culture, lifestyle and language. can resist: frico. It is an ancient salame which is produced with there is the famous manor house further, we arrive in the town in young wines. It is in Mortegliano, One thing is certain: the great pie-shaped cheese-based dish selected meats and mixed with where Ippolito Nievo wrote the the shape of a nine-pointed star: the municipality with the highest Tagliamento River never ceases which can be crumbly or soft, lard and spices, according to Confessions of an Italian. If you . A jewel of Friulian bell tower in Italy, that the Blave to amaze with the path it weaves and is prepared with potatoes, old recipes which every butcher drop down from and military architecture which was di Mortean corn is produced with its bends, its wide bed and and sometimes apples or herbs. takes care to preserve. There head towards Udine, a left turn fortified at the end of the sixteenth from native corn varieties, which the vegetation that it enriches. You can try this dish anywhere are also sausages, Sopressa, will lead to : in century by Venetians in order to come from the corncobs that It flows through areas where in the Friulian hills, just above pancetta, lard, Marcundela the Ribis and Godia hamlets, in defend the far eastern border are manually picked. This flour is the traditional wine and food Udine. This area is full of castles, (chopped liver, spleen, kidneys the municipality of Udine, you can from Turkish raids. This town and used to make a delicious polenta, specialities include pork and historical houses and villages and lungs), and Musetto, which buy high-quality white potatoes its neighbouring municipalities, and this polenta can always be cured meat-based dishes, such immersed in a green picturesque is usually served with Brovada. which are perfect for gnocchi Aiello and Chiopris Viscone, found on Friulian tables during as the delicious Prosciutto di hilly expanse. In addition to a Brovada is prepared in a special and soups. Here is an interesting are known for their production feast days. And to think that one , excellent tasty cheese, the quirky Pestât way: it involves turnips which are fact: in the , a of goose specialities such as time, it was the only daily “bread”! cheeses and smoked trout. (Slow Food Presidia), a dressing thoroughly washed and placed potato is also called a cartufule, salame, raw ham, cooked goose, Let’s take the geographic centre full of vegetable flavours and in vats in alternating layers with which is in assonance with the speck and smoked breast. The of the region and follow a route fine lard is also produced in pomace which comes from the German Kartoffel. decades-old Goose Festival that which starts just north of Udine in . We are in the province red grapes in the region. It is is situated right outside Udine. is held in November at Morsano order to discover the traditional of Udine and an important food then left to ferment for one or Here, delicious white asparagus al Tagliamento (in the province Friulian cuisine, such as the and wine aspect which should two months and, finally removed is grown, which together with of Pordenone) is definitely worth

30 31 In the centre of the region lies in June. You will find the smoked capital, Pordenone: a modern changing views, depending on sediment of the Meduna, Cellina come one after another in this San Daniele del Friuli, the Trout of San Daniele in Villanova: and lively city full of cultural the viewing perspective. The and Tagliamento rivers. wide plain. The wines produced homeland of the homonymous a trout farmed in the fresh events. The waterway runs alluvial soils, which are similar here have distinguishing ham. It is so delicious because and oxygenated waters of the through the historical centre to steppes, are predominantly The presence of the stones - features: the white wines are the fresh air of the mountain Tagliamento River, which is then and is the artery of urban life. It composed of stone and gravel. Grave in the local vernacular fresh, fruity and elegant, and the meets the mild air coming deboned by hand and smoked. is surrounded by long porticos, They are called Magredi because - which become gradually reds are harmonious, full-bodied off the Adriatic Sea, which In Passariano of there where the latest fashion trends they consist of poor soils, are smaller as they approach the and fragrant. The Grave give then combine together along is the beautiful Villa Manin, the and charming coffee shops can lacking in nutrients and are very sea, ensures constant climatic their name to the largest DOC their natural conductor: the residence of the last doge of be found, which then branch off barren. Despite the fact that conditions due to their natural area in the region, which extends Tagliamento River, which can Venice. The Sapori Pro Loco is into alleyways lined with quaint there is a high concentration tendency to accumulate heat into the western part of Friuli be seen in all its glory from the held here in mid-May, a showcase restaurants. The Pordenone area of rain, the soil is so permeable during the day, and then release Venezia Giulia, from the foothills Mountain. The Aria di for the regional Pro Loco, who and its valleys, which are a unique that any water is immediately it during the night; this is an to the sea, and is bounded by the Festa festival is a must-see. This offer their culinary specialities. mix of rural architecture, crystal dispersed and returns to the important factor for grape Tagliamento river and the border great Prosciutto di San Daniele clear waterways, picturesque valley surface, in the resurgence ripening. In fact this territory is with the Veneto region. festival takes place in the historic We now arrive in the Pordenone villages and green woods, can area. This soil was formed over full of vines, grown by the peoples town centre on the last weekend area and head straight for its be admired through their ever- thousands of years from the that, over the centuries, have

Prosciutto di San Daniele

32 33 THE TROUT THE APPLE

The apple has been grown in Friuli Venezia Giulia Sequals, Spilimbergo, Codroipo and for more than two thousand years. In as early as Mortegliano areas. They have 1200 hectares the first century BC, in the surrounding area of of apple orchards which annually yield 60 000 the city of Aquileia, a native variety was grown 000 tonnes of apples. The areas of Carnia, With its 2500 km of perennial and pure is a prime example of a product obtained which was known as Maziana, and reached Maniago and the Natisone Valleys are also fresh waters, Friuli Venezia Giulia is the with entrepreneurial spirit. It is available in the markets in Rome where it was highly worth a visit because they have recovered and biggest Trout (rainbow trout) farmer in Italy, the Regina di San Daniele and Fil di fumo appreciated. Any inquisitive travellers can find still cultivate ancient varieties of apples, such as as it covers 40% of the national production. versions, depending on whether the fish proof of this in the very precious Asaraton Oikos the Zeuka apple. Maestro Martino of Como, an Trout has been caught, farmed and valued has been gutted and dry-salted, or smoked (unswept floor) mosaic which was excavated illustrious chef of the Patriarchs of Aquileia, was in the fresh waters of Friuli Venezia Giulia cold or hot. Trout is a healthy locally-sourced from a residence in Aquileia and dates back to the first chef to use Friulian apples in 1450. It for centuries, so much so that in 1594, fish which is safe to eat and has important the first century BC. It is now displayed in the was he who invented the frictelle de poma or the Archdeacon of Gorizia sent “a keg of nutritional values (omega 3, minerals and National Archaeological Museum. The apple frittelle ex pomis (apple fritters). Ribolla wine and some trout” to the Patriarch first class proteins). is currently the most cultivated fruit in Friuli Interesting fact: of Aquileia in tribute. Today, the smoked Venezia Giulia and covers 54% of the orchard The juice, cider and vinegar produced using the trout of San Daniele, a product included surface area. The Friuli area is particularly apples, are all included in the list of traditional in the regional list of traditional products, suited to the apple-growing sector due to its products from Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italian geographical, climatic and soil conditions which Ministerial Decree 360 of 1999. Up until the cannot be found in other apple producing years before the First World War, the apples areas. If you love apples, we especially from Friuli Venezia Giulia were exported into the recommend that you visit the Maniago, Austrian, Russian and German markets.

34 35 THE SEASIDE

You can choose from the sandy gold dune beaches of Lignano and Grado with shallow and sandy seafloors, or the rocky coves of the natural reserve, where the steep cliffs drop straight down into the sea. Here you will be able to relax, feel safe, enjoy the entertainment and partake in sports whilst also eating well. In fact, whilst eating excellently. In fact, the coast roads are dotted with bars and restaurants which serve local dishes of freshly-caught fish and shellfish, such as the boreto a la graisana, cuttlefish served in its own black ink and sievoli sotto sal (grey mullets preserved in salt for two or three months). Suitable for those of you who would truly like to delve into authentic flavours. A maze of breathtakingly beautiful and passed through a sieve. Your lagoon, there is also an elegant region’s capital, the city is actually Valley, where it is possible to houses the Civic Museum: from up small islands fills the Marano palate will be delighted with the beach which frames a precious suspended between the past take walking routes to discover here you will enjoy a breathtaking lagoon, which houses a very fish from the Marano lagoon such Venetian-style historic town centre and the present, with its stark wonderful landscapes and taste view of the whole city, including charming old town with Venetian as cockles, mullet, sea bream, sea in the seaside town of Grado. The contrasts and distinctive features delicious dishes, such as the the hills and the sea. The beautiful features. From here, you enter a bass and eels, which are farmed famous boreto a la graisana is a such as its food and wine heritage, salmon from the views continue: if you descend world where time seems to have at low density. Let’s now start must-try here: it is not a fish soup, its well-established science and the famous Tergeste extra towards the coast, you will reach stood still. Birdwatchers will love from the resurgence lands where it is a soup traditionally made research activity, in addition to virgin olive oil, obtained from the Piazza Unità d’Italia, where the Valle Canal Novo and Foci the clear Stella river flows and from leftovers which is cooked the , a wind which on some the native Bianchera crop (which you will assuredly be charmed by dello Stella nature reserves. The leads to the Marano lagoon: at with turbot or a mix of various winter days, can blow at a speed survived the 1929 frost thanks the neoclassical buildings found latter can only be reached by sea , the lagoon’s wildfowl can fishes. Aquileia is a must-see, as of 120-150 km/h. If you leave to the Karst farmers), that has next to elegant cafés, which were and reveals an incredibly beautiful be tasted, whilst at , it is a world heritage site due to its from the eastern part of the city recently led to the establishment once frequented by prominent surprise: a village of reed and you will also find those who offer Roman and early Christian finds. of Trieste, just on the border with of the Tergeste DOP. The most Central European figures. In wooden huts that started as a goose specialities in addition to Slovenia, you can visit . suitable area for producing this addition to the famous literary refuge for fishermen. Among the fish-based dishes. Muzzana is a It is a border land. One side This is a town known for its historic oil is the San Dorligo/ Dolina cafés situated in the historic city many seafood specialities to be must-stop in the middle of these faces the Adriatic Sea, the other, town centre which is surrounded area. A few kilometres from here centre, various typical buffet tried here, which are the result of two locations. In November this the harsh Karst Plateau but it by medieval town walls, and you will reach Trieste and the restaurants are open all day, skills that have been perfected over municipality holds the Trifule in leads the way to Trieste. Trieste where you can try scampi a la best starting point is the hill of where you can try various products the centuries, the bisato in spéo Fieste, a festival which is entirely is a magical city, a pearl on the busara, which are cooked with San Giusto, the location of the such as the porcina (air-cured is a must-try (spit-roasted eel). dedicated to the precious white Adriatic Sea with its Piazza Unità tomatoes and Malvasia Istriana first Roman settlement. This is boiled pork meat) or the cooked And then there is the brodetto, truffles picked in the surrounding d’Italia, Europe’s largest square wine. Before arriving at Trieste, you where old Tergeste was built with ham of Trieste, accompanied with a dish where the fish is deboned woods. In addition to a beautiful which overlooks the sea. As the can pass through the Rosandra its homonymous castle that now mustard or kren (horseradish

38 39 root). The Piazza Oberdan is also with the Malvasia and Vitovska produced seem to represent the branches hung along the road. The branches along the road. When in plateau you can also find lamb, worth a mention. It is the first white wines, is the gem of wine determined and strong character word osmiza, osem is of Slovenian , where cheeses are which is usually reared in the stop of the historic tramway line, production in these areas. The of the local inhabitants. An origin and means eight, as eight enriched with wild fennel or savory fresh air. The meat of the Istrian whose route provides a wonderful soil in the Karst plateau mainly example is the Terrano, a red wine was the amount of days that these (a wild plant of the plateau), the ice lamb is very tasty because of the panoramic view over the gulf of consists of limestone which, due with low alcoholic content and facilities could once be kept open cream made with sheep’s milk is Karst herbs that it feeds on. Do Trieste, and then climbs along to its permeability, has given rise marked acidity. It has an acquired for business. In these small rustic definitely worth a taste. Moreover, not miss a visit to the spectacular Scorcola, as far as the Karst to a unique phenomenon which taste but pairs wonderfully with paradises (that often overlook the Monte Re cheese (Nanos (Giant Cave): the Plateau of Villa . Here, has been named “Karst”, whose the traditional local rural foods, the sea) one can taste, besides in Slovenian) was created here largest cave open to tourists in you can then disembark and walk key aspects include sinkholes such as pork meat and jota (a from the above-mentioned Jamar, and is nowadays only produced the world. In the Rosandra Valley, along a scenic road which can only and caves. For this reason the traditional bean and sauerkraut the other products from the in one dairy: the tradition of how you can follow routes that will lead be accessed by foot (commonly soil in the Karst plateau is dry soup). If you follow the Terrano Karst Plateau: pickles, raw ham it is prepared seems to date back you to discover a Roman aqueduct known as “Napoleonica” or and difficult to cultivate vines. wine road, you will arrive at from the Karst plateau, typical to the Austro-Hungarian period. and astounding natural settings. “Vicentina”), and leads to The soil has to be tilled in order to Prepotto, where the Jamar cheese cheeses, which will perhaps even Visit the eighteenth-century Between and Ronchi . Besides from meat, make it fertile and simultaneously is produced. This cheese is aged be accompanied with Marasca Karst House, with the interesting dei Legionari, food connoisseurs you can also ask for pedoci, i.e. promote the development of those for at least four months on the honey, which is very popular in the ethnographic museum. The will then be bowled over with the mussels (those “a la scotadeo” organoleptic qualities which set bottom of a Karst cave (which is area, porcina or homemade bread. tradition of producing cheese stewed cuttlefish and spaghetti are delicious), caperozzoli these wines apart from the rest called a jama in Slovenian). Pass Everything is served with a glass of has given rise to a consortium with cockles. If you venture even (clams) and sardoni (anchovies) of the wines produced in Friuli through Samatorzo and head Terrano or the aromatic Vitovska of producers: Moisir (from moj further to the east, past the coast here which are the most popular Venezia Giulia. towards in order to visit wine, which is obtained from the sir “my cheese” in Slovenian). lined with white cliffs, you will in the gulf: try the sardoni in Thanks to the commitment of the the Carsiana Botanical Garden, homonymous white grape variety. Most of these products are not find the picturesque Duino and savor which are fried anchovies tenacious local producers, the which holds over a thousand Today the opening periods are less pasteurised in order to keep the Miramare castles. marinated in vinegar and onion. high planting density, reduced species of plants. This area is strict than in the past and it is very bacterial load intact and enhance The wonderful area of the Karst yields, wine being aged in wooden full of farm holiday cottages and likely that you will find an osmiza the botanical richness found in the Plateau is worth discovering. barrels and the climatic and soil osmize (pop-up wine taverns), open in any month of the year: fodder used to feed the animals. The Terrano wine road, together conditions, the wines that are which are signposted by leafy just keep an eye out for the leafy Besides the cheeses, on the

40 41 THE HISTORICAL CAFÉS OF TRIESTE

A pleasant break in one of Trieste’s historical cafés is a-must experience. You can learn But how do you order a coffee in Trieste, about the rich culture of this border city, you may ask? where history and heritage is intertwined The special relationship that links the with the Mediterranean, Central Europe and residents of Trieste with this fragrant drink, is Slovenia. Whilst remaining faithful to the also clearly visible from the local terminology. Viennese model of cafés being a privileged It can be a real headache for those who do place for meeting or spending one’s free not live in Trieste however! time in the company of a good book or newspaper, the historical cafés of Trieste Here is a little guide for you: have a retro charm. They are vestiges of the An espresso > un nero unmistakeable stylistic influence that Middle A caffè macchiato > un capo Europe once had on this city. Trieste just Espresso served in a typical small glass > wouldn’t be the same without its historic and un nero in B famous cafés: it is easy to imagine James Caffè macchiato served in a typical small Joyce, Italo Svevo and Umberto Saba glass > un capo in B sipping their revitalising drinks and being A cappuccino > un caffelatte carried away by the enchanting atmosphere of the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century.

42 43 THE WINES OF FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA

The land in Friuli Venezia Giulia, which Latisana plains; the rocky Karst Plateau is particularly heterogeneous for its soil and the hilly areas of the Colli Orientali, and climate, makes it a perfect natural with its three jewels: Ramandolo, Friuli environment for vine-growing and producing Picolit and Rosazzo, which are protected excellent wines. In this precious part of by the DOCG denomination, and Collio, the world, which is at the border and is the which was the first to be granted the DOC central focus of thousands of Latin, Slavic denomination in the region. We also have and Germanic cultural traditions and stories, the two interregional DOC areas of Lison- the focus is placed on producing excellent Pramaggiore and Prosecco, along with the wine. The wine is so good here that it can Friuli Venezia Giulia DOC. Unique native be placed on the highest pedestal in terms grape varieties are cultivated in Friuli Venezia of quality on a worldwide scale. This is due Giulia such as the Friuliano, Ribolla Gialla, to the different and varied geographical Malvasia Istriana and Vitovska, in addition and climatic characteristics of Friuli Venezia to internationally-renowned grapes. Though, Giulia, combined with the history, where when these international varieties are grown those unique traits were honed which make here, they present unique distinguishing the wine-making culture and the richness of characteristics like those we find in the Pinot the native and international grape varieties Grigio, (the most-cultivated grape variety in found on the region’s entire land, stand out. the region), Sauvignon, Chardonnay and It is a paradise where we annually produce Pinot Bianco, which are among some of around 90 million bottles, including some of the best in the world. It is a land which also the best white wines in the world and great boasts fine sweet wines such as Picolit red wines of a high calibre. The diverse soils and Ramandolo. There are also reds of an and climates, has led to nine DOC and three excellent calibre, such as Pignolo, Terrano, DOCG areas being identified in the region. Refrosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Cabernet In the Annia, Aquileia, Grave, Isonzo and Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

44 45 LA BARBATELLA The world’s largest vine nursery is located in available on the market have usually already Rauscedo in Friuli Venezia Giulia. It involves been grafted; this means that they are obtained WINE CUTTING the Cooperative Nurseries of Rauscedo from the union of two distinct shoots which (VCR). Being able to rely on a uniform have grafted to each other and are known as vineyard which is healthy, productive and bionts. The lower part is called the rootstock long-lasting, is what these cooperatives ask and this produces the root system, whilst the of the winemakers from all over the world. upper part is called the scion and will be the Starting with a high-quality vine cut is a must! crown; i.e. the part that bears the fruits. For several years now, the production in Rauscedo has exceeded 60 million cuttings and this work What is vine cutting? involves, not only the 250 members and their families, but also more than 2000 local and Vine cutting involves cutting off a small shoot third country workers. from an adult vine; this shoot is then planted in special so-called “forced” crates which contain soil, sand and sometimes even sawdust. The Interesting fact: shoot is watered so that the cut end begins to The small plant which has undergone the develop roots. Once the roots have developed, vine cutting process is called “BARBATELLA” the initial cutting becomes autonomous in in Italian because when the cut end begins to all respects and can be planted with others develop roots, these look like a short beard to create a new vineyard. The vine cuttings (barba in Italian).

46 47 PROSCIUTTO DI SAN DANIELE AND OTHER CURED MEATS

Producing Prosciutto di San Daniele requires to dry out for a number of days equal to their many skilful steps which are still carried out weight. The next step is the pressing process. according to the ancient artisan tradition. It penetrates the salt deeply into the meat However, the real secret of this process is the and gives the meat the perfect consistency microclimate in San Daniele. Cool breezes for the subsequent ageing process. The come from the Alps and meet the humid preliminary ageing process is then started, currents of the Adriatic Sea. The morainic where the hams are left to age for three soil helps promote ventilation which affects months. When this period has finished, the the percentage of moisture, thus ensuring thighs are washed and then hung in the dry that there is the perfect balance for ageing. ageing rooms for at least eight more months; The production environment is extremely in the meantime, the hams are “plastered” important for the ham (as well as the other or covered in a white mixture of flour and typical agricultural food products in the area). pork fat, which prevents the exposed meat The production starts by selecting the pigs, from drying out too quickly. During the ageing which are strictly Italian of course, and have process, periodic checks are carried out such been carefully monitored since birth and fed as “spiking” which involves inserting a very- in a controlled manner. The best thighs are thin and porous horse bone into the meat. then selected, and these must weigh at least The bone retains the fragrance of the meat, 12 kg. The weight is very important because and lets the experts smell this to confirm the it determines the duration of the salting quality of the product. When thirteen months process which uses medium grain sea salt: have passed since the process started, this causes the moisture to be dried out and the INEQ Certifying Institution performs this is how the ham acquires its typical taste. the final checks. The hams which meet After the initial check that the thighs are all of the requirements of the Production compliant, the thighs are branded with the Regulations, are certified and branded with DOC mark and the processing start date. The the Consortium’s mark. thighs are then covered with sea salt and left Sassaka

48 49 Originally, the pig was an animal that had soft with a sweet yet savoury taste and is full of never seen the sea, and for this reason it was first class proteins. It is protected by the DOP PORK MEAT a bit grumpy. Today its thighs are transformed status. The soppressa and lujànie (sausage) into Prosciutto di San Daniele with the help of have origins which are just as old. The first sea salt, and it is now appreciated worldwide comes from a mixture of coarsely minced for its sweetness, especially when paired meat which is then spiced and aged for up to with a glass of inebriating Friulian wine. It is 12 months. The other which is also known as certainly the most recognised ham among a Luganega Sausage, is a mix of pig meat (the the regional hams, and the European Union ribs, shoulder and other fatter parts) with the has begun to acknowledge its DOP status. The addition of herbs which are chosen according ancient smoking technique is also commonly to family traditions. The sausage is eaten used with other hams. Prosciutto di Cormòns cooked. And finally, there is the Musetto. is one of these hams, whose shape helps A mixture of lean meat, pork rind lard, pork preserve the leg; the others are Prosciutto shoulder, snout and sometimes hard lard, di Sauris and Prosciutto di Carnia, whose which is then seasoned, minced and bagged. salting process is also very crucial. For several Like the other sausage delicacies, the Musetto years now, the area has also resumed its is enclosed in a casing and was traditionally production of raw hams on the Karst plateau, and is still today, served with brovada. which are characterised by their distinctive drying process, caused by the specific climate, The best sausage varieties are always the bora (wind) and the long ageing process. encased. The so-called Prosciutto Cotto Praga (Prague Even the fatty parts of the pig are prepared in cooked ham) has different roots and can only such a way that they can also be eaten. There be found in Trieste. It is usually cooked on the are various types of pancetta: the typical bone, lightly smoked, sold warm and cut by bacon in Carnia is sweet rolled pancetta which hand. Among the many cured meats which is sometimes smoked and then aged for 6-8 come from this region, the most sought after weeks. In the rest of the region, the pancetta is most definitely the Friulian salame which is arrotolata manicata (sleeved rolled pancetta) made with mixed pork meat then mixed with is popular. It takes its name from the fact that lard and rolled pancetta with rind. It is then once the meat has been salted, spiced and minced and spiced in slightly different ways, rolled, it is inserted into a special kind of gut according to each butchers’ traditional recipes. called the manica stagionata (literally matured It can also be smoked. The salam di cueste, sleeve). Another fatty part which can be which takes its name from the fact that the consumed is the sbarbot (Barbonzàl), a cheek product is obtained from the deboned rib, is lard which is spiced, smoked and rolled. After very tasty and full of flavour. A typical product it has been seasoned with salt and pepper, it not only of the delicatessens in Friuli Venezia is sealed with lard. In the Canale Valley and Giulia, but also of other Italian regions (Veneto, Canal del Ferro, other lard-based dishes can Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia Romagna, Umbria, be found, such as argjel, which is spiced Tuscany, Marche, Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise) is and minced, and sassaka (cured lard and the Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora which pancetta) which are both delicious and ready gets its name from the tradition of hunters to be spread on bread. eating it during hunting trips. It is small and

50 51 MONTASIO CHEESE

Il Montasio ha origine e prende nome dal There are four types of Montasio cheese, massiccio montuoso Montasio che si trova and all of these depend on its age: nelle Alpi Giulie nel Friuli Venezia Giulia. La sua produzione, iniziata intorno all’anno * Fresh (matured for 60 to 120 days)with a 1200 nelle vallate delle Alpi Giulie e Carniche, soft and delicate taste con il tempo si è diffusa in tutta la pianura * Semi-aged (matured for 5 to 10 months) Friulano-Veneta, restando fedele alle ferree with a full and firm flavour regole della sua antica tradizione. Il Montasio * Mature (more than 10 months) full of è un grande formaggio di latte di vacca, a lovely flavours pasta cotta, semidura, dal caratteristico * Extra mature (more than 18 months) can sapore morbido e delicato, equilibrato, senza also be grated eccessi. Particolarmente digeribile, in quanto naturalmente privo di lattosio, è l’ideale Fresh Montasio is a cheese with a white and nell’alimentazione di tutti. compact paste, homogeneous holes and a smooth rind. As time passes, the paste of the semi-aged and mature Montasio cheese becomes increasingly grainy and crumbly, whilst the rind becomes drier and a darker colour.

52 53 TERGESTE OIL AND OTHER OILS

Further north of the latitude of Friuli Venezia increasing. The extra virgin oil produced in Giulia, olive trees do not grow. Therefore it the , is protected by the is right here, in the southernmost part of Tergeste Protected Designation of Origin the Austro-Hungarian Empire, where Vienna, (DOP) mark, which predominantly uses the Ljubljana, Budapest and Prague has always Bianchera olive variety. The Bianchera olive been supplied with wine and olive oil. The tree is protected by the native DOP of the numerous frosts which cyclically hit these Karst plateau, but different percentages of areas, has never stopped the olive trees from Maurino, Carbona, Drobnica and Monticula growing, and in fact, they have increased are also used. The oil that is obtained is over the years. In 1857, the Agricultural pleasantly aromatic, light and delicate. It Association was established in Trieste in is easily identifiable and is sold as either a order to promote “the growing and packaging pure monovariety or a blend, where different of oil” which suffered a long setback after percentages of each variety are used. In the frost of 1929. This aim was reached, just the easternmost foothills of the Pordenone over half a century later, due to a slow but province, including the municipalities of positive regrowth which was also promoted Caneva and Polcenigo, lies another area by the developmental policies that had where the Maurino, Pendolino and Frantoio been implemented by the region. Recently olive varieties also thrive. The obtained oil is there has been a strong crop development, characteristically veiled by the strong easily- especially when you consider that in the identifiable flavour and sweet taste which mid-80s, there were only 11 hectares of olive is never overbearing. High-quality olive oil trees in Friuli Venezia Giulia, and today there is also produced in the Isontino and Colli are almost 300, and this trend is gradually Orientali del Friuli areas.

54 55 BROVADA

When the wine has been made, the pomace They are then cooked and seasoned and which remains can be used to produce grappa, can either be eaten like this or mixed with or an ancient procedure can also be used which sauterkraut in a bean soap, and this is called uses field turnips (Brassica rapa). Although jota.” This is the brovada, which is eaten with there are many descriptions, the one that musetto, an undisputed treasure of Friulian stands out the most is the one by Giuseppe cuisine. It is also prepared by the Slovenians Ferdinando del Torre, a pharmacist in the in the Karst Plateau under the name repa. It Austrian Friuli who wrote the “Il Contadinel” is a healthy product which is low in calories, (1856-1895), where he described a method high in fibre and calcium, and has prompted for preserving the turnips. “Stratify them in a some producers to join the Association in order container with the pomace and add the given to protect and promote this traditional recipe. amount of water. When they are arranged in this Since 2011, brovada has been protected by the way, they become completely acidified and are DOP mark which guarantees both the quality then called bruàda or sbrùada. and the origin of the product.

56 57 Prosciutto di Sauris In the Cellina Valley, an area where petuccia was PGI PRODUCTS produced, wild fennel and juniper berries were For over a century, the quality of this product has added instead. The peta, a bigger-sized version of the never been disputed: the special climate in Sauris, pitina, was typical of Andreis in the Cellina Valley: it combined with the expert smoking process, has was round, slightly flattened, bigger than the pitina made this product rapidly expand from having a and petuccia, and could even weigh up to one kilo. strictly regional small-scale production, to entering The minced meat was then formed into little balls, the Italian and foreign markets. In order to meet the sprinkled with cornmeal and smoked on a shelf of demand for this product, the production capacity a traditional Friulian fireplace. The pitina began to has significantly increased in the new millennium. dry out as time passed, and it was then softened This has benefited the marketing of all typical in a polenta broth in order to be edible. These days, products: in addition to the PGI ham, there is speck, pitina is refined by adding a proportion of pork fat ossocollo, salami, pancetta, lard, cotechino and (lard or meat taken from the neck), which softens sausages. Prosciutto di Sauris is a salty raw ham the intense, gamey flavour of the venison, goat or that is smoked and aged for at least ten months. It mutton. The meat is smoked using different aromatic is produced exclusively in the municipality of Sauris woods, or sometimes a mix (but beech is the one from the thighs of pigs that were born, raised and more prevalently used). Unknown outside Friuli’s slaughtered in specific areas of Italian regions. When mountain foothills, pitina was at risk of disappearing, the ageing process has finished, the Prosciutto with fewer and fewer producers making it. The Slow di Sauris is sold as a whole, on the bone. It has a Food Presidium united four pitina producers who are delicate flavour and a sweet taste with a mild smoky now working together to promote the product in local note. restaurants and expand the market. The pig meat softens the hircine flavour of the goat or mutton, Pitina whilst retaining the intense smoked and fresh herb flavours. Today, pitina is eaten raw in thin slices, Pitina was created by the poor country folk as a after it has been aged for at least 15 days. It is also method of preserving meat during the autumn and very tasty when cooked. It can be seared in vinegar winter months in the traditionally poor areas, such and served with polenta, sautéed with butter and as the valleys north of Pordenone: if a chamois or onion, added to potato soup, or still fatto al cao, i.e. roe deer had been killed or if a sheep or goat had cooked in freshly drawn cow’s milk. Finding a wine been hurt or was ill (they were too precious to be that pairs well with this product will not be difficult slaughtered), they needed to find a way to make in an area like Friuli Venezia Giulia, which boasts an sure none of the meat was wasted. If was from excellent range of white wines. Its pairings can also this need to preserve the meats that the pitina extend to Sauvignon or Pinot Grigio, even though and its variants (peta and petuccia) originated. The the very traditional Friulian wine, ultimately remains variants differ because different herbs are added the best accompaniment. to the dough and, the peta is also bigger in size. The animal was deboned and finely minced in a pestadora (a hollowed-out wooden stump). Salt, garlic and chopped black pepper was added to the meat. In the Tramontina Valley, an area where the pitina was produced, wild rosemary was also added.

58 59 The Slow Food Presidia sustain high-quality small be promoted (Gialla di Priuso, Di Corone, Ruggine THE SLOW FOOD productions which are at risk of extinction, protect Dorata, Rosso Invernale, Chei di Rose, Naranzinis, areas, recover traditional trades and processing Striato Dolce, Zeuka, Marc Panara and Blancon) PRESIDIA methods and also safeguard native breeds and and drawn up a production protocol, which defines local plant and fruit varieties from extinction. the production area and specifies that sustainable The Presidia directly involve the producers, offer cultivation techniques must be used. The names assistance in order to improve the quality of the of the apples came from the appearance of the products, facilitate exchanges among different fruits or the plants (Ruggine Dorata, Striato Dolce, countries and seek new openings in the market. Blancon), from their ripening, use or flavor (Rosso Invernale), from the place where the plants were found (Zeuka di Treppo, Giallo di Priuso) or the name of the person who introduced or owned them There are thirteen in Friuli Venezia Giulia and you (Marc Panara). can discover where the products are produced here: Brovadâr of Resia Garlic Brovadâr, also known as brovedâr, is a fermented Resia garlic, which is called strok in the local dialect, turnip, traditionally prepared in the mountain area is a sweet garlic variety that does not have an acrid of the Val d’Aupa, in the north of Friuli Venezia aroma like the common variety. It is particularly Giulia. Purple topped turnips are used to prepare suitable for using when producing cured meats. The it, with a rounded shape and small in size, whose crops are natural and are fertilised by cow manure. seeds have been handed down for generations by The production area is the Resia Valley and the the families of Moggio Udinese, a town surrounded Tarvisio area. by the Julian and Carnic Alps, linked for centuries Alto Friuli Heirloom Apples to this type of production. The leaves and roots are used to obtain the brovadâr. They are first washed in Apples have been cultivated in Friuli-Venezia Giulia cold water and then boiled, left to cool and layered since at least the time of the Romans, but it was in wooden vats, before being pressed by hand. between the end of the 1700s and the start of the Salted cold water is poured into the container to 1800s that apple growing in Friuli really developed, cover the entire production, and a weight is placed particularly in hilly and mountain areas. From the on top so that the turnips remain covered with the end of the 19th century until the First World War, liquid throughout the fermentation period lasting the region’s apples were exported around northern approximately two months. Europe (to Austria in particular), to Egypt and even to the United States. Cavolo Capuccio (White Cabbage) Some of the cultivated varieties were native, while of Collina others were imported by Friulians who had emigrated The municipality of is located at about around the world. When they returned home they brought with them grafts and seeds of varieties they 1200 metres of altitude at the foot of mount thought would produce good harvests. Slow Food Coglians. Here in the hamlet of Collina, a particular has united the growers who still preserve these cabbage is grown. The peculiarity of this village is heirloom apples in order to recover the historical the lower than average temperatures that consent varieties and return dignity to the small-scale farmers the cultivation of this vegetable on terraced land working to keep alive the marginal mountain foothill exposed to the south. In the past, precisely because areas. The Presidium has identified ten varieties to of the rigid climate, the cabbage, along with barley Radic di Mont

60 61 and rye, was one of the few cultivable species in the area. However, over time and due to the progressive Fagiolo of San Quirino depopulation of mountain areas, it has almost The San Quirino bean belongs to the the species disappeared from local productions. Unlike other Phaseolus vulgaris. San Quirino is a small village types of cabbage, this one has a very different near Pordenone. In this area , along with lentils and shape: it is long and has a crushed top, a lot more favas , this typical kind of bean has been grown as leaves, which are also thinner and more compact. It far back as the start of the 1800s.The typical variety also has a spicier taste. has an elongated shape, a pale-brown color and a Cipolla di Cavasso e della Val Cosa white eye with a dark brown iris. The beans were traditionally harvested manually, by pulling up the This vegetable is grown in the foothills of western dwarf plants, planted in rows, and leaving them to Friuli, and more specifically, in an area enclosed dry before beating them with wooden sticks to extract by the Meduna and Cosa rivers. It is known for its the seeds from their pods. The beans would be left typical red tunic with golden hues and the Cosa to dry in the sun for a few days and then stored in Valley onions tend to have a pinker hue. The inside is jute sacks. After cooking, the bean’s skin becomes crisp and sweet, which also makes this onion perfect very thin and almost undetectable while the flesh for eating raw as it is never sour. The Cavasso and remains compact and smooth, characteristics that Latteria turnaria cheese Valcosa Onions are picked in August and once they make it unique. The latteria turnaria tradition (a type of cooperative Italian). They develop and ripen in less than 40 have been woven into braids, they can keep all year dairy), was once very common in Friuli. It was an days, which means that there could be a second round. Fava (Broad beans) of Sauris easy and economical way of managing milk and was harvest, even in this mild and rainy Gemona area. suitable for the small-scale production of Friulian The municipality of Sauris is located in the far north Çuç di mont typical cheeses, with many famers scattered around Klozen pears of Alpe Adria of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, near the Austrian border. the small villages. The milk from multiple families In Carnia, Val Canale, Canal del Ferro and all of Here, at 1200 metres of altitude a particular type In the border area between Friuli Venezia Giulia, was mixed together and the cheese was collectively the Friulian Dolomites, up to the mountainous of broad bean, already well known in 1683 finds its and Slovenia, few pear species survive. made. The cheese that is produced, which is simply Livenza area, along with the seasonal migration ideal growing conditions. The Sauris broad bean is an Among these is the Pyrus nivalis the so-called called latteria (dairy), is aged for up to one year. of livestock, for generations the families passed annual plant, which is sown in May and harvested at “snow pear”, characterized by tiny flowers and fruits, This is a raw milk cheese, produced without using down the technique of preparing formadi di mont the end of August. Once, toasted and ground, it was despite the impressive trees. This pear, due to the any commercial starter cultures, and it comes from (mountain cheese), traditionally known as çuç in considered an excellent flour for making bread or an woody pulp, can be eaten only after being left to the small farms in the areas surrounding the dairy. Friuli. The cheesemaking technique involves mixing alternative to coffee. In recent years, the inhabitants overripen, a process of maturation after harvesting In these farms, the most common breed is the local the milk from the previous evening (raw and partially of the area have rediscovered this variety of legumes that determines a change in texture, colour and Pezzata Rossa and the cows’ diet does not include skimmed) with fresh milk in a cauldron. When the and resumed its cultivation, also promoting it as a flavour. At the end of the ripening period, the any corn silage. temperature reaches 32-36°C, calf rennet is added key element in the diet of their mountain villages. pears are dried and ready to be used: sometimes and the resulting curd broken into small pieces, transformed into flour for the preparation of typical Pan di sorc the size of rice grains. The curd is then heated to Formadi frant desserts and bread, in other cases, they are soaked 44-47°C for around 30 minutes. After a resting The Pan di sorc, which means cornmeal in the to be cooked in klotzennudeln or cjarsons, ravioli Formadi Frant is a fresh cheese from Carnia, which period in the cauldron, the curds are removed by local Friulian language, is the latest addition to stuffed with pears and ricotta. Also, in the valleys, was invented to make use of the “defective” alpine hand, with the help of a linen cloth, and placed in the Slow Food Presidia, thanks to the help of the the production of juice, cider, distillate and liqueurs cheeses which had swollen or whose rind had molds. The forms are pressed and turned a number Ecomuseo delle Acque del Gemonese (Ecomuseum based on klozen pears is still alive, while in Austria, broken. Only raw milk cheese is used to produce of times, then in the evening they are immersed in of the Gemona Waters) who once again proposed especially in the past, it was used as a herbal tea to Formadi Frant in the alpine areas of Carnia. Formadi brine, where they are left for 24 hours. Lastly the that this sweet and spiced bread should be eaten substitute coffee at the end of meals. Frant can also be enjoyed after just 15 days of forms are left to dry on wooden boards. During their and sold as it is rich in flavours from beyond ageing or after it has been aged for a maximum of aging, the cheeses are cleaned and turned every the Alps. The cereals which are grown on site, two months. day. The minimum aging period is 45 days, but çuç are known as cinquintini (cinquanta is fifty in di mont only reaches its peak after a year.

62 63 Radìc di mont

Radìc di Mont (Cicerbita alpina) is a particular type of chicory whose shoots are purple. It sprouts in Fagagna Pestàt the high mountains of the Carnic Alpine pastures in May, after the snow has melted. The chicory can The Pestàt is a completely unique preserve/ dressing only be picked for 15 days and each picker can only which was invented to preserve the fragrances and collect a maximum of one kilogramme per day. This flavours of the autumnal herbs and vegetables in the very tender chicory can be eaten in salads, fried, or pork lard. The Pestàt is produced by families during preserved in oil. the pig slaughtering period (November to March). The lard which comes from local pigs that have been Rosa di Gorizia raised in a semi-wild environment with a natural diet, This is a local variety of red chicory (Cichorium is minced and mixed with chopped vegetables and intybus) which is likened to a newly bloomed rose, spices. It is then stuffed into natural casings and left and for this reason, it is called the Rosa di Gorizia to age in damp and cool cellars. (literally the Rose of Gorizia). The Rosa, which has Pitina been well-known since the time of the Habsburgs, has an intense flavour, crisp texture and slightly Pitina was created by the poor country folk as a bitter taste. The colour is a deep shiny red and there Pan di Sorc, Pitina method of preserving meat during the autumn and are also varying pink or garnet red hues. The Rosa winter months in the traditionally poor areas, such as di Gorizia can be purchased from December to the valleys north of Pordenone: the Tramontina and February. Cellina Valleys. In the past, the meat was minced in a pestadora (a hollowed-out wooden stump), Varhackara together with salt, garlic and chopped black pepper. In Carnia, a historical region in the Friulian Alps close It was then formed into little balls, sprinkled with to the Austrian border, every rural family traditionally cornmeal and smoked on the shelf of a traditional reared a purcit, a pig, which was slaughtered Friulian fireplace. Nowadays, the meat is smoked between October and February. Some of the pork using different aromatic woods, but beech is the one would be eaten fresh, while the rest would be used that is more prevalently used. Pitina is aged for at to make a series of cured meats and other salted or least 30 days and can then be eaten raw or cooked. smoked products. Varhackara is a type of pesto that The same goes for its variants (peta and petuccia), evolved out of this tradition as a way to make the which differ because different herbs are added to most of the lard, and incorporates offcuts of salami, the dough and, the peta is also bigger in size. smoked speck, guanciale, pancetta and ossocollo. The first documentary references to this product date back to the 13th century, and closely tie it to Timau, a tiny hamlet in the municipality of and the last inhabited village before the Plöcken Pass, which leads to Austria. Timau’s historical identity is linked to the local language, which belongs to the family of South Bavarian dialects. Fagagna Pestàt

64 65 To learn more about the great agricultural food and winemaking heritage of Friuli Venezia Giulia, visit the A QUICK ERSA Website (FVG Agency for Rural Development) RECAP www.ersa.fvg.it

DOP PRODUCTS PGI PRODUCTS SLOW FOOD PRESIDIA

• Montasio cheese • Prosciutto di Sauris • Resia Garlic or Strok • Prosciutto di San Daniele • Pitina • Alto Friuli Heirloom • Tergeste extra virgin Apples olive oil There are over 150 • Brovadâr of Moggio • Salamini Italiani alla Cac- traditional agricultural food Udinese ciatora products, such as: grappa, • Cavolo Capuccio of • Brovada honey, Asìno cheese, Collina Friulian white asparagus, • Cavasso and e Val Cosa Friulian salame, Goose Onion Speck, San Daniele smoked trout, Prosciutto di • Çuç di mont Cormòns, etc. • Fagiolo of San Quirino • Fava of Sauris • Formadi Frant • Latteria turnaria Cheese • Pan di Sorc • Klozen pears of Alpe Adria • Fagagna Pestât • Pitina • Radic di Mont • Rosa di Gorizia • Varhackara

66 67 DULCIS IN FUNDO... TIRAMISÙ THE ULTIMATE DESSERT!

Of all the local products, one delicious dessert deserves a special mention: originating from the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, it has become a real symbol of Italy and is known and loved worldwide. It is of course Tiramisù, and there were originally two versions, well documented in their respective towns of origin - Pieris, near Monfalcone, and , in the Carnia mountains. Both are delicious! PIERIS, Tìrime su Coppa Vetturino

The original version of this dessert, known as Coppa 2013. The 1950 poster shows a photo of the boxer Vetturino™, is recorded as far back as 1935 in Tiberio Mitri with his partner and “Miss Italia” Fulvia Pieris, near Gorizia. It was first created by Mario Franco beside the restaurant’s chef and manager Cosolo, who, when called up for military service in Mario Cosolo, shown with his famous creation and, the kitchen staff of the Italian navy, as a pastry chef, next to him, the saying: “il tirime su vale più di quel was taken aboard the royal yacht Savoia. Requested che costa” (tirime su is worth more than it costs). to participate in a pastry-making contest for King In October 1975, the Italian magazine La Buona Vittorio Emanuele III, the dessert he prepared was Tavola defined Cosolo’s semifreddo: “originator of a recognised as the best recipe. Discharged from whole family of tirame su desserts that can today be the navy, he spent a year and a half as a chef on found in the trattorias of Friuli”. Another document board Lloyd Triestino’s cruise ships, before, in 1939, shows the dessert was served at the restaurant for returning to his family’s restaurant in Pieris - Al more than 25 years. In this version, the dessert is Vetturino - where he served the dessert as Coppa essentially made of a layer of chocolate mousse, a Vetturino™. There is a poster from 1950 depicting layer of alcohol-soaked sponge and a final layer of the creator of the dessert, then known as tìrime zabaglione mouse, all served in a dessert glass with su by some of the Trattoria al Vetturino’s regulars a spoon. from Trieste. The grandson of one of these regulars officially revealed this anecdote in a letter published in the Trieste newspaper on 6 September

TOLMEZZO, Tiramisù o Tìrimi Su (in the Friulian language)

The Carnia version, today a real symbol of Italy and Beppino Del Fabbro and told him how the dessert had known and loved worldwide, originated in Tolmezzo revived them and was, one might say, a pick-me-up, in the 1950s at the Albergo Ristorante Roma. For or tiramisù (tìrimi su in the Friulian language). And a long time, the restaurant had been serving a very so, in 1953/54, the classic version of the dessert, popular dessert known as trancio al mascarpone now known all over the world, found its name. The (mascarpone slice). Evidence of the origin of the traditional Carnia version of tiramisu (or tìrimi su), name tiramisu can be found in the book Il Tiramisù, is a dessert eaten with a spoon, served in slices and Tolmezzo e la Carnia by Pier Giuseppe Avanzato, prepared cold, using sugar, whole egg, mascarpone, edited by Andrea Moro. It originated in the 1950s ladyfingers (or Savoy biscuits), unsweetened coffee with some regulars who used to go to the restaurant and cocoa powder. after skiing, and who realised how effectively the dessert reinvigorated those returning from a fun but tiring day on the slopes. They called over the owner

70 71 Europa Regione VENEZIA Friuli Venezia Giulia Italia AUSTRIA

Forni Avoltri AUSTRIA Sappada Zoncolan Tarvisio Sauris Sella Nevea VENETO Tolmezzo Venzone Dolomiti SLOVENIA Gemona Trieste Infopoint Miramare Infopoint Friulane del Friuli Piazza Unità d'Italia 4/b − 34121 Trieste Porta della Bora Tel. +39 040 3478312 adiacente all'ingresso del Viale dei Lecci - 34121 Trieste [email protected] Mob. +39 333 6121377 San Daniele Cividale [email protected] Piancavallo del Friuli del Friuli Udine Infopoint Spilimbergo BELLUNO Piazza I° Maggio, 7 − 33100 Udine Palmanova Infopoint UDINE SLOVENIA Palù di Livenza Tel. +39 0432 295972 Borgo Udine, 4 − 33057 Palmanova PORDENONE [email protected] Tel. +39 0432 924815 [email protected] Palmanova GORIZIA Gorizia Infopoint Corso Italia, 9 − 34170 Gorizia Aquileia Infopoint TREVISO AEROPORTO TRIESTE Tel. +39 0481 535764 Via Giulia Augusta, 11 − 33051 Aquileia (UD) FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA [email protected] Tel. +39 0431 919491 Aquileia [email protected] Pordenone Infopoint Palazzo Badini Piancavallo Infopoint (stagione invernale ed estiva) Via Mazzini, 2 − 33170 Pordenone Via Collalto, 1 − 33081 Piancavallo (PN) VENETO Lignano Grado TRIESTE Tel. +39 0434 520381 Tel. +39 0434 655191 VENEZIA Sabbiadoro [email protected] [email protected]

SLOVENIA Trieste Airport Infopoint Forni di Sopra Infopoint Via Aquileia, 46 − 34077 (GO) Via Cadore, 1 − 33024 Forni di Sopra (UD) Tel. +39 0481 476079 Tel. +39 0433 886767 HOW TO GET [email protected] [email protected] Infopoint Sappada Infopoint BY CAR BY PLANE BY TRAIN Via Latisana, 42 − 33054 Lignano Sabbiadoro (UD) c/o Borgata Bach, 9 − 33012 Sappada (UD) Higway: Airport of Trieste www.trenitalia.it Tel +39 0431 71821 Tel. +39 0435 469131 [email protected] [email protected] A4 Torino/Trieste www.triesteairport.it www.italotreno.it A23 Palmanova/Udine/Tarvisio 40 km from Trieste and Udine Lignano Pineta Infopoint (stagione estiva) Tolmezzo Infopoint Via dei Pini, 53 − 33054 Lignano Pineta (UD) Via della Vittoria, 4 − 33028 Tolmezzo (UD) A28 Portogruaro/Conegliano 80 km from Pordenone BY BIKE Tel. +39 0431 422169 Tel. +39 0433 44898 A27/A4 Trieste/Belluno 130 km from Venezia www.alpe-adria-radweg.com [email protected] [email protected]

120 km from Lubiana www.adriabike.eu Edition novembre 2020 Grado Infopoint Arta Terme Infopoint Viale D. Alighieri, 66 − 34073 Grado (GO) Via Nazionale, 1 − 33022 Arta Terme (UD) Tel. +39 0431 877111 Tel. +39 0433 929290 [email protected] [email protected]

Sistiana Infopoint (stagione estiva) Tarvisio Infopoint Sistiana 56/B - 34011 Duino- (Trieste) Via Roma, 14 − 33018 Tarvisio (UD) Tel. +39 040 299166 Tel. +39 0428 2135 [email protected] [email protected]

Let your journey begin! www.tastefvg.it

77 Archivio CCM F. Marongiu G. Baronchelli (POR FESR 2007-2013) A. Michelazzi A. Castiglioni M. Milani M.Crivellari (POR FESRS 2007-2013) M. Pellizzari P. Da Pozzo Picasa U. Da Pozzo (POR FESR 2007-2013) C. Spaliviero F. Gallina L. Tessaro L. Gaudenzio M. Valdemarin Gionco Communication M. Verin F. Majo L. Vitale