Someone defined it the green island of Tuscany and in fact the Garfagnana, although close to important historical centers such as Lucca (which is the reference province), Pisa, Florence and the worldly Versilia, it has remained closed in on itself, living its own history and building a strong identity that it still retains today. A “Great Forest”, protected by the Apuan Alps, with luxuriant chestnut woods up to 1000 meters above sea level and beech trees that reach higher than 1700 meters. A beautiful area, which descending from the peaks becomes first the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines and then a hill full of meadows and a particular scenic beauty. The course of the river Serchio with a large stony shore (in the Garfagnino dialect “la Jara”) marks the center of the valley everywhere. For those who love nature it is impossible to escape its charm, but it is a very special territory even for food lovers, the real one. Practically rural, with minimal contact points with the rest of Tuscany.
PRODUCTS
Because even in the kitchen, the tradition in Garfagnana is still very much alive, mirror of people used to hard work, in need of substance rather than form. Here chestnuts have been the main food for generations, ensuring nourishment even when historical periods have not been the happiest. Here then is neccio polenta, as the chestnut flour is called here, now with the PDO mark, often accompanied with pork bones (not totally pulped, salted, various herbs and spices in a dug stone hole) or the Tullois that is, dried chestnuts boiled in milk. Another European recognition is for the Emmer, guaranteed by the IGP brand, used in soups, savory pies and in farrotti where it replaces rice. Quick and easy to cook as it does not require soaking. Very popular here is the soup, prepared with potatoes and beans, in some cases some chard leaves and vegetables, to be fried perhaps in a little lard.
THE MEATS
The meat is basically pork or other farmyard animals, but also Serchio trout, already famous at the time of the Medici, often appear on the table. Garfagnana is also a land of particular cured meats such as Puddle beef: halfway between a bresaola and a carpaccio, it is so called because it is cut into pieces and placed in stone tubs called pools. Here it is left to mature for a month in a brine with aromatic mountain herbs and spices that give persistent aromas and complex flavors. The best known salami is the birold, prepared with the poor parts of the pig (obviously) including head, lungs, heart, tongue and pieces of lard; everything is cooked, mixed (with blood and spices) and stuffed into the bladder or in the final part of the intestine. At this point it boils again for about three hours, and is ready to be eaten hot, or stored and consumed later. In addition to being good on its own on bread, it is an ingredient used to flavor more elaborate dishes
Definitely more valuable is the Mondiola, soft coarse-grained salami obtained from the front parts of the pig which, being particularly rich in blood, give a bright red color to this salami. The meats stuffed into the pig’s gut take on the characteristic U shape, closed in the center by a bay leaf. The percentage of lean is prevalent and there is a pleasant spiciness.
SPECIALTIES
The corn polenta it is called is very popular of formenton eight files (ancient variety of corn grown in Garfagnana and in the Middle Serchio Valley). Rich relative of the Formenton polenta is the Pitonca: a complex preparation, in which a considerable number of ingredients are used before adding the corn flour. Among these: celery, carrots, leeks, potatoes, beans, black cabbage, tomato sauce and lard. It is served on the plate but it is fried, cut into squares, which reaches its maximum expression of taste.
The passion for the flours of the Garfagnini is confirmed by other specialties such as Crisciolette, typical of Cascio, which are prepared on cooked or iron texts, in this case greased with lard while the dough is obtained with a mix of wheat and corn flours. Cooking takes a few minutes and a crunchy disc comes out to be stuffed to your liking: the more classic version includes bacon that practically ‘tattooed’ on the wafer with the heat. Also worth tasting are the pancakes served in foils and accompanied by pieces of cheese which are another pride of Garfagnana. The shops enjoy preparing them using the most diverse flours. Finally, the desserts that are just as simple as the weather in castagnaccio (in which dried fruit and rosemary are added to the chestnut flour) and the fool, a kind of soft crêpe, rolled up and stuffed usually with fresh ricotta. Now our selection of places to enjoy this wonderful, rural typicality.
WHERE TO EAT? Browse the gallery above
Cover photo: Eliseo restaurant
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