QUALITALY_128

April/May 202 2 XIV MAGAZINE to-find sussurri , spherical shoots that resemble what is known in Trentino as bear’s radicchio ; white asparagus, which can be picked from the end of March until the end of May. The Cima d’olmo asparagus is very common near the Piave River, while those from Badoera and Bassano del Grappa are larger and more tender south of Treviso. They are excellent when steamed or baked au gratin with butter and Parmesan cheese or combined with eggs. They are also delicious in lasagne, pappardelle and risotto. When we talk about Veneto’s agri-food and culinary products, we cannot ignore late-ripening red radicchio di Treviso and Montello potatoes, both of which are Protected Geographical Indication products. There are several varieties of potatoes here. The most common is the cornelian, a small tuber with an elongated shape and a taste very similar to fresh hazelnuts. Introduced by Napoleon at the beginning of the 19th century, it remained within the confines of local cuisine for several decades; it was only at the end of the century that production of the Montello potato became intensive and crossed the region’s borders. Just say the word radicchio and the association with Treviso is automatic. Late-growing red radicchio from Treviso is a product that is exclusively linked to the surrounding Treviso countryside. It is harvested with the first frosts and the winter frost is its great ally. Before it reaches our tables, the vegetable needs a long process of processing and preparation. Today it is appreciated both in Italy and abroad; the leading Italian regions importing it are Lombardy, Emilia Romagna and Piedmont. A LOAD OF CHEESE A particularly active sector in Veneto is the dairy industry. It is highly appreciated beyond the borders of Italy for the high- quality products it produces. Casatella trevisana is one of the most famous local PDO cheeses. A fresh cheese belonging to the stracchino family, it should be eaten within two, maximum three days. The milk, but above all the microclimate of the place where it is produced, makes it very fragrant and tasty. Another PDO from Treviso is montasio , which can be either soft or mature. However, the Treviso cheese par excellence remains imbriago. Its history, as well as being fascinating, has a ‘patriotic flavour’: the inhabitants to the left of the Piave, during the retreat of Caporetto, in order to hide the cheeses from the invaders, the Austro-Hungarians, covered them with marc, the waste grapes left over from the pressing. At the end of the conflict, once the cheeses were recovered, the inhabitants realised that the product had acquired a different aroma from the others. So it was that this refinement continued to give excellent results, so much so that it became a traditional production throughout the Veneto region with, among the most famous, Ubriaco di Raboso . GEESE HAVE DEEP ROOTS IN VENETO Until a few decades ago, geese were not kept in specific environments; they grazed freely in groups on most farms, grazing here and there and feeding on farm waste. In the past, the goose replaced the pig in cooking, and in fact, it was known as the poor man’s pig: just like the pig, nothing from the goose is wasted! In the Triveneto region, there are several dishes in which this palmiped appears. In the Treviso area, oca in onto, also known as oco in pignatto, is a must. Since it was considered the only source of animal protein until the Second World War, the locals ate it from October, the time of slaughter, to June. The goose is first roasted, then cut into small pieces and finally stored in demijohns, covered with its own melted fat. Soppresse (a typical salame) are the other local delicacies and the luna calante is a worthy representative. Inside it has lard which is first marinated and then matured. At least six months must pass before it can be eaten. Equally exquisite is the coppa, also known as osso collo . EXCELLENCE IN RICE If radicchio is king in the Treviso area, rice is king throughout the north-east. It arrived in Venice thanks to trade with Arab countries. In the 16th century it began to be cultivated in the more extensive plains of the Verona lowlands, where today Vialone Nano Veronese, a variety of Italian rice, is produced, belonging to the japonica subspecies, with protected geographical indication, of the semi-fine category, for preparing risotto. An ideal variety for over forty different dishes, risi e bisi (peas) is certainly the most famous. “There is also a winter version of risi e bisi, made with dried split peas,” says the chef from Treviso. “It’s somewhere between a soup and a risotto, served with black pepper and extra virgin olive oil from the hills. sometimes I put a piece of rind or ham in the boiling water”. Bigoli , on the other hand, is the local fresh pasta. Like rice, it’s the emblem of the cuisine of the Republic of Venice. There are two types of bigoli, hollow and solid. THE MOST FAMOUS DISHES In the Veneto region, many hors d’oeuvres and side dishes have the same status as main courses, for example, sarde in saor and cicchetto di Venezia . But in the Doge’s cuisine, there is absolutely no shortage of baccalà, or salt cod, also called stoccafisso (stockfish) in other parts of Italy. It appeared in the Republic of Venice in 1432 when Piero Querini, a noble Venetian