travels, holidays and more…

Albareto, small town on the Parmenses Apennines, just a few steps from the Ligurian border, is worth a visit in the second weekend of September, for its Porcini Mushroom Fair. The whole area is well known for the abundance of these products of the under wood, which, especially during the last years, seem to grow everywhere!

During this time, hardware and home and garden stores and market booths display armies of baskets for harvesting these fruits of the woods. And in front of every house there are boxes of drying mushrooms. The boletus in this area is of excellent quality. In fact it earned the IGP certification (Geographical Indication Protected.) It is a real pleasure to taste the specialties that see it in a leading role in the many restaurants on the “Road of the wines and flavors.” They are well indicated along the road and the main thing is that prices are really acceptable.

It is worth mentioning that there are not only mushrooms, but also all the wild berries. Therefore in the villages there are many little stores that offer typical products made with raspberries, blueberries, cherries and chestnuts. I personally tried the “pappardelle” (kind of pasta) made with chestnut flour and served with a porcini mushroom sauce. Delicious!

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