Terre di Po e dei Gonzaga: lands with important enogastronomic traditions and typical products appreciated all over the world, including Lambrusco, Parmigiano Reggiano, our renowned pumpkin and the Borettana onion. Lastly, it is worth mentioning our precious balsamic vinegar, which is produced inside the suggestive “Rocca dei Gonzaga” in Novellara and eventually stored in wooden barrels.
The river Po is placed in an area of ancient borders, transit for armies, and also represented a passageway for pilgrims from north to south. It is a land of cultural and gastronomic contamination where food acquires a specific identity through its own flavour.
Onion – whose scientific name is Allium cepa – has ancient roots, given the fact that records date back to ancient Egypt, where it began to be cultivated, in the 4th millennium B.C.
The Zucchella Plum is a small and firm, but also really juicy fruit. The origin of its name seems to derive from this last characteristic, which could be defined as “Suchéla”.
The waters of the river Po have been inhabited by this fish for so long that Luzzara ended up being named after it. In the past, the town was known as Luciara, which indeed derived from the word Luccio (Pike).
The fresh, sweet and thirst-quenching Anguria Reggiana Igp is one of the most appreciated fruits in the Reggio Emilia plain in summer, so as to obtain the Protected Geographical Indication label due to its unique qualities.
Honey has always been one of the typical products of the Bassa Reggiana territories.
Pumpkin is a typical vegetable of the Bassa Reggiana lands, with many different varieties.
One of the gastronomic excellences of the territory is represented by the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar, a historical product already mentioned by the Benedictine monk Abate Donizone in 1046, in his literary composition “Vita Mathildis”.
Catfish is a typical species of stagnant or slow-flowing waters characterized by a soft and muddy seabed. It is also able to adapt to extreme conditions, in warm and low-oxygen water. For these reasons, as well as for the sapidity of its meat, it is bred in extensive fish farming ponds.
The “Sbrisolona” is an ancient recipe, dating back to the time of the Gonzaga family. Nevertheless, it has poor origins, since it was - and still is - prepared with typical ingredients of the rural tradition. Its name derives from the local dialect, precisely because it is very crumbly. According to the modern recipe, flours (white flour and cornmeal) and sugar should be added in equal parts - this explains why it was also known as cake “delle tre tazze” (three cups). In addition, the ingredients should not be chopped up. On the contrary, the irregular consistency - due to both the quick preparation and the coarse-cut almonds - is the main characteristic of this cake.
The municipal Acetaia, where the precious Balsamic Vinegar ages, is located in the attic of the east wing of the Gonzaga Castle, in the heart of the historic center of Novellara.
