intangible cultural heritage

MAUNTAIN FARM GNOCCHI: gnocchi sbatùi or smalzai - the taste of highland cuisine

area : Verona
category : practices concerning nature
A unique and unmistakable symbol of a tradition rooted in history, as well as the fulfilment of a never-ending culture arising from the use dairy produce in the daily diet.
A cult that takes shap
in the silence of the mountain farms where making cheese from milk saw necessary and practical use of all processing by-products and derivatives.
Speaking of delicious mountain dishes characterising the Veronese pre-Alps in the Lessinia area can only begin with gnòcchi sbatùi (“beaten gnocchi”) that are also known, in view of their origin, as mountain farm gnocchi. This is a recipe of poor cuisine, very easy to make (the basic ingredients are simply flour, water and salt) but flavoured with a substantial condiment - melted butter pouted hot over the freshly drained gnocchi with a generous grating of puina fumà (smoked ricotta cheese) or Monte Veronese PDO cheese.
During the mountain grazing period, gnòcchi sbatùi were the main sustenance of the “herder” who - to make them softer and tastier - added “fioretta”, the first fresh ricotta cheese.
The adjective “sbatùi” (beaten) originates from the way the gnocchi mixture is prepared: the flour and water are continually beaten and forcefully mixed to prepare a soft and uniform dough that is skilfully portioned with a spoon, given the typical “gnocco” shape and dropped into boiling water.
This delicious speciality every year from May to October is part of the many festivals in the Lessinia area, from Bosco Chiesanuova to Erbezzo and Roverè Veronese. Gnòcchi sbatùi are an important resource for the local economy, using and valorising the typical produce of the area: butter and cheese.
This dish is very popular with lovers of traditional regional cuisine and is an attraction for true connoisseurs of wine and food tourism. It can be enjoyed all year round in the various restaurants and farm holiday centres in the Lessinia area but is best savoured in “malga” mountain farms where, in season, it is served with the simplicity and sincerity typical of mountain people.
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