Page 18 - Mediterraneo e dintorni - nr 8

initiative takes place: Piazza San Mar- atmosphere of an ancient world wisely (the boiled pork leg, flavored in vinegar
tino, one of the most beautiful Baroque reproduced by the various pro-loco of and fried). So, a real village of rural
architectural spaces in Asti. What gi- the province. wonders, the celebration of an ancient
ves further beauty to the “Douja d’or” A large number of chefs must satisfy and genuine world in which nothing is
is the general context in which it is set, the demand of such a large audience, left to improvisation: tridents, rakes,
between the “festival delle sagre” and and they do it by creating over eighty hoes, roncole, sieves, barrels, vats, ed-
the historical “Palio”, whose roots date different types of dishes, including ging and harnesses for horses, as well
back to the XIII century and considered appetizers, first courses, main cour- as decorations and antique furniture
the oldest of Italy. The “festival delle ses and desserts, all strictly from the such as the tavern counters, the au-
sagre” was born in 1974, just as part of territory: agnolotti, risotto, tagliatelle stere beliefs, the grand oval portraits
the “Douja d’or”, with the aim of cre- and polente in the various combina- of grandparents hanging on the walls.
ating a complete scenic, historical and tions; the main courses of the Mon- All in a mix of songs and sounds, with
enogastronomic context that today is ferrato tradition such as boiled meats, small orchestras that animate the villa-
represented as a kermesse that attracts mixed fried food, the “bagna cauda”, ge until late. The festival then becomes
- in September - more than two hun- the “puccia” (soft polenta dissolved in an important appointment with exhi-
dred thousand people a year, attracted the minestrone of beans and seasoned bitions, events and collateral meetings,
by an event where you can breathe the with butter and cheese), the “baciuà” concerts and tastings.

di piatti, tra antipasti, primi, se- prio villaggio delle meraviglie ni, con le piccole orchestrine che
condi e dolci, tutti rigorosamente contadine, la celebrazione di un animano il villaggio fino a tar-
del territorio: agnolotti, risotti, mondo antico e genuino in cui di. Il festival, allora, diventa un
tagliatelle e polente nei vari ab- nulla viene lasciato all’improv- importante appuntamento con
binamenti; i secondi della tradi- visazione: fanno bella mostra di mostre, eventi e incontri colla-
zione monferrina quali i bolliti, sé tridenti, rastrelli, zappe, ron- terali, concerti, degustazioni. E
i fritti misti, la “bagna cauda”, la cole, setacci, botti, tini, bordature ovviamente accoglienza e socia-
“puccia” (soffice polenta sciolta e finimenti per cavalli, ma anche lità. Ha certamente il merito di
nel minestrone di fagioli e con- addobbi e arredi d’epoca come i mantenere vive le tradizioni e di
dita con burro e formaggio), il banconi d’osteria, le austere cre- far conoscere alle nuove genera-
“baciuà” (lo zampino di maiale denze, i grandi ritratti ovali dei zioni gli stili di vita di un tempo,
lessato, aromatizzato nell’aceto nonni appesi alle pareti. Tutto sollecitando una riflessione sugli
e fritto). Dunque, un vero e pro- in un mescolarsi di canti e suo- antichi mestieri e sulla condivi-

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