Create your holiday
Food and wine
Fragrances, flavours and typical culinary traditions, with a lot of European awards granted: IGP (Protected Geographical Indication), DOP (Protected Designation of Origin), DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin).
For those who want to go into the tasty and varied world of the typical products of Comacchio and its beaches, the best opportunity is to visit one of the many festivals held throughout the year.
The 17 Pearls of Ferrara territory
Named after their importance in the economy and local tradition, the "17 Pearls of Ferrara" are the result of the enhancement and protection of typical local food undertaken by the Province of Ferrara and the Chamber of Commerce of Ferrara.
Evidences of the strong bond between the territory and typical products are found in many ancient texts, in which there explicit refers to products that are still part of the culinary tradition of Ferrara.
In order to safeguard this heritage, local producers have started in committees the procedures for the recognition of Community Trade Marks PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), specially designed by the European Union to protect " Special " productions from counterfeiting, disciplined in EEC Reg. 510/06.
To this date, the products that can boast the EU recognition are Ferrara’s bread (Coppia) (PGI), bread internationally renowned, the Pear of Emilia-Romagna (IGP), Peaches and Nectarines of Romagna (IGP), the Asparagus from Altedo (IGP), Bosco Eliceo wines (PDO), the Ferrarese Cappellacci with pumpkin(PGI), the Pampapato-Pampepato from Ferrara (PGI), the Rice of the Po Delta (PGI) and the Salama da sugo (PGI).
The products studied by the competent bodies awaiting EU recognition are: the Clam Goro, the Ferrarese Watermelon, the Melon from Emilia, the Carrot from Ferrarese Delta, the Ferrarese “Zia” (Aunt) (garlic salami) and the Garlic of Voghiera.
Food and wine tours in the Lidi of Comacchio
Discovering a territory through its cuisine is a way to experience the holiday that combines the pleasure of good food to the beauty and traditions of a place.
The Po Delta Park and the Lidi di Comacchio offer many routes to get to know local products and recipes; the culinary events, festivals and taverns characteristics then complete the panorama of taste, for an exquisite trip among food and wines of the Park.
Here are five typical products that we chose for you, to try during your vacation in the Lidi di Comacchio, and the places that celebrate them with festivals and culinary events:
Comacchio Eels: The eel, inhabitant of the valleys of Comacchio, has all the flavour of a land suspended between earth and water: try in the 48 recipes that take place between Ferrara and its Province, or maybe in October during the Eel Festival in Comacchio.
Salama da Sugo: queen of Ferrara cuisine, undisputed symbol of Ferrara, it has a secret recipe that includes pork, spices and red wine. After a long maturation it becomes perfect to prepare strong-tasting but elegant dishes. Taste it in Buonacompra (in July), Madonna Boschi (in September) and Portomaggiore (in October).
Ferrarese Pumpkin: the Pumpkin "violina" has an elongated shape similar to a musical instrument; from the Renaissance it delights Ferrara inhabitants especially in the filling of Cappellacci, stuffed hand-made pasta typical of Ferrara. Between July and August in Bondeno, in Coronella di Poggio Renatico, and in San Carlo you can enjoy both at the pumpkin and Cappellacci festival.
Pinewood Truffle: the truffle is present throughout the territory of the Po Delta Park in the white or pine forest variety, a lower one but still very pleasant white truffle range. In October and November you can taste it at the Festival of Tuber Magnum Pico of Sant’Agostino, and in Mesola during the initiative “autumn flavours”, to discover the flavours of the Mesola Forest.
Goro Clam: at the edge of Ferrara territory along the coast, the Sacca di Goro is the ideal habitat of clams and an international benchmark for the cuisine based on this mollusc. In July you can enjoy it to the clam Festival in Goro.
Whatever the route that you are following, it will be good to make a stop in the restaurants of this part of the Delta Park, where you can savour the many tasty recipes that range from traditional grilled fish with scallops, shrimps, soles and eel with a seafood soup, from the eel with herbs from the rich clams and mussels appetizers, delicious Mediterranean "coquillages" that have nothing to envy to the flavours of the Atlantic.
