Festività
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Festivals - Sagra Asparagi / White asparagus of Verona
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The Verona area is one of the ideal areas for type of soil and climatic situation for the cultivation of white asparagus, particularly in the areas of the east and the lower Verona area.
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White asparagus is a highly prized variety with limited production that grows in particular climatic and soil conditions. Delicacy, fragrance and sweetness: these are the characteristics that make white asparagus unique and differentiate it from other types of asparagus.
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In the lower Veronese area, the events of Arcole (first days of May) and the one with the traditional Sagra dell'asparago di Angiari (last Sunday of May) are not to be missed.
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Rice Fair in Cologna Veneta
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This is the most important fair in Italy dedicated to rice and risotto that takes place every year from the second half of September to the first decade of October.
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The rice festival was born in 1967, when it was thought to create an event that would keep the "garzega", a centuries-old custom according to which the owner of the rice field offered a lavish meal to his workers to celebrate the end of the harvest.
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The undisputed star of the event is the renowned Vialone Nano Veronese (zero kilometer), the rice grown in the Verona plains with the prestigious IGP brand. There are only twenty municipalities in the province of Verona producing this type of semi-fine rice, ideal for the preparation of risotto: the main characteristic of Vialone Nano is that of being cultivated in areas irrigated with spring water, in the specific case in the northern part of the basin catchment of the Tartaro river.
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It is recommended to taste the typical "Risotto all'Isolana", invented here in 1967.
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Montagnana Ham Festival
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In the enchanting medieval village of Montagnana, every year in the second half of May, the feast of the prestigious Prosciutto Veneto DOP takes place. The event with tastings, gastronomic twins, events, guided visits to the ham factories and the walled city of Montagnana is held within the walls of the historic center of Montagnana, in a large covered pavilion of 2,200 square meters (free access without reservation, with approx. 1,000 seats) in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II in Montagnana. During the opening, the 9 booths for the production of the ham factories of the Prosciutto Veneto Berico-Euganeo PDO Protection Consortium serve tastings of Prosciutto Veneto DOP. In addition, there is always a bar, the stands of 3 pastry shops, 1 cheese stand and a restaurant that offers pasta dishes every day.
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Festa del Mandorlato in Cologna Veneta
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For almond-based nougat lovers, the Festa del Mandorlato in Cologna Veneta takes place every year during the days of the Immaculate Conception (8 December). The origins of mandorlato date back to the first half of the nineteenth century, when someone had the brilliant intuition of mixing almonds, honey, egg whites and sugar, with a slow process that guarantees, today as then, an exceptional result. Soon a dedicated production began, which continues today. Currently the party takes place every year in the town square; here it is possible to taste and buy the special mandorlato di Cologna Veneta.
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