In the Isarco Valley, autumn carries the scent of South Tyrol’s authentic flavours of tradition.
Autumn festivals with local foods
The South Tyrol's villages of Chiusa, Barbiano and Velturno herald the new season with apples wine and chestnuts. Listed among Italy’s Most Beautiful Villages, the picturesque town of Chiusa is also known as the "City of Artists" as it once welcomed Dürer, who came here to paint. From 18 to 20 September, Chiusa hosts the 21st Törggelen Festival celebrated with canederli, half-moon ravioli, sausages with sauerkraut, sweet Krapfen and roasted chestnuts.
Pears, plums and waterfalls
From 21 to 27 September in Verdignes, in the municipality of Chiusa, the Birmehlherbst is the "Autumn of Pear Flour." Visitors are welcomed by themed inns and can enjoy night-time excursions, with the event concluding on the final day with the Birmehlsunntig, or "Pear Flour Sunday." Barbiano, visible from afar thanks to its leaning tower, which leans even more than the famous Tower of Pisa, is the realm of plums and the eight-tiered waterfalls of the Rio Ganda. Here, from 29 August to 13 September, the Plum Weeks are celebrated with special menus, local specialties and guided walks along the Plum Trail.
Velturno: a village with green Krapfen
From 17 October to 8 November, the village of Velturno hosts the 29th edition of the Chestnut Weeks, featuring guided walks, hands-on harvesting experiences, children’s workshops and tastings. On Saturday 7 November, the "Nigl" chestnut market will take place, whilst Sunday 8 November will be dedicated to the grand "Keschtnigl-Sunntig" festival in the historic centre. In Velturno, tradition has given rise to a unique type of doughnut that is hard to find elsewhere: the green doughnut. Generally known for its sweet varieties filled with jam, chestnuts or plums, the green doughnut is savoury and owes its colour to a spinach filling. Once a humble weekday dish, today it is a minor gastronomic rarity, still prepared by hand on local farms and at autumn markets.
The recipe for green Krapfen
There is no single, definitive version of the green krapfen recipe. It undoubtedly starts with the filling, made from spinach that has been blanched and then finely chopped. After frying the chopped onion in lard in a frying pan, the spinach is added along with the milk, followed immediately by the wheat flour, taking care to stir continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Once the mixture comes to the boil, leave it to cook for two or three minutes, stirring constantly, then season with salt and finish with grated nutmeg. For the dough, start with the potatoes which are boiled, mashed and left to cool. Divide the mixture into four parts; from each part, form a long roll, which is then cut into small pieces to be rolled out thinly. Place a spoonful of the green filling on each sheet of dough, seal the dough into a ring shape and deep-fry. For information: www.klausen.it
