Sunday  26 May Crescentino, in the Vercelli area, a land of rice fields, pinpointed by old farmhouses and abbeys. The Po, in this part, units the Piedmont provinces of Vercelli and Alessandria. Along the two banks of the river, the hills on one side and the rice fields on the oher characterise the landscape. The market theme could only have been rice, with other cereals, and the great variety of traditional desserts which are produced with this basic ingredient: craftsmen present the variety of great rice of the Po Valley, but also wheat, corn and spelt flour, stone ground. With bread and traditional desserts, such as Coppia Ferrarese IGP, peculiar sized breads, or the risaiole, cakes produced with a meeting of wheat and rice flours, traditionally destined to important events, or sbrisolona mantovana, and many other delights. In the occasion of the market, in a square of the town centre, the «Accademia del riso» will present tastings of dishes based on various types of rice, prepared by expert cooks.

The third appointment is Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd June in Pizzighettone (Cr), a delightful medieval village, with the market fair dedicated to cheeses. The town’s origins are directly tied in with the Adda river, which unmistakably denotes the historic centre, dividing it in two parts. Fr the market, Slow Food has selected a group of cheese hand producers and of small dairy factories who offer their specialty, starting from the various types of Piedmont or Bra d'alpeggio “Toma”, passing through the Pannerone lodigiano, until the most famous Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano, just to mention a few. Among market participants also a competition, 'The cheeses of the Po", which is valid for the selection to "Formaggio d'autore", a yearly competition between the best Italian cheeses, held in Saint-Vincent (Valle d'Aosta) in association with Slow Food.

The last topical market will be held Sunday 23 June in Mesola (Fe), at the majestic Castello built by the Estensi in the naturalistic area known as Boscone, and last slice, jealously kept, of the great woods that used to cover the whole delta area. The Mesola market offers fruit, vegetables and preserved fish, starting with Romagna Peach and Nectarine. Then, the Viadana (province di Mantova e Cremona) melon, Piedmont and Emilia Romagna asparaguses, delicate soused eels from Comacchio. The market is coordinated by the Province of Ferrara with Mesola’s Pro Loco and the Emillia Romagna sector of the Parco del Delta del Po

Information
26 May 2002 - Crescentino: Elisa Deidda, Province of Vercelli, tel. +39 0161 590 282; Mail
1-2 June 2002 - Pizzighettone: Ente Manifestazioni Pizzighettone, Ermanno Alberighi tel. +39 0372 738 22 24. Mail

May.2002

Slowfood 
Monticelli d'Ongina
Crescentino
Pizzighettone
Mesola