Overview
The Food Festival of Frassineto Po
A tasty tradition celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023
The quiet village of Frassineto Po fills up with visitors in the last days of August with its historic Pepper Festival, a reference point for food lovers. The event is a precious opportunity to get to know the traditions and territory of the Po River Park. During the festival, not only you can taste typical products, but also you can visit the village, explore the river, attend shows, and experience moments of joyful conviviality with the local community.
During the festival, the local pepper is specially celebrated, but the entire local culinary art is highlighted. Traditional Piedmont’s dishes are offered at lunch and dinner, not to mention typical pepper recipes such as the peppers with “bagna cauda” (a warm sauce made with olive oil, garlic and anchovies).
No less than 500 kilos of “polenta” are prepared and served right in the village square. But the highlight of the event is to be savoured first and foremost with the eyes: the overturning of the giant pot of polenta. With a spectacular manoeuvre, the polenta is poured from a huge copper cauldron onto a steel-covered table, and then served with “peperonata” and sausage. An inebriating aroma is released throughout the village and people hurry up to grab a plate of the tasty dish!
The river Po, guest star of the festival
During the festival, outdoor activities involving the Great River of Italy are also organised by local associations. Moreover, the Po Landscape Interpretation Centre (Centro di Interpretazione del Paesaggio del Po) exceptionally opens its doors in August. The centre reconstructs the evolution of the river from a naturalistic point of view and describes its fundamental role for local communities.
A curious walk is the one leading to one of the “big chairs”. They are enormous chairs, ”cadreghe” in the local dialect, placed on the top of a hill, allowing you to admire the valley down below, with a nice glass of local wine, why not! A nice way to feel small before the immensity of the Monferrato landscape.
Credit to: Pro Loco Frassineto Po
