Autumn

In Italy, the beginning of the autumn season is more than just a drop in temperatures, the changing colors of the landscape, or the reappearance of warm sweaters and scarves in our wardrobes. Here, where regional cooking is still very much connected to the land, the change of season is also evident in the markets and on the kitchen tables across Italy. Instructions on how to live La Dolce Vita can often be found within the words of Italian proverbs, and one enjoyable proverbio italiano reminds us that it’s always best to eat what is in season: “Uva o melone, ma ognuno alla sua stagione” – Grapes or melon, but each one in its own season. As we now bid farewell to summer, with its fresh melons and sweet fruits, the abundance of Italy’s autumn foods are just waiting to be discovered.

Autumn arrives across Italy with the grape harvest (la vendemmia), when the heavy clusters of grapes warmed in the summer sun are carefully cut from the vines and wineries burst to life. Along the rolling hills and terraces, the vines are already heralding the change of season with their many hues of yellows and reds. Wine will be made again this fall, and while this year’s vintage ages you can ponder Italy’s wine traditions while enjoying a few plump grapes from one of the clusters – called a grappolo d’uva – that appear in markets across Italy this time of year. (You can even stop on almost any country road and cut a grappolo or two, but you didn’t hear that from us!)

But ripening grapes aren’t the only treat one will find in Italy during the fall. October is also the month of castagne (chestnuts) in Italy, and nothing says autunno more than the warm scent of roasting chestnuts. Right now the chestnuts are maturing in their prickly burrs, and will soon coat Italy’s country roads, ready to be collected. However, chestnuts aren’t just for “roasting on the open fire,” and there is no better place to experience firsthand their wide use than by visiting one of the many sagre, or food festivals, dedicated to this humble nut. The little village of Cusano Mutri in Campania’s province of Benevento puts on one of the area’s biggest events of the autumn called the Sagra delle Castagne. Taking place from October 23rd to 26th, Cusano’s famous sagra is more than just chestnuts, it’s a weekend long celebration visited by tens of thousands of people from throughout southern Italy. Events include live music, open–air restaurants and pizzerie, cultural exhibits, artisan vendors – including Cusano’s noted ceramic artists – and, of course, roasted chestnuts! If you can’t make it to Cusano Mutri this year, you’ll find that many small towns across Italy, including Rossiglione in Liguria, Scala on Campania’s Amalfi Coast, and Soriano nel Cimino in Lazio, host chestnut festivals during the month.

An Italian Proverb…

Uva o melone, ma ognuno alla sua stagione

Starting in October, Italy’s many varieties of mushrooms also take the culinary spotlight. In the woods of the Molise and Abruzzo regions, trifolai (truffle hunters) head out during the cool days with their dogs in search of one of Italy’s gastronomic treasures – the white truffle. Called “white diamonds” due to their prized value, the white truffles found in these mountainous regions are only one of the varieties you will come across this time of year in Italy. Meanwhile, in the neighboring regions of Campania and Le Marche as well as many other regions, the search is on for wild porcini mushrooms. Dishes made with truffles and porcini are plentiful, especially in towns surrounded by chestnut forests where the mushrooms typically grow.

Fall is a heavenly time for food lovers to travel in Italy. Not only are the markets full of these autumn specialties, but from northern Italy to the tip of the boot you will discover countless sagre dedicated to every type of mushroom, nut and fresh autumn crop imaginable. There is no better way to experience regional Italian cuisine than with a good dose of culture and fun that you’ll enjoy at one of these sagre. As you turn your calendars over to October, throw on a sweater, wrap a scarf around your neck and head out to Italy’s markets and food festivals to find some of the delights of autumn.