Cuneo celebrates His Majesty the Brown with a National Fair, the aristocratic fruit destined for confectionery and haute cuisine which, in the glacé version, had the honor of being served on the sixteenth-century table of the Duke of Savoy, Carlo Emanuele I (1562-1630) by a court cook who procured it in Cuneo.
Historically the crops date back to the XNUMXth century., historical period in which, a part of the cultivable lands, was destined to the Chestnut tree.
In a document of the Certosa di Pesio dated 1277, it speaks of the goodness of the "white chestnuts" of the Municipalities of Envie and Martiniana Po and even in the 1300s some municipal laws of the towns of Gambasca, Lesegno, Chiusa Pesio, Sanfront… provide for the imposition of sanctions for those who practice the illicit harvesting of the fruits which provided with their flour an essential element for the feeding the populations of these areas.
A few centuries later Gian Battista Botteri (1818-1900) a canon dedicated to historiography judged the chestnuts of Cuneo «among the best of those born in Italy, they have an exquisite taste, they are whole, and give a good drink. They sell at a high price, both for their goodness, and for the expense in preparing them, and in making the choice, and also because the brown chestnut trees are few, and they take hold only in a narrow region of moist, fresh and stony soil which serves the bed of the Pesio. These chestnuts, which are a particularity of the country and are sent to distant lands, are given the name of "Cuneo browns”, exchanging the country that produces them with the head city of the province where they come from ».
In short, from the XNUMXth century to today, Marrone di Cuneo has traveled a lot. In the early 900s the Cuneo chestnut was also famous abroad, so much so that in the USA the chestnut was called "le Cuneo". The «Castagna Cuneo» PGI, the undisputed queen of the extensive recipe book of Cuneo cuisine, is distinguished by its sweet and delicate flavor and the crunchiness of the epicarp which make it particularly suitable for both fresh and processed consumption. In addition to its precious flour (which in times of war and famine represented a satisfying alternative to traditional flours), the Cuneo Chestnut is consumed boiled or roasted, it is used in numerous traditional peasant dishes and used in elaborate savory recipes, with roast pork and roe deer, is elaborated with “mundaj” – chocolate roll with chestnuts – as a symbol of celebration and joy during celebrations, and finally it is required in confectionery for refined “marron glacé”.
The first editions of the fair date back to the 1999s, when the city of Cuneo was an important market for chestnut products, one of the best-stocked in northern Italy. With the beginning of the world war the Fair was suspended and only in XNUMX was its inheritance recovered. The first edition was an astonishing success. Over one hundred thousand visitors, many of whom were foreigners, poured into the streets of the historic city centre, attracted by the scents and atmosphere of a millenary tradition. Today it is considered one of the most important food and wine events in Italy, showcase of the excellence and ancient traditions of the Cuneo area. An event that makes quality its flag.
Hundreds of exhibitors fill the historic center of Cuneo for three days, invading the main squares of the old part of the city with scents, flavors and colors, allowing you to taste the best products of Italy and Europe.
In addition to the exclusively food and wine moments, the Fair also offers ample space for excellent craftsmanship, which is accompanied by educational workshops, cultural initiatives, tourist offers, exhibitions, shows and concerts.
Some curiosities: of all the gastronomic excellences for which Cuneo is famous in Italy and in the world, the first IGP was the chestnut. The village of San Rocco Castagnaretta owes its name to the many chestnut groves that were once found in that area of the Cuneo plateau
During the third edition of the Fair, the Castamele appeared, i.e. apples with the shape of a chestnut on the skin. To make them, hundreds of chestnut-shaped stamps were attached by hand to the apples ripening on the tree
In the following editions Castanella was born, that is a chestnut candy, made by drying the chestnuts so as to be able to suck them.
The 1st European Chestnut Congress was held in Cuneo, which brought together scholars, professionals and technicians from all over the world in the Piedmontese city.
