In Cascia, Saffron Stars – and Not Only

At the end of October, Pino and I headed into the bellissima Valnerina (Nera River Valley)…..

….on our way to Cascia, medieval mountain town where St. Rita died in the mid-15th-century.

Annually, the Mostra Mercato dello Zafferano di Cascia (“Show and Market of Saffron of Cascia”) animates this mountain town:

As we arrived huge white tents welcomed us, crowning the stands selling saffron – and not only.

We stopped at the first stand where the vendors offered us tastes of cheeses: with the onion of Cannara, with spicy peperoncino (hot red pepper), with wild fennel, with a selection of tasty herbs, with black truffles of Norcia (for this is the area famed for black truffles, as well), with honey – and of course, with saffron:

?…and how NOT to purchase that cheese allo zafferano?!

That cheese stand attracted quite a few visitors:

Saffron was being sold at some stands, logicamente…

…..and mountain honey was presented by many a vendor:

Pino could not resist a taste:

There was even a stand offering spelt toasted with honey:

And various other stands offered farro (spelt) as well as the famed baby lentils of the Norcia area, chickpeas and cicerchie (a legume – of the pea family – cutivated since 8000 B.C.):

One stand even offered cosmetics of latte d’asina (donkey milk):

Truffles, naturalmente, were a star attraction: both fresh truffles and truffle pate’….

…..and even pastas made with black truffles….and potato chips, too:

When we stopped at the stand selling all kinds of the Cascia/Norcia-area cold cuts……

…we spotted the perfect gift for our farm friend, Peppa: mortadella al cinghiale (mortadella of wild boar):

….and Pino asked not only for that mortadella for Peppa but for coppiette, too:

The handmade sign on the display case, labeled them as “coppiette di passeggio” (“coppiette for strolling along”); in fact, many people purchased just a few to munch as they strolled the other stands, Originating in the Castelli Romani area of the region of Latium, coppiette are strips of dried pork meat flavored with fennel seeds, chili pepper, salt and wine.

Not easily found in Umbria, Pino can never resist them.

As we headed home, a brass band was playing throughout the town….