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Celebrating Chestnuts and Truffles


Bagnoli Irpino, Campania, Italy

Home On Tour! Sagra della Castagna

Sagra della Castagna

On Tour! |

Jeff and I had the pleasure of accompanying our friends to attend a festival celebrating chestnuts and truffles in the town of Bagnoli Irpino.

A snapshot of one small area of the festival.

A snapshot of one small area of the festival.

Bagnoli Irpino is located approximately 75 miles from Naples, in the Italian province of Avellino, region of Campania.  I am already looking forward to going back to this celebration next year!  The festival was held in the town center.  Food stands, were set up throughout the town, tucked into tiny alleyways.  The aroma of food cooking on an open fire, the jovial people — from babies to the “anziani” (elders), the folk music and the sense of community all came together to make this festival an evening to remember.

Typical Italian line! Somehow it all works out!

Typical Italian line! Somehow it all works out!

But let me tell you about the food!  Chestnuts, pumpkin, truffles, cheese, sausage, porcini mushrooms — were highlighted throughout the festival.

A basket of chestnuts -- fresh off the tree

A basket of chestnuts — fresh off the tree

We started with risotto with pumpkin and cheese.  We followed with tiny pizzas topped with black truffles.  After that came pasta with porcini mushrooms, ravioli with truffles, sausage panini with broccoli rabe and scamorza cheese.  Each dish ordered came with a complimentary plastic cup of wine.  Bonus!  How civil!  Of course, bottles of wine were available for purchase…

There was so much more we wanted to sample, but we’ll have to wait until next year.  There was this cheese being cooked over an open flame that I will be thinking about in the months to come!  As the cheese melted, they’d swoop it up and spread it on toast.  It looked awesome.  Of course, there was no end to the desserts!

Cheese cooked over open flame.

Caciocavallo cheese cooked over open flame.

The pride and joy of the festival was a gigantic chestnut cake — free slices to all who had room for it!  We did not!

Well, I returned home inspired to cook up something delicious with the 20 lbs. pumpkin our landlord gave to us.  My first dish was this Roasted Pumpkin and Sausage Lasagna.  It is a winner and I’ll definitely be incorporating more pumpkin into our lives!

Until next year, Bagnoli Irpino!

Chestnut festival II

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7 Comments

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  • Sam
    · Reply

    July 21, 2015 at 2:38 AM
    Your post made my mouth water. Food is such an important part of travel and it's great when you can find a really local experience and be part of it.
    • Bridget
      · Reply

      Author
      July 21, 2015 at 11:06 AM
      Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
  • Lyn - A Hole in my Shoe
    · Reply

    July 20, 2015 at 1:26 PM
    Bridget I would love to go to this festival, the food sounds amazing. I can't imagine not leaving room to try the chestnut cake, but then roast pumpkin lasagna is very filling.
    • Bridget
      · Reply

      Author
      July 20, 2015 at 4:27 PM
      I know! We're looking forward to going again this year. I will definitely leave room for cake!
  • Holly
    · Reply

    July 20, 2015 at 10:26 AM
    That sounds amazing. I am such a foodie so when travelling, its perfect when you stumble onto a local marvel like this. We found the same with the Christmas markets in Europe... so much great food to sample. And your pumpkin lasagne sounds so good. Thanks for linking up with #snapshotstory Sunday :)
    • Bridget
      · Reply

      Author
      July 20, 2015 at 4:28 PM
      Yes! The Christmas markets in Germany are magical!
  • Paula McInerney
    · Reply

    July 19, 2015 at 1:57 PM
    I would love to go to Bagnoli Irpino and now we definitely will. I need some of that chestnut cake

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