23rd Artichoke Festival, Ramacchese Violet celebrates on the plate and goes to the table in Ramacca, in the province of Catania from 5 to 7 April 2013.
Tradition and culture for the 23rd edition of the Artichoke Festival, the Ramacchese Violet, never was a vegetable more generous. The Sicilian “carrettu” arrives, a symbol of folklore and culture of the largest Italian island, Sicily. It is here, exactly in Ramacca, a small town in Catania, nestled between hills, slopes and flat land that from 5 to 7 April the "carrettu" will be loaded with "Violetti Ramacchesi", by the most known as artichokes that will triumph on every dish for three days.
Baked paccheri with artichokes and smoked scamorza, mezze penne with artichoke cream and smoked bacon, stuffed rolls with a side of gratinated artichokes. Sausages, good and tasty even alone, but sautéed with artichoke is a whole different flavor. In Ramacca there is not only the tradition proposed on the table for the artichoke festival, but there are the ideas and the passion of the Ramacchesi for their territory to be discovered, step by step. It is here, that the skilled cooks eager to surprise, even the dessert with artichoke have thought. But this will be a surprise. All, of course, accompanied by Ramacca bread, local red wine and Sicilian oranges.
Violet Ramacchese is already appreciated in ancient Greece and even by the Romans. Of Mediterranean origin, this particular quality of artichoke is loved for its precious organoleptic elements, so much so that it is considered among the plants that could not be missing in refined lunches. From a fresh product to a product dedicated to processing, the artichoke is among the “most generous” plants there are. In fact, there are many uses that can be done without throwing away a single leaf. In addition to the characteristics that make it a useful vegetable for its nutritional values, the artichoke is also used in cosmetics as a tonic for the skin.
For 23 years today, the Ramacca Artichoke Festival allows visitors not only to taste delicious dishes, of which the Violet is the protagonist, but also to learn more about its nutritional and healthy qualities. Exhibitions and conferences will address all the issues and problems inherent in the cultivation of the artichoke in Sicily. But not only that, the Ramacca Festival offers a large showcase to all the typical products of the area, from blood oranges to oil, from cheeses to honey, in addition to the precious local bread that tourists can buy.
Rammuellah in the Arab period, and later Gran Macchia today more simply Ramacca, has always been a curious crossroads of traditions from all over Sicily: Ragusa, Agrigento, Enna and Etna these are the main dialects that we can hear walking in the historic center . Over the years there have been many appelltivi that were given to the town of Catania: "country of foreigners" to "granary of Sicily" thanks to the important agricultural production. Today Ramacca is among the most important centers in the cultivation of artichokes.
The gluttons of Violet Ramacchese will be able to visit the church dedicated to the nativity of Mary, next to the central square of the town, during the three days of celebration, with the civic clock that rises above the square tower of the bell tower; and the church of the Immaculate Conception, with a neoclassical façade, decorated with stuccoes and altars, adorned with oil paintings of the Cross, the Addolorata and some Capuchin saints.
For culture lovers, the festival program also includes guided visits to the archaeological park and museum. On the central Piazza Vittorio Emanuele visitors will be welcomed for lunch and dinner. There will be traveling shows by street artists and live music to cheer the festival dedicated to the Ramacchese Violet.
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