11 different categories
The number of traditional agri-food products recognized by the Lombardy Region rises to 270. With the 2022 decree, signed this morning, the 268 products already included in the list are added spit from Brescia and the hen of the Milan retreat. The Lombard Pats, grouped into 11 different categories, are products whose methods of processing, conservation and maturation have been consolidated over time for at least 25 years and are practiced in a homogeneous way and according to traditional rules. The recognition of traditional agri-food products plays a fundamental role in affirming the identities of rural communities. “The spit is Brescia: one of the symbolic dishes of the city and of the entire territory – remarked the Councilor for Agriculture, Food and Green Systems, Fabio Rolfi -. Thanks to this recognition, the traditions of the production processes are safeguarded and a centuries-old wisdom is preserved.
An extraordinary meaning
The pats are the true Lombard products that obtain recognition because they are specialties that are difficult to replicate elsewhere and maintain the link with the territory and with the local communities that, over the centuries, have generated them". “For Brescians, the spit has an extraordinary evocative meaning, often linked to family memories and moments of conviviality – added the commissioner -. It is a symbol of identity that now has official recognition by the Region. Linking food and territory means promoting an entire system”. The Brescia spit is classified among the products of Gastronomy and is widespread in the Brescia area and province: Franciacorta, Valle Trompia, Valle Sabbia, Alto Garda Bresciano, Valtenesi, Pianura Bresciana. It is a convivial dish from Brescia - reads the decree - typical of the population unable to devote themselves to big game hunting, a noble prerogative.
Agri-food heritage
The classic 'polenta and birds', shared over the years with the Bergamo and Veneto territories, was gradually enriched by the spit to which meat from reared animals was added, especially pork. “Last year we included citrus fruit and capers from Garda, casoncelli from Pontoglio and Toc from Como – recalled Rolfi -. Lombardy has an indescribable agri-food heritage. Agricultural and gastronomic products represent our territory, our traditions and can be an extraordinary economic driving force also from a tourist point of view if accompanied by an adequate narrative and the right commercial valorisation". “Every corner of Lombardy has a traditional product that interprets the thousand nuances of a rich and varied regional production – concluded the commissioner -. Our region is not only one of the most important industrial and tertiary centers in the world, but also the most important agricultural region in Italy, where territory and typicality translate into an agri-food heritage of excellence” (source: Lombardy Region).