Leading up to Spring

After almost two weeks of springlike weather, a magical covering of crisp wet snow blanketed the landscape when my sister and I went to get milk last Friday morning.

Nevertheless, the Bregaglia spring is not far off, and I can’t let winter slip by without mentioning the three Bregaglia winter events that lead up to spring. The first is the return of direct sunlight to the valley floor, the second is Chalandamarz and the third is the Engadin Skimarathon.

Every November, the sun disappears behind the south-lying Bregaglia mountain range casting a 3-month shadow on the valley floor. Villages only a few hundred feet higher escape the winter shadow and are frequented by those of us living below. This past winter, for the first time, I experienced the full 3-month shadow season. It wasn’t nearly as bleak as one might imagine. When the sun shines, its direct rays are only a few minutes’ walk away. This winter the snowfall rivaled the winters of 1977 and 1951, so with the landscape continually covered in snow, the shadow season was unusually bright.

After three months, everyone looks forward to the specific day when the sun’s rays stream through their window. For every house it is different. The above photo was taken on 10 February, the day before the sun should have shone through my windows, had it not been overcast. At the beginning, there is less than an hour of direct sunlight, but with each coming day, there is more. In Bregaglia, the tradition is to bake a cake and place it in your window on the day the sun arrives at your home. Nowadays, fewer people are baking cakes, but every 14 February my friend and neighbor bakes an apple cake and places it in her window to welcome the sun.

The next event leading to spring is Switzerland’s most important children’s holiday, Chalandamarz. This harbinger of spring is celebrated primarily in the Romansch-speaking areas of Graubünden and in Bregaglia, where an Italian dialect similar to Romansch is spoken. During Roman times, the 1st of March marked the beginning of the New Year, a time to chase away winter and the evil spirits of the past year. Out with the old and in with the new also pertained to the election of village officials. Today, it is only the cold winter spirits that are chased away by the singing children and clanking cow bells.

Flags in hand, the children clank their cow bells as they parade from plaza to plaza on this lovely, sunny Saturday, 28 February. In the morning, the teenagers make their rounds and in the afternoon the younger children follow suit. They stop at every plaza within the village community and belt out the traditional Chalandamarz songs. Small change and treats await the children after each performance.

My Mom remembers when she was a little girl and she and her classmates would sing and clank their way from house to house, collecting enough change to fund their annual class field trip. At the end of their Chalandamarz tour, they would sit down to warm chestnuts and whipped cream. Nowadays, spaghetti is more common.

The third event leading to spring is the Engadin Skimarathon. It is a chilly, bright, sunny day and everyone is upbeat and eager to begin the race. Colorful flags representing the countries of all the participants wave against the brilliant, blue sky.  A sea of skis  indicates the number of participants who have arrived hours in advance to secure a place at the starting line. After sipping hot drinks while waiting for the race to begin, participants and fans begin streaming out of Maloja’s hotels and head for the course.

When the Engadin Skimarathon began forty-one years ago, 945 men and women signed up. This year there were 11,000 registrants and years past have seen over 12,000 participants. The majority of skiers are nationals, but every year a couple thousand cross country skiers make the journey from as faraway as Australia and Japan to participate in this world-renowned race. Although each year newcomers join in, 490 skiers have done the race at least twenty times and there are still twenty-one skiers from the 1969 marathon that continue to take part in the race. The 42-kilometer course begins in Maloja, passes over the frozen snow-covered Silser and Silvaplauna Lakes, down to Pontresina and back up again through the eastern part of the Upper Engadin Valley to the town of S-chanf.

http://www.engadin-skimarathon.ch

Twenty minutes before the race begins, entrants stake claim to their skis and begin to warm up to the beat of lively music while announcers demonstrate specific warm-up exercises from the staggered towers along the southern sideline. Vivid blue, red and yellow advertisements wave above the starting line and sidelines. The countdown booms out over the loudspeaker, 4 minutes, 1 minute, 30 seconds and off they go. It is 8:40am and the 2500 Elite skiers are off and running.

For many years, each classification started at the same time, but in 1993, the more orderly staggered start system was implemented. There are four start times. First, is the Elite group, which includes: Elite (~100 entrants), Elite A (~600 entrants) and Elite B (~1800 entrants). In 2010, an Elite C category will be added. The second start group is Main Class A, the third, Main Class B and, the fourth, the General Class.

The starting line is divided into two sections. The first, and the largest section, is for the skate skiers and the second is for classical cross-country participants. The Elite skate skiing and Elite classical cross-country skiers begin at the same time and so on with each classification. In 2008, the Half Marathon was established to give beginners, less trained, and elderly cross-country skiers the opportunity to participate. Half Marathon skiers begin in Maloja with the General Class and, after skiing for 21 kilometers, end their race in Pontresina.

One would be hard-pressed to guess that well over 11,000 skiers and fans attend the marathon. The coordination of this event is a major organizational feat involving months of planning. Stepped-up public transportation carries the 11,000 participants to and from the start and finish lines and military trucks shuttle skiers’ baggage back and forth. Employees from Rivella (a Swiss soda company) and Knorr join 500 other volunteers in distributing drinks and energy snacks at seven refreshment stands along the course. Approximately 1,000 volunteers assist on the day of the marathon.

The emergency backup is also impressive. Fully equipped snowmobiles stand at the sidelines and the Rega helicopters are perched high in the mountaintops. Other helicopters swoop over the lake and hover above the starting line.  Rega is a non-profit organization, which offers Swiss citizens air-rescue medical service anywhere in the world.

Watching thousands of skiers disappear into the Silser Lake horizon, it is hard to believe spring is only a couple weeks away. After the marathon, the ski season begins to wind down and everyone gears up for spring. Until next year  . . .

References:

Graubünden: Switzerland’s #1 holiday destination. Tradition: Customs: Chalandamarz: http://www.graubuenden.ch/en/summer-holiday/relaxing-holidays/tradition/customs/chalandamarz.html

Graubünden: Switzerland’s #1 holiday destination. The Engadin Skimarathon and its history. Accessed online 20 April 2009: http://www.graubuenden.ch/en/winter-holiday/winter-activities/cross-country-skiing/the-engadin-ski-marathon.html

Engadin Skimarathon. Accessed online 21 April 2009:  http://www.engadin-skimarathon.ch/sites_e/index_home.php?IDt=home_home

Images of a Snowy Day

Several people in the valley have commented that whenever I am in the Bregaglia Valley it always snows heavily. It seems to be true. Three years ago there was tons of snow. This winter, the same. Wherever I have been, be it Bregaglia, Aquidneck Island (Rhode Island) or Manhattan (New York), the snowstorms have been following me around.

It was a blustery day and snowing uncontrollably as I waited for the bus heading to Italy. Normally, the 30-minute bus ride southwest takes me over the border to the quaint town of Chiavenna, where I pickup groceries, window shop and go to my favorite little cafe, Il Caffé, to write in my journal. The bus is never late.

Five, ten, fifteen minutes go by before I see a bus pass me heading in the opposite direction (usually ending up in St. Moritz). The bus driver stops and waves me over. The Maloja Pass was closed, so he would be heading to the village at the base of it, Casaccia, and then returning back down the valley to Chiavenna.

With all the snow, the bus driver had no idea when he would be passing by my bus stop again, so he said I could go along for the ride and we would arrive in Chiavenna whenever. The only other person on the bus got off at one of the next villages (Vicosoprano) and then it was just me and the bus driver for the following hour. I was thrilled. Now, I could take photos to my heart’s content, walk up and down the aisle freely and peer out any window I wanted. It was magical.

Vanilla Semifreddo with Raspberry and/or Chocolate Sauce

Over the holidays, I prepared this tasty dessert four times. Very similar to ice cream and just as delicious, semifreddo, which means ‘partially frozen’ in Italian, is a bit softer than ice cream, easy to make and ready to eat within hours. All without using an ice cream maker. This dessert is based on a recipe my sister found on the Aloi Means Yummy blogsite (which came from Jaime Oliver’s, The Naked Chef, pp. 202-203). The sky is the limit, so add whatever you like e.g. nuts, chocolate, fruit. I really like the plain vanilla semifreddo with raspberry and/or chocolate sauce (recipe below). Thanks to a dear friend, included below is the semifreddo recipe translated in Italian (for my Bregaglia neighbors).

Vanilla Semifreddo

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Freezing time: 1 hour +

Utensils:

• 3 large mixing bowls
• electric beater
• wooden spoon
• rubber spatula
• a container suitable for freezing (I find a glass or ceramic 12″ x 8.5″ lasagna dish works best)
• plastic wrap

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or, better yet, cut in half 1 vanilla bean and scrape the insides into the egg yolk and sugar mix)
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 fresh, free-range eggs (whites and yolks separated)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• pinch of salt

In first bowl, beat sugar and egg yolks until mixture is a light creamy yellow, then add vanilla and beat more.

In second bowl, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form (be careful not to beat too long, otherwise you’ll end up with butter).

In third bowl, beat egg whites, add a pinch of salt, and then keep beating until firm, fluffy peaks form.

If you are adding any extras, be sure to mix them into the egg yolk/sugar/vanilla mixture now. Add two wooden spoonfuls of the whipped heavy cream into the egg yolk/sugar/vanilla mixture and stir well. Then, gently fold in the rest of the whipped heavy cream and the whipped egg white. Be careful not to overmix, since it should be as light and airy as possible, yet evenly folded together.

Pour mixture into the glass or ceramic dish and use a rubber spatula to get every last bit. Cover completely with plastic wrap and place in freezer for at least 1 hour (I usually put it in for 3 hours).

Raspberry Sauce

Utensils:

• saucepan
• wooden or metal spoon
• large metal sieve

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. bag of whole frozen raspberries
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon sugar or to taste

Bring raspberries, water and sugar to a simmer and stir for 10 minutes. Pass mixture through metal sieve into a large glass or ceramic bowl. Be sure to push the raspberries through the sieve as much as possible, so only the seeds remain. Pour sauce into small cream pitcher and serve on semifreddo.

Chocolate Sauce

Utensils:

• saucepan
• wooden or metal spoon

Ingredients:

• 1 bar (100.1g) dark chocolate (in the States, I use Dove Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate and in Switzerland, Swiss chocolate, of course)
• approximately 1/4 cup milk, depending on desired sauce thickness

On medium-low heat, melt chocolate and slowly add milk, stirring constantly until desired thickness is reached. Once completely melted, pour into small cream pitcher and serve over semifreddo.

Semifreddo

Tempo di preparazione: 10 minuti

Tempo di congelamento: un’ora +

Utensili:
•    3 scodelle per mescolare
•    mixer elettrico
•    contenitore adatto per congelare
•    folia trasparente

Ingredienti:
•    1 pacchetto di zucchero vanillinato
•    200 grammi zucchero
•     4 uova fresche (albumi in una scodella, tuorli in altra scodella)
•    250 ml panna intera
•    un pizzico sale

Altre possibilitá di aggiunta:
•    cioccolato
•    nocciole, noci, mandorle macinate
•    bacche

Frullare lo zucchero con zucchero vanillinato con i tuorli in una scodella grande fino ad ottenere una crema chiara.

Nella seconda scodella sbattere la panna.

Nella terza scodella sbattere gli albumi a neve con un pizzico di sale.

Incorporare nella scodella con lo zucchero e i tuorli eventuali aggiunte e poi aggiungere delicatamente e alternativamente gli albumi a neve e la panna montata.

Mettere il tutto in una vaschetta, coprire con una folia trasparente e mettere subito nel congelatore per almeno un’ora.

(ricetta di Jamie Oliver dal libro, The Naked Chef, pagine 202-203.)

Saint Nicholases Visit Coltura

Christmas is around the corner and many children are eagerly anticipating Saint Nick’s arrival tonight. In Bregaglia, the St. Nicks have already arrived. Every 6 December, many Bregaglia villages setup a venue where the Saint Nicholases meet with the town’s children. When my Mom was a child, the St. Nicks made housecalls, traveling from home to home to make sure all the children had a well-behaved year. Misbehaved children might end up with a lump of coal instead of the annual delivery of mandarins and peanuts.

Way back when, the arrival of Santa was a serious matter. My Mom remembers already being afraid of Santa’s visit in the summer. Word had it that misbehaved children were stuffed into Santa’s sack and taken away. My Mom remembers one wintery 6th of December when Santa told the tale of a child who had recently escaped from one of his sacks. There were even stories of children pocketing knives, so they could cut themselves out of the bag, if necessary. However, a well-behaved child was always rewarded with a generous supply of mandarins and peanuts, which Santa spilled out of sack. This was the only time of the year these delicious treats were available.

Santa is based on the real Saint Nicholas, who, in addition to being the patron saint of mariners and children, was also the bishop of Myra (a part of present-day Turkey) during the 4th century. He was revered for his generosity and standing up for his beliefs. Western Europeans celebrate Saint Nicholas day on the 6th of December because it is said that medieval nuns used to go around leaving gifts on people’s doorsteps every 6th December. It is also said that on this same day mariners would sail into harbor and attend church to pay homage to their patron saint, who died on 6 December 346 A.D.

This last  chilly, snowy 6th of December afternoon, three Santas showed up with their donkeys in the small Bregaglia village of Coltura with treats for the village children. Parents served homemade cookies, hot chocolate and coffee for all the Santas, children and guests. Nowadays, the children are no longer as fearful of Santa. Everyone enjoys seeing the children collect their mandarins, peanuts and chocolates.

Delicious Chestnut Stuffing

The other day a friend asked if I truly realized how healthy chestnuts are and that they are extremely low in fat. Chestnuts are nutritious and one of the healthiest nuts around. She asked me to send her a few recipes, so I will share them with everyone and post new ones as I try them. The chestnut stuffing, based on a November 1993 Gourmet Magazine recipe, is one of my all-time favorites.

If you like chestnuts, it is handy to have them available in the dried form. Dried chestnuts last longer and are the next best thing to freshly roasted chestnuts. Sometimes it is a challenge to find good quality fresh chestnuts, so it can be disappointing going to the trouble of roasting and peeling a large quantity only to find that many are rotten inside. I have not seen dried chestnuts available in stores in the States, but they can be ordered from Allen Creek Farms in Ridgefield, WA. I have never ordered chestnuts from there myself, but they appear to be a  reputable chestnut supplier. As I mentioned in my last blog entry, Chestnut Season, my grandmother used to send us dried Bregaglia chestnuts and, now, living in Bregaglia, I buy them locally.

My Favorite Chestnut Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 cups day old homemade-style crusty bread (I use homemade-style wheat)
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 ribs of celery, chopped
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves or 1 tablespoon dried
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• ~3 cups whole chestnuts (2 jars from Whole Foods/Williams-Sonoma or 2 cups dried chestnuts, cooked in water for 1 hour, then drained), chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Place bread pieces in one layer in a shallow baking or broiling pan. Bake them in oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once they are a golden color, remove from oven and transfer to bowl. In large pan cook onions, celery, sage, thyme and rosemary in butter over moderate heat until vegetables are softened, then add chopped chestnuts and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add bread pieces to pan and mix with chestnut and vegetables. Add 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth (generally, 1 cube for 2 cups) and continue stirring. Add chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Stuffing may be prepared a day ahead of time and kept covered and refrigerated. I always serve the stuffing separately, as opposed to stuffing the turkey with it.

Makes approximately 10 cups. Once I have set aside what I need for the next day or two, I freeze the rest in small containers to serve as accompaniments later. I enjoy eating stuffing throughout the winter.

Chestnut Season

Chestnut in its porcupine-like casing

The smell of roasting chestnuts on a blustery fall afternoon is a sure sign that autumn has arrived and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. My Mom grew up in Bregaglia, where fall is synonymous with golden larch trees and wisps of smoke streaming from cascinas, Bregaglia’s small chestnut smoke huts. Although my sisters and I grew up in the States, each fall we experienced a taste of Bregaglia when my grandmother’s package arrived. This special delivery contained a medium-sized white linen sack filled with dried smoked chestnuts, which we ate like hard candy. Thanksgiving is my favorite North American holiday. I celebrate it wherever I am, and having Bregaglian roots, chestnut stuffing has always been an essential part of my Thanksgiving menu. Turkey stuffing is an American tradition, but chestnuts always remind me of Bregaglia.

One of the larger chestnut forests in Europe begins in the Plaza area of Bregaglia, just below Soglio, and continues down to Piuro in the Val di Chiavenna. Geographically, Val di Bregaglia (Val is the Italian word for valley) and Val di Chiavenna are the same valley, however, politically and culturally, Bregaglia belongs to Switzerland and Val di Chiavenna to Italy. Chestnuts have long been an important staple in this region.

Chestnut History

Originating in Asia, Castanea sativa Mill. is a member of the Beech family (Fagaceae) and the only chestnut species of the Castanea genus native to Europe. C. sativa usually grows in mountainous regions, where climate and soil conditions are more favorable. Bregaglia’s chestnut trees are found in the lower part of the valley in the towns of Promontogno, Bondo, Soglio and Castasenga, the latter getting its name from castagna, the Italian word for chestnut.

Approximately 2500 years ago, chestnuts began being transported from Asia via Greece to the West. The first written record of chestnut cultivation is in Theophrastus’ Enquiry into Plants from the 3rd century B.C. At the time of the Roman Empire (31 B.C.-476 A.D.), the Romans imported chestnuts into Europe, but during their reign, the only center of chestnut cultivation was Insubria, the northern Italian-Swiss region, which includes Lake Como, Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore. Studies indicate that Castanea sativa pollen existed in the Insubrian region throughout the Holocene Period (the past ~10,000 years), long before the Romans arrived. In any case, the Romans were probably responsible for introducing chestnuts to various parts of Europe, including Italian regions north of Rome, France (Corsica is a particularly renowned chestnut region), Spain, Portugal and Southern Switzerland (Ticino, Poschiavo and Bregaglia, where there are still remains of a Roman road).

Intense chestnut cultivation began during the medieval period (~400 A.D.-1517). High in protein, carbohydrates and fiber and rich in iron, potassium, phosphorous, B1, B2, vitamin A, vitamin C and magnesium, chestnuts became a main staple, as corn and potatoes did in other parts of the world. In most mountainous regions, where grains are difficult to grow, chestnuts provided a nutritious alternative. They were cultivated to ripen at specific times during the fall and for various uses, fresh consumption, drying, making flour and animal feed.

ordinary chestnut Spanish chestnut horse chestnut

Ordinary Chestnuts, Spanish Chestnuts and Horse Chestnuts

The two main European types are ordinary chestnuts (also known as Castanea sativa Mill., castagna, Kastanien, chataigne) and Spanish chestnuts (a cultivar of C. sativa Mill., marroni, Edelkastanien, marron). The regular chestnuts are smaller, darker and have a more oval base, while the Spanish chestnuts are larger, lighter brown and have a more rectangular base. Once the shell is removed, it is easier to remove the skin from the Spanish chestnut, whereas the regular chestnut skin is more tenacious. Although inedible, I am mentioning horse chestnuts because they are also found in Bregaglia. They are rounder in shape with an irregularly rounded base.

Horse chestnuts (Aesculus hippocastanum) are lovely decorative trees, getting their name from an ancient Turkish remedy, which used the seeds to make a cure for coughing horses. Horse chestnuts are also found in the States, but are a European import. In the United States, the native Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra) is the more commonly found decorative chestnut. The edible chestnuts in the States are the rare American chestnut (Castanea dentata), which dramatically dimished in number due to a fungal blight in the early 20th century.

“Noble” Chestnuts

The Spanish chestnut (marroni) cultivar, grown in warmer Val di Chiavenna, has always been valued for its larger size and sweetness and also has a history of cultivation in Portugal, Spain and northern Italy. Beginning in the Renaissance, the Spanish chestnut (marroni), known in German as Edelkastanien (“noble” chestnuts), was in high demand by French nobility from Lyon. The Lyonnaise monopolized one of the three most important European chestnut trading routes. Their route ran from northern Italy through Lyon up to Paris. The second road ran from Milan and Bergamo up to the Germanic regions, while the third began in Portugal and continued up to northern Portuguese and Galician harbors. The Spanish chestnut’s short shelf life (~three months), made them difficult to transport for weeks on end by horse and wagon, so only the best were chosen for long journeys. The financial risk involved in transporting chestnuts drove up the prices, making the finest chestnuts accessible primarily to the wealthy.

Cultivation for Wood

Chestnut trees were also cultivated for timber and fuel. The beautiful deep brown color of chestnut wood is lovely for floors and furniture. In many regions, chestnut wood was used for construction and for making baskets and outdoor implements. Chestnut wood is particularly weather and rot resistant.

Coppicing, a regenerative technique used for producing timber, was a common method used for cultivating chestnuts. The trees are cut down to the ground and the sprouting stumps are allowed to grow for a rotation (7-25 years) and then harvested for the wood.

Bregaglia Chestnut Harvest

Typically, from mid-September to mid-November, billowing smoke from the little chestnut foliage fires dot the landscape as porcupine-like casings (see very first chestnut blog photo) drop to the ground, burst open, and reveal deep brown chestnuts. The nuts must complete the final step in the ripening process before dropping to the ground, so it is important that the chestnuts fall on their own and are not shaken from the tree. Beforehand, the grass under the trees is usually cut to facilitate chestnut collection. Raking the chestnut leaf foliage uncovers shiny brown chestnuts lying on the ground or still partially wedged in their prickly casings. The chestnuts are then collected with glove-covered hands and placed into baskets or buckets. It is crucial to harvest the chestnuts one or two days after they have fallen, otherwise, worms and mold quickly move in.

The chestnuts are then delivered to the cascinas (smoke huts), where the drying process begins. The cascinas are located throughout the chestnut forest and a few are close to town. Back in the day, many families needed their own cascina to smoke their entire chestnut harvest. Today, there are fewer chestnuts and less families participating in this tradition, so several families usually share a cascina, spreading out their portion of chestnuts on the wooden poles in designated sections of the attic.

Below, a wood fire is started and kept going with chestnut foliage and twigs for six to eight weeks. Chestnut leaves and branches are collected and transported by gerlo to the hut. A gerlo is a large cone-like wicker basket with a flat base that is carried on someone’s back. A villager is in charge of tending the fire and making sure there is continuous smoke for drying the chestnuts. This ensures that the chestnuts will be mold, worm and insect free.

After the smoking process is complete, a day is chosen to get together and process the chestnuts. On the designated day, everyone gathers in the morning and is assigned a job. While someone removes the chestnuts from the attic, others stuff the smoked chestnuts into large long linen bags and begin swinging and pounding the chestnut-filled bags against a large round wooden stump. Once most of the shells have fallen off, the linen bag is emptied into a box. Then, the shell-less nuts are scooped into a large flat basket held by a woman, who has the hardest job. There are few people left that have the stamina and ability to continuously shake the basket back and forth until all the skins are removed from the chestnuts. Once this is done the shriveled chestnuts are placed in small linen bags and distributed to their respective owners.

After the chestnuts are processed and packed, it is time for lunch. Everyone brings something, so there is an abundance of delicious food and drink, cheese, bread, sausage, cold cuts, cakes, wine, mineral water and coffee.

Eating Chestnuts

In Bregaglia, chestnuts are commonly smoke-dried, but in other regions, such a northern Italy, they are frequently just dried. Smoke-dried and dried chestnuts are ground into flour for baking breads, cakes and making pasta. The smoke-flavored chestnuts are often boiled and eaten with red cabbage as a main meal or served warm with whipped cream for dessert.

In the fall, fresh chestnuts are roasted in the oven, on a special electric chestnut roaster or over an open fire. In Bregaglia, they are also boiled in water to make a dish called farüda, which is served with bacon and buttermilk mixed with whipped cream.

Roasting chestnuts over an open fire is one of my favorite fall activities. Whether the chestnuts are prepared over an open fire or in the oven, they need to be scored with an “X” or a simple slit to keep them from exploding during the roasting process. Then, the chestnuts are placed in a special metal pan with metal slats, which hangs from a hook over the fire. Steadily moving the long metal handle on the pan back and forth keeps the chestnuts from burning. After approximately 20 minutes, depending on the size of the chestnuts, they should be ready. The best test is to remove one from the pan, peel it and eat it. When they are done, pour them into a bowl and start peeling away. I am known for eating the chestnuts as fast as I peel them, so, when I lived in the States, if I needed larger quantities for stuffing or other dishes, I usually bought a jar or two (at apprx. $10 each) at Whole Foods or Williams Sonoma. Here, if I need larger quantities, I buy them dried and boil them.

Vermicelle, as it is called in German, is a chestnut paste squeezed into thin spaghetti-like strands. In Italian, vermicelli, literally means “little worms,” but are actually strands of pasta even thinner than spaghettini (thin spaghetti). Vermicelle is a dessert often served in a glass or pastry crust, or on top of a delicious cream pastry with fresh homemade whipped cream. Sometimes the chestnut paste is mixed with Kirschwasser (cherry water), a popular Swiss alcoholic beverage made from cherries.

Bregaglia Chestnut Festival

A couple years ago, in an effort to celebrate and preserve the longstanding Bregaglia tradition of harvesting and processing chestnuts, the Festival della castagna was started. This year, friends from California were visiting during the week of the festival, so we joined in the festivities. It was a beautiful sunny fall day. Locals and tourists gathered together for a delicious meal and various chestnut specialties. There were games for children, raffles, live folk music and stands selling all sorts of specialties made from chestnuts, such as cake, honey, beer and schnapps. The latter two are more recent developments.

Chestnuts will always bring back fond memories of my childhood and pulling white linen bags stuffed with smoked chestnuts out of boxes. It is nice to know the story behind those chestnuts, to see the trees from which they fell, how they were gathered and processed and, finally, the important role they played in Bregaglia history.

References:

Conedera, M., Krebs, P., Tinner, W., Pradella, M. and D. Torriani. 2004. The cultivation of Castanea sativa (Mill.) in Europe, from its origin to its diffusion on a continental scale. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, Vol. 13: 161-179.

Conedera, M., Manetti, M.C., Giudici, F. and E. Amorini. 2004. Distribution and economic potential of the Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) in Europe. Ecologia Mediterranea, Vol. 30, 2: 179-193. Accessed online on 12 October 2008. http://www.wsl.ch/personal_homepages/conedera/download/Conedera_et_al_2004

eNature.com. Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum. Accessed online on 12 November 2008: http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recnum=TS0114

Gutekunst, H., Pfammatter, L. and K. Pfammatter. Bergeller Edelkastanien. Chur: Gasser Print AG

Hofstetter, S., Tinner, W., Valsecchi, V., Carraro, G. and M. Conedera. 2006. Lateglacial and Holocene vegetation history in the Insubrian Southern Alps-New indications from a small-scale site. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, Vol. 15: 87-98. Accessed online on 11 November 2008: http://www.springerlink.com/content/m4745×8u63751n7x/

Horticulture Yard and Garden. Chestnuts, Horse-Chestnuts, and Ohio Buckeyes. Accessed online on 22 October 2008: http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h401chestnuts.html

Kiple, K.F., ed., and K.C. Ornelas, ed. The Cambridge World History of Food-Chestnuts. Accessed online on 13 November 2008. http://www.cambridge.org/us/books/kiple/chestnuts.htm

National Geographic Society. 1995. National Geographic Atlas of the World. Washington D.C.: National Geographic Society.

Sepia photos are courtesy of the Ciäsa Granda Museum in Stampa, Bregaglia

Cascina drawing is courtesy of the town of Castasegna, Bregaglia

Must Walk

La Plotta Trail from Soglio to Stampa

Walking is an essential part of life in the Swiss Italian-speaking valley of Bregaglia, known as Bergell in German. This narrow valley has long been a direct passageway from Italy’s northern Lake Como region to the Swiss southeastern Engadin Valley, where St. Moritz and other alpine towns and villages are located. Dramatic mountainscapes rise to the north and south of the Maira River, which flows southwest through the valley below. Though most households own a car, going for walks is still an important part of daily life, whether for exercise, picking up groceries or socializing. Often, all of the above are combined.

Many clearly marked paths lead back and forth through Bregaglia and up and over into neighboring valleys. Telltale red and white stripes and occasional yellow markings indicate if you are on the right track. My cousins remember when they were kids accompanying my uncle, paint bucket in hand, to retouch the trail markers.

The walking routes are endless and include variations for all ages and fitness levels. A more rigorous walk will follow higher altitude trails and descend to the village of your choice when it is time to call it a day. For a more casual stroll with higher altitude views, it is also possible to take the local bright yellow postal bus up to the charming little village of Soglio. The approximately 1.5 hour walk back down into the valley passes through meadows and forests and over streams. Other options are to walk from village to village and enjoy the lovely architecture of the stone houses and churches dating back to the Renaissance and Reformation. Whichever path you choose, you will find that the fresh mountain air is invigorating and the serene landscapes with cows, sheep and goats dotting the landscape relax the mind.