April is almost a religious month of seasonal food in Italy. In Verona, the Vinitaly fair brings together the entire wine world at the start of the month, but the real story unfolds a little further south, in the small towns of Tuscany, where festivals dedicated to the artichoke are held in late April. This isn’t glamourous, but rather a local celebration - tables placed out- doors, recipes passed down through generations and one vegetable that peaks during this season. Beyond the halls of trade fairs – on local markets and in smaller towns, artichokes are prepared in dozens of ways: fried, stuffed, baked or simply boiled with olive oil and lemon. They are accompanied by young cheeses like pecorino and the first fresh pasta with light sauces. As a natural continuation of this story, Florence of- fers one of the most authentic insights into dai- ly life in Tuscany. On its markets, such as the Merca- to Centrale and the Sant'Ambrogio Market, the stalls are packed with seasonal vegetables in April: peas, broad beans, asparagus and artichokes. The food is local - ribollita (a traditional soup) turns into light- er varieties, while meats and cheeses are combined with fresh accompani- ments.
ITALIJA ITALY
U Italiji je april gotovo religija sezonske hrane. U Veroni „Vinitaly“ počet- kom meseca okuplja čitav vinski svet, ali prava priča dešava se nešto južnije, u malim mestima Toskane, gde se krajem aprila održavaju festi- vali posvećeni artičoki. Nema glamura, već je u pitanju lokalna prosla- va – stolovi na otvorenom, recepti koji se prenose generacijama i jedno povrće koje u ovom periodu dostiže svoj vrhunac. Van sajamskih hala – na lokalnim pijacama i u manjim mestima, artičo- ke se pripremaju na desetine načina: pržene, punjene, pečene ili jedno- stavno kuvane sa maslinovim uljem i limunom. Uz njih dolaze mladi sire- vi poput pekorina i prve sveže testenine sa laganim sosevima. Kao prirodan nastavak ove priče Firenca nudi jedan od najautentični-
jih uvida u toskansku svakodnevicu. Na pijacama poput „Mercato Centrale“ i „Sant’Ambrogio“ tezge su u aprilu pune sezonskog povrća: graška, boba, špar- gli i artičoka. Hrana je lokalna – „ribollita“ (tradicionalna supa) prelazi u laganije va- rijante, dok se meso i sirevi kombinuju sa svežim prilozima. Krajem aprila održavaju se i festivali arti- čoka, poput onog u varošici Kjuzure (23– 26. april). Fokus je isključivo na jednoj na- mirnici, što je čest i autentičan obrazac italijanskih prolećnih proslava hrane.
Late April sees the stag- ing of local artichoke fes- tivals, such as the one in the village of Chiusure (23 rd –26 th April), where the focus is solely on one food item - which is a common and authen- tic pattern of springtime celebrations of food in Italy.
DENMARK
In Copenhagen, Torvehallerne Market becomes the centre of the city in spring; a place where local products and haute gastronomy meet in their most relaxed form. Everything appears simple - from open sandwiches with perfectly layered ingredients to fermented vegetables that add depth to the taste. Of particular importance here is the strict observance of seasonality: no premature straw- berries, no imports that break the rhythm. This period is dominated by fish, fermented produce and simple dishes like smørrebrød, but with spring ingredients. The city is still emerging from winter, which is why the food strikes a balance between warmth and freshness. The Copenhagen Beer Festival, which is still underway and on- ly ends in mid-April, further enriches the city’s scene. However, the real charm is in daily life – in small morsels that are eaten while standing still, between two walks along the waterfront.
Spring » Proleće | 105
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