Whether famous or not, apples are a traditional Italian product, with the most well known being the apples of Trentino-Alto Adige in Italy’s north.
An old Italian food festival is being revived though, at Casalnoceto, between Alessandria and Pavia, where the apple was once king.
At the eastern border of Piedmont, the festival or ‘sagra‘ of the ‘pom di moj’ (in Italian dialect), is being held to celebrate the method that was once invented to preserve apples.
The ‘moj’ method was one where healthy apples were washed, placed in a demijohn with a large neck, and covered with a slightly alcoholic wine and vinegar.
They were kept there for about 40 days and then were taken out towards the end of March to be eaten at the traditional spring festival.
The apple festival of Casalnoceto takes place on Sunday, March 21st, starting at 9:30 am and going all day.
You can taste the bitter-sweet local apples and discover this relatively unknown but beautiful part of Italy.
Casalnoceto is located about 100 km east of Turin, and only 75 km from Milan, making it a great option for a day tour from Milan.
For more information on the town, see the Piemonte in dettaglio site.