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The Lumignano Peas
In the Berici Hills area that includes Lumignano, Castegnero, Nanto, Mossano and San Germano dei Berici, a local variety of peas that are particularly tasty are cultivated. They are Lumignano Peas, which were introduced to the Berici Hills by the Benedictine Monks around the year 1000, who began reclaiming the land at the foot of the hills. This area was an ideal habitat for peas, thanks to the exposure to the sun and the heat held by the rocks, factors that permitted exceptionally early production. The ability of the farmers over the centuries, who were able to select an exceptional product for quality and taste, must be added to these favourable conditions. In the past, the Doges of Venice themselves requested Lumignano peas as a primary ingredient of the typical dish “risi e bisi” (rice and peas) to be savoured for the Feast of St. Mark. The Berici Hills peas nevertheless required hard work for cultivation, since they were grown in small gardens excavated in the steepest positions, in order to take advantage of the best exposure, building terraces, where it was necessary for everything to be carried on the farmers’ backs with creels. But the result was an extremely delicate product that delighted the palates of the most demanding connoisseurs. Over the course of the centuries, the production became increasingly limited, to the point that today, Lumignano peas are produced only by families for needs tied directly to the local restaurants and for the celebrated Peas Festival, which is held every year in the month of May.
- Product Characteristics
This product is sewn in November or December at the latest, while the harvest is in April or May, between the early varieties of southern Italy. Harvest of the pea pods takes place when the seed is still tender and soft, when they are very delicate.
The Berici Hills peas never leave the immediate area,
especially since it is a local product, but also because it is an artisan product and not an industrial one. The harvest amounts to about 7 thousand quintals.
- Peas in the kitchen
The famous Lumignano Pea Festival falls on the second Sunday of May. It is possible on this occasion to taste “tajadele coi bisi” (pasta with peas) or “risi e bisi” (rice and peas) prepared according to the historical recipe. The recipe for “risi, bisi e oca” (rice, peas and duck soup), a variation of the recipe for rice and pea soup, is also typical and a characteristic dish of the southern part of the province of Vicenza, which is made more appetizing with pieces of duck meat. Tasted alone, the peas are traditionally cooked in a pan, following the same procedure as rice, peas and duck or pasta and peas and, in particular, the Lumignano variation also calls for a piece of sweet bacon in the sauté.
TRADE FAIRS AND EVENTS
Lumignano di Longare
(mid-May): Sagra dei “Bisi”
(The Pea Festival)
Ph. +39 0444 953399
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