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Marostica Cherries
Between history and legend
The Marostica cherry is definitely the most widely known fruit produced in the Province of Vicenza. The origin of the plant is probably Caucasian. The largest varieties were selected in the Orient in extremely ancient times, about three thousand years before Christ, and arrived in Italy from the Turkish heartland, thanks to the interest of the Consul Lucullo, who was sure of the success of the fruit. The Romans improved the varieties so that the plants produced large and succulent fruits. As far as the name of the fruit is concerned, the origin is somewhat uncertain. The name “cherry” seems to descend from Cerosonte, a city in Asia Minor, or from a term of Persian origin.
The presence of the cherry in our province seems to have very ancient origins and is tied to the historical game of chess played in the heart of Marostica in 1454. The first trees were planted that year, by order of the governor Taddeo Parisio, on the day of his daughter’s wedding, whose hand was contended by two cavaliers. To avoid the duel, the governor decided that the girl would wed the one of the two who could beat the other in a game of living chess. The game was played in the city square, with the king, queen, bishops and pawns, rooks and knights interpreted by live persons. The winner wed the contested maiden and the loser instead won the hand of the less beautiful sister of the governor as a consolation prize. In memory of this challenge, on the day of the wedding, Taddeo Parisio ordered that the entire territory be planted in cherry trees. The result of all this was living chess game which is renewed every two years in September.
Characteristics of the product
The Marostica IGP cherry is a red drupe, or stone fruit, with a very solid pulp, which is packaged in containers weighing a maximum of 10 kilos and which can be recognised by the logo portraying a red cherry with a green peduncle superimposed on a medieval tower, representing a piece of a chessboard. Concerning the calibre, or the maximum diameter of the fruit, cherries are classified as extra, with the largest calibre, of 20 mm, 1st and 2nd calibre, with a maximum diameter of 17 mm and 3rd calibre, with a maximum diameter of 15 mm.
Where they are produced
In the north of the Province of Vicenza, the cultivation of cherries has always been quite important and is also characteristic of the landscape. The typical area of production of the Marostica IGP cherries includes the Vicentine piedmont segment of land, which starts in Breganze and goes through the territories of Marostica and Bassano, including the cities of Mason, Pianezze, Molvena, Salcedo, Schiavon and Fara Vicentino. These are plains and hillside areas, which are rich in potassium, allowing the production of sweet and tasty fruit. The area cultivated and the quantities produced make the Province of Vicenza the second in the Veneto Region for the cultivation of this fruit. The Veneto, in turn, is the third most important region in Italy in terms of the quantity of cherries produced, with 15% of the production, following Puglia and Campania. Over 15 varieties are cultivated in the IGP district, for a total area of about 450 hectares.
Who produces the Marostica Cherries?
The most recent data refers to an annual production of over 6 thousand quintals. A good part is conferred to the Marostica Cherry Consortium, which obtained the Communitarian IGP trademark in 2001. As early as the Fifties, the harvest of the cherries were obtained in the Mason Vicentino area. The same area were they were sold. At the beginning of the Sixties, on the other hand, sheds to store, process and market the cherries were built and in 1969 the Marostica Cherry Consortium was founded, for the purpose of organising and protecting local cherry producers.
Market Features
The variety benefits from the IGP, or Protected Geographical Identification marking. The IGP Marostica cherry is recognised by a logo that illustrates a red fruit with a green peduncle superimposed on a medieval tower, which represents a piece of the famous chess game in the square of Marostica. It is round, red and has a solid pulp. Once gathered and until it is delivered to the marketplace, the cherries are kept in fresh and shady areas to avoid loss of quality and conservability.
If the cherries are not marketed within 48 hours of harvest, the fruit is cooled with the technique of hydro cooling.
TECHNICAL CARD
- Family: Rosacee
- Period of production: harvest begins at the end of May (about 60 days after flowering) and continues throughout June.
- Area cultivated: about 450 hectares.
- Quantity produced: about 6 thousand quintals.
- Plant: the cherry tree has a robust trunk that can reach up to twenty metres in height. For the sole purpose of facilitating the harvest, the trees are pruned to smaller sizes. A well-drained terrain with a ph that may vary from 6.5 to 8 is required. This fruit is capable of withstanding low temperatures.
- Variety: the Marostica varieties now include the early Sandra, from the name of the first farmer who made the graft, the mid-to-early Roana cherry, the “Roman Durona”, the late Milanese, the “Red Durone”, the “Morettina” and the “Biggareau”, which is particularly resistant to rain.
- Nutritional characteristics: the cherry protects the heart and has analgesic effects, thanks to its anthocyanins, which are salts that are present in great quantities in the mature fruit. It also favours control of hypertension and diuresis. Cherries have few calories, only 38 per hundred grams of fruit, and have no cholesterol.
They are rich in mineral salts (potassium, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc), vitamins (especially vitamin A and C) and polyphenols. Cherries are also rich in sugars that are also well tolerated by persons affected with diabetes.
USEFUL ADDRESSES
Consorzio Cooperativo Ortofrutticolo di Mason Vicentino
(Fruit and Vegetable Cooperative Consortium
of Mason Vicentino)
Head office: Via Roma
36064 Mason Vicentino (Vicenza)
Ph. +39 0424 708027
TRADE FAIRS AND EVENTS
Pianezze
(second half of May): Festa della
ciliegia Sandra
(The Sandra Cherry Festival)
Ph. +39 0424 476525
Marostica
(end of May): Mostra provinciale
delle ciliegie
(Provincial Cherry Show)
Ph. +39 0424 479128
Mason Vicentino
(beginning of June):
Mostra mercato delle ciliegie
(Cherry Market Show)
Ph. +39 0424 708021
Recipes
Fruit cup with cherries and grapefruit
4 servings
200 g. of cherries,
40 g. of powdered sugar,
lemon ice cream,
2 pink grapefruits,
Maraschino.
Wash, dry and cut the grapefruits into halfs horizontally. With a small knife empty them, fruit extracting without their skin protection.
Put into a bowl the extracted grapefruit, the cherries (without their pit), and pour Maraschino (3 cup). Mix, put the bowl in a fresh place and let the ingredients marinate for a half an hour. Then serve the fruit into the grapefruit’s peel and complete with lemon ice cream.
Sea bass carpaccio with raw cherries (appetizer)
4 servings
750 g. of sea bass to be sliced (or 300 g. of sea bass already sliced)
one lemon
500 g. of cherries
extra virgin olive oil
chives herb,
salt, pepper.
Cut the sea bass into very thin slices, salt and pepper. Remove cherry pits and cut their flesh to julienne. Keep the cherry juice and mix it with lemon juice and olive oil. Put the cherries on a dish spreading the sea bass
slices on the top. Dress the
whole with the emulsion and sprinkle some chives. Dress with the remaing cherries and several chive blades
Veal “Reale” with Cabernet and cherries
4 servings
800 g. of “reale” veal,
2 dl of Cabernet,
150 g. of carrots, celery and
onion all diced,
150 g. cherries without pits,
1 dl extra virgin olive oil
Brown meat in a pan for some minutes, add vegetables and let simmer for some minutes. Add the wine and cherries, salt and pepper. Cooking takes about 80 minutes. Keep the sauce which remains at the bottom of the pan after cooking and serve it previously sliced veal.
Sweet red wine and cherries jelly
4 servings
500 ml. sweet wine like Moscato or Recioto from Gambellara,
3 tablespoons of sugar,
25 g. jelly,
1 kg. cherries.
Place the jelly in cold water and heat up wine. Add jelly and let it melt. Fill half way with wine six small moulds and “drown” about a half Kg of cherries into them. Refrigerate.
Aside, boil little water with sugar and the remaining cherries. Mix in the blender.
Put this sauce over the jelly complete by sprinkling powdered sugar.
Beef fillet and Marostica cherries
4 servings
4 thick sliced beef filet
250 g. cherries without pit,
1 tablespoon of mustard sauce,
1/2 cup of red wine,
1/2 cup of sherry
minced green onion,
butter,
salt, pepper.
Brown green onion with butter. Add cherries, add red wine and sherry, add mustard.
Add the beef fillets to the sauce, add the cherries and let simmer over low heat.
Remove from heat. Put the meat aside and dry the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the fillets together with the cherry sauce.
Duck meat and cherries from Marostica
4 servings
1 dumb duck (which is less fat than others),
1 Kg cherries without pit,
red wine
Season duck meat with salt and pepper, bind with kitchen string and bake in a pre-heated oven (200 °C) for 20 minutes. Add cherries. Wet duck meat with red wine and add cherries. Cook for half an hour at 180 °C. Baste often with red wine. It’s not necessary to add oil because duck meat is already fatty. Serve duck previously sliced with cherry sauce.
Traditional cherry cake
8 servings
700 g. IGP cherries
from Marostica
(Durone Nero II variety),
150 g. butter,
3 eggs,
200 g. brown sugar,
1 l. milk,
250 g. flour,
a bit of salt,
1 small amount of
vanilla extract,
1 teaspoon of baking powder.
Split butter into small pieces, mix with sugar and salt, add eggs one by one, mixing continuously. Mix the baking powder with milk and add to the compound, blend the flour into the mixture until a not too dense dough is obtein. Add the cherries (without pit) and pour the whole in a baking tray previously covered with baking paper. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cook in a
pre-heated oven (160 °C) for about one hour. Remove from oven and let cool.
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