Fruits, Vegetables, Mushrooms and Truffle

In the Province of Forli-Cesena there are nearly 25,000 hectares of land on which fruit and vegetables are grown; 15,000 hectares are for fruit and 10,000 for vegetables which are all grown outside. 
The fruit grown includes peaches, apricots, plums, strawberries, kiwis, apples, pears and cherries and the vegetables, potatoes, green beans, peas, lettuce, chicory, turnips, tomatoes and other more minor kinds. Some of these vegetables are still in constant production while others are today grown locally or on a very small scale for a specialist market, like the Shallot of Romagna which has been awarded the IGP (Indicazione geografica protetta) - a recognition of quality.

The tradition of cultivating and the fruit and vegetables grown in Romagna are now part of our heritage, thanks to written accounts handed down over the centuries. Peaches were grown as early as the 14th century and evolved into Nectarines; as for strawberries, which originally grew wild everywhere, they are now grown in the area around Cesena which is considered to be an excellent location both in Italy and Europe. 

Cherries were introduced by the Romans and as early as the Middle Ages they were grown in the Bidente Valley which today still boasts local varieties like morandina, morette and duroni (in particular in and around Civitella di Romagna).
The cherries grown in the hills of Cesena, Roncofreddo and Longiano are also highly regarded on the market, with typical varieties such as quali moretta, durona, corniola, duroncina, marciana….
The importance and nature of the fruit produced in this area have been recognised with the IGP quality acknowledgment for pears, peaches and the Romagna Nectarine, whilst the other types of fruit can today boast inclusion on the national list of traditional products in the Province of Forli’- Cesena.

From a dietary point of view, the fruit produced in the Province of Forlì-Cesena is amongst that with the highest quota of essential elements for a healthy and balanced diet. 

A large number of converted farmhouses, restaurants and food shops stocking typical produce along the Route through the Hills of Forlì and Cesena serve fruit and vegetable products in their meals and genuine, local preserves (melon, fig, quince, cherry jams; aubergines and tomatoes pickled and stored in oil; peaches with Albana wine; strawberries in wine, etc.).
Green herbs which grow freely are used and reproposed in local specialities. The most commonly found are stridolo, raperonzolo, rosolaccio, radicchio di campo, ortica and vitalba.

In the Forlì and Cesena territory, one kind of truffle is particularly famous: the valuable White Truffle (Tuber magnatum pico). Two areas which are particularly renowned for truffles are the Montone Valley and the Bidente Valley. At Dovadola the historical White Truffle Festival is held at the end of October; at Cusercoli the Bidente Truffle Festival is at the end of November. 

The most sought after mushrooms in Romagna are porcini, but the prugnolo (whose festival takes places at Cusercoli) and galletti, prataioli, chiodini, finferli and mazze da tamburi are also popular.
Nowadays, the most prolific and well-organised production of honey can be found in the upper Apennines. But you can still find traces of the tradition which, at one time, was wipespread throughout the whole countryside: farms and converted farmhouses, even in the hills, produce and sell their own honey products.