Garlic of Voghiera PDO

The production area of Voghiera Garlic PDO includes the municipality of Voghiera and part of the municipalities of Masi Torello, Portomaggiore, Argenta and Ferrara, located in the province of Ferrara, in the Emilia-Romagna region.

Garlic of Voghiera PDO is obtained through the selection of the best bulbs coming from bulbs, called "heads", produced during the year and intended for sowing. The chosen bulbils should be healthy, turgid, fleshy and uniform. The soil is plowed to a depth of 40-50 cm and then proceed with sowing, which is carried out from 15 September to 30 November, by hand or by mechanical means. Each "seed" must be positioned in such a way as to avoid the scratching of the roots during the winter or a death by radical asphyxia. Harvesting generally takes place from 10 June to 31 July and can be manual or mechanical. The product intended for drying, is left to dry naturally "in the open field" for 5-10 days, in special premises for 10-40 days or in isolated rooms with controlled atmosphere for 24-72 hours. During the packaging phase, the bulbs can be hand-woven with their own stem and tied with twine, raffia or other suitable material to form braids.

Until the VII century A.D. about Voghiera had a predominant role in the agriculture of the territory of the Po Delta, as evidenced by some archaeological finds. Later in time the Estensi, lords of Ferrara, decided to relaunch the territory. In 1435, in fact, the marquis Niccolò III built in Voghiera the castle of Belriguardo, summer residence of the Estensi family and this encouraged the cultivation of vegetable plants, in particular garlic, intended for sumptuous court banquets. Even after the departure of the noble family in 1598, farming continued to flourish. More recent news can be found in accounting documents dating back to 1928, in which acts on the trade of local "garlic and onions" with some European countries are recorded.

Characteristics

Garlic of Voghiera PDO has round, regular and compact bulbs, slightly flattened at the point of insertion of the root system, bright and uniform white, rarely streaked with pink. The bulbils are compact and characterized by a typical curvature of the outside. For the high quantity of allicin, active ingredient contained in the bulb, the scent is very intense, but the palate is not aggressive.

Pairings

Thanks to the intense flavor is the ideal ingredient for very common and simple dishes such as bruschetta or spaghetti garlic and oil, but it is also great in the preparation of more elaborate dishes. Typical recipes of Ferrara include garlic salami, paté and garlic oil or garlic in oil. Perfect for your sautees, for roasts or fish. The garlic of Voghiera has a very intense scent, but a more delicate flavor, for this reason it goes well with all the dishes that recall it.