L'Ago Black Pea
Features: Black pea is already characterized from the sprouting stage by a particular violet variegation on the leaves. The plant is very vigorous, and sometimes can exceed the two meters of height. When it is dry, the seed has a size of 3-5 mm, a brown color, and a characteristic black spot surrounded by a dark brown-grey halo in the hollow where there is the juncture with the pod. The pea is harvested only when the pods on the plant are completely dry. A particular feature: the pods are much smaller than the other varieties, but in great numbers. According to the rural tradition, the dry seeds are used to prepare fine soups.
Production Area: Municipality of Borghetto Vara, with diffusion center in L'Ago country hamlet.
Curiosities: Historical news about this product are especially linked to the oral tradition handed down by the local people. This product of the earth is deeply linked to a poor area where, according to the tradition, it was used as a valid nourishing food to prepare soups.
Preparation: It is cultivated for the spring production: the first harvesting can already be carried out in March. Considering the short cultivation cycle, during the preparation of the soil almost all the manure is interred; organic manuring (30-40 tons for each hectare of manure) is useful in soils with a low content of organic substance. It is sown in rows far one from the other about 80-100cm and about 3-5cm along the row.
