Garlic of Resia
The mountains of Friuli preserve in their territories resources that have been elsewhere forgotten. Among these, there are agricultural resources like species, breeds, and varieties that have been handed down from generation to generation.
The geographical isolation of Val Resia has enabled the conservation of an interesting vegetal biodiversity: both garlic - called strok by the people from Resia - and the beans and corn produced in the valley have been studied by the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Udine. A specific variety of garlic and thirty different bean ecotypes have been found out.
With the collaboration of the Municipality of Resia and Parco Naturale delle Prealpi Giulie, including most of Resia Valley, a project to enhance the local garlic has been implemented. It is a high-quality garlic, very aromatic, with very small bulbs characterized by a reddish tunic, each with 6/8 cloves, with no central cloves. In the past, during the summer nights - after the harvesting which took place between the end of July and the first ten days of August - the local inhabitants used to intertwine long strings, locally called kite (plaits), that were hanged out of the house in a dry and airy place and gradually used. Today the garlic is packaged in small bunches with 4-5 bulbs and is preserved also for one year. The strok is particularly suitable to prepare cold cuts because it is sweet, without aroma, and sometimes sour in the most common varieties. The cultivations of the valley are natural, manuring uses cattle manure, and parasiticide treatments are rarely used.
The garlic of Resia is one of the Slow Food Presidia, that is projects safeguarding small quality productions carried out with traditional practices (www.presidislowfood.it).
It was born to enhance this small biodiversity heritage: also a way to contribute to the development of the community of Resia, reducing emigration and recovering the vital force of a protected area that does not want to be a mere natural museum. The project, started thanks to a contribution of the former "Imont" (today: EIM, Ente Italiano della Montagna - Italian Mountain Authority), is implemented now by Parco Naturale delle Prealpi Giulie Park Authority, the Municipality of Resia, and Cirmont (Centro internazionale di ricerca per la montagna - International Mountain Research Center) from Amaro. Also local associations contribute to this project.
Contact for the producers and for information: Laura Beltrame (President of the Association joining the producers) - mobile +39 335 5708226 - tuciza62@libero.it
Product Availability: August, September, and October of every year. In other periods of the year, it is difficult to find it, since it is produced in small quantities.
