Giovanni Rana Honored at San Zeno Chestnuts Event Supporting Local Producers

Characters & Gastronomy. Giovanni Rana participated in the tasting event of Monte Baldo chestnuts promoted by the members of Slow Food. During a dinner at a restaurant in San Zeno, he received the commendation from the Paladins of Ca’ Montagna and a terracotta sculpture by Pino Ferrari, with the wish that the entrepreneur quickly takes the hint and pays homage to the traditional recipes based on this fruit by soon producing a new filling. A great success. The event «San Zeno Chestnuts and Wine», promoted by the Garda Veronese Slow Food Condotta in four restaurants in San Zeno, sparked curiosity and enthusiastic participation from hundreds of food lovers from across Veneto, Lombardy, Emilia, Trentino, and South Tyrol.

Support for Local Producers

Alongside Slow Food, the promotion of Baldense chestnut cuisine was supported by the tourism promotion agency of the Riviera degli Olivi, Comune di San Zeno di Montagna, the Community Mountain of Baldo, the chestnut growers association, and the Compagnia de la castagna dei paladini di Ca’ Montagna. It was precisely the Compagnia de la castagna, presided over by Grand Paladin Marco Bisagno, that was the star of a delightful blitz at the end of the event, once again serving as an excellent ambassador for the quality of the typical products of Baldo.

A Tribute to Giovanni Rana

Surprisingly, he was also invited to join the ranks of enthusiasts of the Baldo chestnuts, Giovanni Rana, the king of tortellini. During an informal evening at the restaurant La Casa degli Spiriti, Bisagno presented Rana with the commendation of the Company, complemented by a terracotta sculpture by Pino Ferrari, an artist from San Zeno di Montagna.

Or rather, more than a commendation, it is called the «Grand Cord of the Paladins», as coined by the ceremony master of the Compagnia de la castagna, Gino Abati, who also collected Giovanni Rana’s signature on the historic register (an elegant leather-bound book on parchment) of the brotherhood. As in every gathering of the Company, the official poet of the group, Franco Ravazzin, composed appropriate verses. This time, those verses were, of course, dedicated to the illustrious guest, who was exclaimed to be «a little turned, now he’s become… Rana!» concluding the poem with a gastronomic wish: «The Ca’ Montagna Paladins wait for the chestnut-filled ravioli».

Chestnut-Based Recipes

Indeed, the versatility of Baldense chestnuts as a filling for ravioli, or even ground into flour for making the pasta dough, was clearly demonstrated during the San Zeno di Montagna gastronomic event: the menus featured, from time to time, chestnut ravioli with lettuce sauce, half-moon-shaped ravioli filled with chestnuts and cinnamon, or ravioli with chestnut cream, pumpkin, and sage (the latter being one of the dishes Giovanni Rana was able to taste at La Casa degli Spiriti).

As lawyer Bisagno, founder and leader of the Compagnia, informed us, Rana himself did not exclude the possibility of making stuffed pasta with chestnut flavor. «What gives us the most joy», emphasizes Bisagno, «is that such an important figure in the landscape of the national food industry accepted our spontaneous tribute with genuine participation. Actually, it was perhaps precisely this atmosphere of familiarity, outside formalities, that struck him most».