2024-08-06 07:35:39
BOLZANO. Today and tomorrow at Gone the “Marble and Apricot Festival” takes place, an event that commemorates two of the symbolic products of Val Venosta. But this year, at least as far as the typical fruit is concerned, there is somehow little to celebrate. Accomplices the spring heat and the persistent rains of the following period (which was followed by the wave of sultriness), the quality of the traditional apricot, the most prized, has been compromised.
The harvest itself has decreased by almost a tenth. The farmers have decided to increase the price from 5 euros last year to 6.5 euros. “Now it’s hot again so the situation should improve,” they say at the consortium that hopes for a possible market recovery. In the meantime, Lasa is getting ready to celebrate. The town is known for its “white gold”, the very fine marble of rare purity and for its tasty apricots with an unparalleled flavor.Marble and apricots” is the festival that celebrates these two pillars of the local economy and life in this area.
Apricot cultivation has been as troubled this year as in 2017 when adverse weather conditions had created major problems. The particular climate of Venosta, lots of sun and wind and usually little rainfall gives the Venosta apricots a unique and unmistakable flavor. Cultivation takes place on sandy soils located between 700 and 1200 meters above sea level. The large temperature variations between day and night also mean that the fruits ripen slowly and develop a balanced sweet-sour aroma. The Venosta apricot is a typical variety of the valley and stands out among all for its aroma, its oval shape and its thin, velvety skin of dark yellow, tending towards orange: it is certainly the fruit that characterizes the summer in Val Venosta. ED
2024-08-06 07:35:39