Livia, our researcher and Granny finder often stays in touch with the families and the nonne we film, and as we briefly mentioned in last week’s blog post, she recently got the scores on the doors from food festival: Sagra delle Sfogline.
Later this week she got sent some pictures from a different pasta event in Ferrara Caslte. Her lovely granny network keep her up to date on what’s happening, and who is awarded prizes. So, we checked in with her to find out some more about the behind the scenes of this event and what happened this year in more detail…
The Sagra delle Sofgline is an annual pasta making competition in Massalombarda.
The competition is separated into different categories and professional pasta makers – like chefs and restauranteurs go head-to-head in one category, while other locals compete against each other too.
Yet the judging criteria is based on more than just size: they also assess smoothness, thickness, and the absence of any glitches or tears in the dough so you have to be strong, and soft with your pasta making skills.
The rules are listed as follows:
“The first thing we look at is homogeneity—so no holes and an even thickness. The second is size, meaning the area of the sheet. And if two sheets turn out the same, then it comes down to time, with a maximum of 30 minutes.”
The event is quite a huge spectacle, and not just about the prizes. It’s more an excuse for friends and family to gather with a glass of wine, watch, and is celebrate the old-fashioned pasta techniques which are still upheld today.
Competing in the challenge were some people we’ve previously filmed for their signature pasta dishes: Ada, Luisa, and Paolo, all got their hands covered in flour to make Sfogline. There, Luisa won and she sent us a picture with the prize.
And, not too far away in the courtyard of Ferrara Castle, there was another pasta competition too, held on 6th September. Unlike the lively festival atmosphere of the Sagra, this event is all about the contest itself.
She received a prize and treated everyone to a touching poem about the Mondine – the women who once harvested rice in the fields. It was especially moving because Ada herself used to be a Mondina, and hearing her words brought that history to life in a heartfelt way.
Staying in touch with our grannies is just a small part of what Livia gets up to every week. If you fancy learning more about What Livia’s job as a Granny finder involves you can read our blog post on the Magic of Granny finding. Plus, Club members can watch the behind-the-scenes videos of us following Nonna Ada a festival at a Sfogline competition last year.
