Do you Speck Sauris?

 

This is a post dedicated to the guests of my Nati’s House. The described places are quite far and a daily trip from Venice is not an easy target: it takes about three hours to reach the places by car. So I think this post can be more useful to anyone who has still to plan what to do before or after a stay in Venice. It is my aim to write other posts about the North-East of Italy so that a serious organized trip may be planned in consideration of more than one single place. They will come with a bit of calm.Today’s goal is Sauris, which is the highest village in the Carnia Mountains situated at 1,400 m above the sea level. Its original small human community has remained isolated for centuries until the Fascist period when a huge dam has been created in a narrow valley to perform an artificial lake, nowadays a highlight of the panorama.  According to legends the community of Sauris has been established by two German soldiers seeking for peace and for a relaxing place where giving up with wars. Locals are very proud of these “pacifist” origins of their village. The isolation of the original community is now reflected in the local dialect which is half a way between an Italian dialect and the German language. “Zahre” is the local name for Sauris. A short stay in the village gives no opportunities to take excursions following the numerous tracks departing from the village but can surely be a good occasion to sample and buy the local very specialized products of the traditional cuisine. First of all consider their “speck” a marvellous smoked ham which can be found in all the Trentino Alto Adige but in Sauris it finds the excellence. There are two small factories producing it, one of these is called Wolf and it is possible to visit it. Then try the “ricotta affumicata di Sauris”: a smoked ricotta cheese which best destination is grated over a dish of “tortelloni con le erbette”, dressed with butter. Locals say it is possible to put pieces into the freezer and then use the grated part just when necessary. Sample the wholemeal “Zahre” beer produced locally, particular the “canapa” version in beautiful white bottles of 75 cl. A dish prepared with Sauris speck (or prosciutto crudo), “ricotta affumicata di Sauris” can be served with ripe figs and “Gubana” cake or “Focaccia” cake. Its ideal accompaniment is the Ramandolo wine, a particular wine  produced, specifically, between the Local Council areas of Nimis and Tarcento and which vineyard area totals just 60.41 hectares with a production of only 2355 hectolitres! Its strong character and pleasantly sweet flavour is unforgettable. With a bit of luck it is possible to admire local people play the “morra” a simple game held through shouts and rapid hands movements. It is so an ancient game that even Cicerone, in the Ancient Roman period, quoted it saying that it was possible to play at “morra” in the dark with a trustable man. The game is so a soul-involving process that in the recent past it was forbidden in the public spaces: Often people passed from a hand movements to knives movements… Things are now radically changed and it appears now as an innocent part of the Italian folklore. As last it is worth taking a visit to the textile fabric factory in Villa Vicentina, along the way to Sauris.

   
 More info in: http://www.sauris.com/english/default.asp 
Nati's House in Venice (the flat I rent for tourist purposes)

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Comments

[Giulia Landriscina]

Dear Paolo, when I read this blog I think that you are telling a very pleasant story, and I forget that I live with you and I shared all these experiences...
Maybe this is the secret of our beautiful relationship!
Your wife