If you think that radicchio rosso is just a form of salad, think again. This highly appreciated gastronomic speciality of Treviso (Veneto) is a listed IGP exclusive product and is being celebrated with a twelve-day bonanza to mark its thirtieth anniversary.

The Festival, organized by the association Friends of Red Radicchio and the Pro Loco (local tourist office) of Scorzè, opened on the 4 November 2011 and will feature a whole weekend (18-20 November) highlighting the tourist Radicchio Route, with tastings and the sale of typical gastronomic products of the Veneto region.

Guided tours and farm visits on the Sundays of the 6 th and 13 th November will give visitors a first hand opportunity to view the various phases of production that make radicchio rosso the exclusive product that it is. The plant, in fact, undergoes a delicate preparatory growth process, matured over centuries of production, to give it its exclusive sweet, crunchy flavour, abetted by the local spring water, which flows out of the earth at a constant temperature of 12-14°, creating the ideal habitat for the precious vegetable.

The busy programme of the 12-day event includes gymnastic displays, concerts, talks and, of course, food in many forms. Visitors will no doubt be intrigued to taste the latest novelty, the Ambra Rossa beer, brewed from radicchio and soon to be launched on the market.

For information: Tel (0039)041.446650  www.prolocoscorze.it