If you love nougat in all its forms and specialties then mark this appointment: until November 21 in Cremona there is the nougat festival. A tempting appointment to taste this specialty, but also to attend exhibitions, awards, tastings and major events. The 2021 edition, after the health emergency, returns to its original nine-day formula. Many appointments planned and not to be missed for this edition entitled "Last but not least".
Torrone, including installations, airbrushes and awards
With the due rules to be respected, as in other events open to the public in Italy and which know a restart, Cremona, the city of Stradivari, promotes this event. An autumn event, the flagship of local tourism and which ideally wants to unite the nougat producers from various parts of Italy. On the program there will be giant constructions of nougat, gastronomic challenges and guided tastings. But also space for guided tours of the monuments, at the departure of the steam locomotive for a dip in the past, with the “Centoporte” carriages pulled by the steam locomotive FS Gr. 740-278, built in 1922 and therefore almost XNUMX years old.
And again the large chessboard with towers, horses, bishops, ladies and kings all prepared with nougat and chocolate. Still the exhibition, showcooking, of master pastry chef Nicola Giotti, the competition between Lombard women, the airbrushing of the pastry chef Damaride Russi. And the homage to the "Tiger of Cremona", Mina, with some phrases of her famous songs, which illuminate the main street of the city.
The prizes of the Nougat Festival
But the nougat festival is not only a great pleasure for the eyes and for the throat. It is also an important moment for the restart of the sector. And then there will also be room for the awards. Among these, the recognition Ambassador of Taste for this edition to Andrea Tortora, the son of pastry chefs. He trained in Paris, London, Singapore, Venice - for years at the helm of the patisserie of the 3 Michelin star St. Hubertus restaurant. And again the Goodness Award, established to recognize acts of generosity, assigned this year to the Leisure Time Donors Association, which since 1967 has been recovering, repairing and possibly modifying walking aids, giving them free and unlimited use to anyone who needs them. Space also for the prize Golden Nougat awarded to Nicolò Govoni, writer and human rights activist.
Side events
Not just taste. Also in Cremona appointments with art thanks to a photographic exhibition "Festa del torrone memories" until November 28th, to learn about the history of this event with 50 images by the Cremonese photojournalist Davide Magri. Until 21 November, in the Alabardieri Room of the Town Hall, in Piazza Stradivari, an exhibition curated by the “Andrea Pazienza” Comic Center and by the collector Fausto De Crecchio. The protagonists are the cartoons by Forattini, Giannelli, Pericoli, Vauro, Bucchi, Angese, Staino, Mannelli.
Women protagonists
There is also space for displays of taste prepared by women. In fact there will be a challenge between female chefs from East Lombardy, which brings together the territories of Brescia, Bergamo, Cremona, Mantua - recognized in 2017 European Region of Gastronomy. "The event certainly represents a great sign of economic recovery also for the related industries it creates - say the mayor Gianluca Galimberti and the commissioner Barbara Manfredini -. In fact, alongside the events there are businesses hospitality, accommodation facilities and shops; tourist guides and tourism and cultural promotion projects that enhance our typical products. In all these years, thanks to the collaboration of many and in particular of the Chamber of Commerce, the party has increasingly become a reason for meeting and comparison as well as an object of study, so much so that we can confidently affirm that the Torrone has become a tourist destination product ".
The images are taken from the Facebook page @FestaTorroneCremona
