Il luogo simbolo di Spilamberto, che domina l'ingresso al paese
The tradition of nocino: the dew of the night of St John is the secret ingredient
Nocino and the magical dew of St John's
On Modenese Christmas tables, nocino (walnut liqueur) is an unfailing end to a meal. Winter festivities are, in fact, the first opportunity to taste the liqueur prepared during the summer and left to rest during the autumn. A delicious elixir made with a secret ingredient.
The magic ingredient
According to nocino tradition, the best walnuts are harvested, still unripe, on the night between 23 and 24 June, when the ‘guazza di San Giovanni’ (St John's dew) forms. Belief has it that this dew (‘guazza’ in Modenese dialect) has miraculous regenerative properties, including making the walnuts special for the liqueur.
Picking walnuts was an exclusive activity, entrusted only to the woman most skilled in making the nocino. She had to climb barefoot up the tree and pluck the best fruits by hand without touching the skin or using metal tools that could oxidise the husks.
The tradition of nocino
As in many folk tales, there is also some truth in the story of the prodigious dew of St John. The end of June, in fact, is the best time for harvesting balsamic first fruits. At that time of year, the nuts, with the drupe still green, reach the optimal condition for infusion because they are intensely scented and loaded with sap and essential oils.
Fostering the tradition of nocino in the Modena area was the abundance of walnut groves between the Secchia and Panaro rivers. And it is precisely the location, so humid also in summer, that has influenced the exceptional quality of the raw material used to make the liqueur, which today has Geographical Indication (GI) status.
Preparation of the liqueur
The advice is to enjoy nocino prepared by the masters of tradition, but if you want to try your hand at preparing it recipes of the Order of Nocino Modenese will give you some creative ideas.
The classic preparation requires the walnuts, cleaned and cut into four parts with a ceramic knife, to be placed with the sugar in a dark glass container without rubber seals. It is essential that the jar is left in a sunny area for 2 days before adding 95° alcohol and exposing it to the sun for at least half a day. The next step is to be patient. Leave it to infuse for 45-60 days, shaking the jar from time to time, and once ready, bottle the nocino, filtering the liquid with a clean cloth.
Modena is a city with a unique balsamic tradition, do you know the centuries-old tradition of balsamic vinegar?
Ph. Foto 1 @pierfrancescocavallini
Ph. Foto 2 @ironman_balu
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Il luogo simbolo di Spilamberto, che domina l'ingresso al paese
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The cities
Spilamberto is an ancient town located on Via Romea and venue for a museum dedicated to Traditional Balsamic Vinegar, the most prized product of the area.
Spilamberto is an ancient town located on Via Romea and venue for a museum dedicated to Traditional Balsamic Vinegar, the most prized product of the area.