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Parks to enjoy

tag Parchi Enogastronomia Turismo Gusto

Ultimo aggiornamento: April 9, 2024

Biodiversity at the table

In pursuing the aim of protecting and managing natural environments which constitute habitats necessary for the conservation and enrichment of biodiversity, the Parks of the Cottian Alps are committed to valorising agro-forestry-pastoral activities and typical local products.

Parchi da Gustare is the initiative promoted by the Piedmont Region, involving 39 Protected Areas and their twelve management bodies, designed to enhance and preserve the rich heritage of flavors and knowledge that reflect the tradition and environment from which they come.

The objectives of “Parks to Enjoy” are:

  1. Promote the usability of the Parks through the creation of a network between the various entities present in its territory;
  2. Enhance the relationships between the economic actors who have a relationship with the Parks;
  3. Promote Biodiversity through simple and immediate language.

The focus of the project are the products coming from the Piedmontese parks, registered so far:

  • 77 cheeses;
  • 50 wines;
  • 46 desserts;
  • 41 cured meats;
  • 31 vegetables and legumes;
  • 29 native breeds;
  • 25 species of fruit;
  • 22 liqueurs;
  • 48 other products.
Products Products
Producers Producers

The project and the Park Menu

The unique opportunity of Expo Milan 2015 "feeding the planet, energy for life", combined with the anniversary of the European Parks Day, celebrated every year on 24 May (the day on which, in 1909, the first European park) have pushed the protected areas of the Piedmont Region to update the atlas of typical products to relaunch their varied heritage of flavors and knowledge and to publish them in a first volume "Parks to be enjoyed", dedicated to the products.

In 2016, to celebrate European Parks Day, the initiative “a taste of nature” was launched. Lasting a week, between 21 May and 29 May, it allowed the knowledge of local products and the strengthening of ties between restaurateurs and local producers, who operate both inside and near the protected areas. This initiative was implemented by proposing an ad hoc menu (after a careful selection of local products and restaurateurs) called "Park Menu" to enhance the local products presented. The second volume "Parks to enjoy" is dedicated to the recipes of the "Park menu".

The release of the volumes is the first step of the project, which will be followed by the drafting of a set of rules for producers and restaurateurs who want to equip themselves with a logo of origin (not quality), which the Piedmont Region will assign to those who want join the project. Subsequently, a single database will be created containing the number of producers and restaurateurs in the natural areas of Piedmont and an App to be able to use the list also in a mobile version.

Parchi da Gustare was created to make collaboration between the Park Authority, Restaurateurs and Producers more effective and efficient. Precisely for this reason all restaurateurs and producers who wish can join by respecting the principles of the memorandum of understanding.

Attachments

download Products from the Cottian Alps Parks Products from the Cottian Alps Parks and list of local fairs.
download Parks to Enjoy 2020 leaflet All participating producers and restaurateurs.
download Presentation of Parks to Enjoy Project presentation.
download Accession protocol Protocol for joining the project.

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