Description
FUNGO DI BORGOTARO PGI
The first reports that refer to the Fungo di Borgotaro PGI are found in the Istoria di Borgo Val di Taro written by Alberto Clemente Cassio (1669-1760). A second testimony on fungal production is obtained from the topographical vocabulary of the Duchy of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla by Lorenzo Molossi of 1832-1834, in which in the entry dedicated to the territory of Albareto the author mentions the flourishing production of mushrooms.
The trade of Borgotaro Mushrooms developed further during the 19th century, giving rise to various attempts to rationalise the market; furthermore, in order to prevent an excessive exploitation, in 1964, for the first time in Italy, the reserves for the collection of mushrooms were established.
The production area of the Fungo di Borgotaro PGI falls in the municipalities of Albareto, Borgo Val di Taro, Bedonia, Berceto, Compiano and Tornolo in the province of Parma in the Emilia-Romagna region and in the municipalities of Pontremoli and Zeri in the province of Massa-Carrara, in the Tuscany region.
The Fungo di Borgotaro PGI is not cultivated, but it is characterised by spontaneous growth. We can therefore speak of “treatment”, in reference to the management of the woods in which the harvest takes place, which differs according to the environmental conditions.
The harvesting operations are carried out from late spring to late autumn depending on the variety: the Boletus aestivalis species appears in late spring and in the warmer years it bears fruit until autumn; the Boletus aereus is collected instead in the hottest periods, the Boletus pinophilus is collected from spring to late autumn, finally Boletus edulis is harvested in autumn.
