Pontedassio, more than biscuits

A view of Pontedassio

The first entroterra of Imperia is dotted with villages, the perfect foodie stopovers, and the Impero valley, the vastest of the province, displays an array of gourmet excellences. Terraced hills dominate the area, which is the realm of olive trees: this is known as the Conca d’Oro (Golden Bowl), the realm of the taggiasca cultivar and of outstanding EVO producers. 

 

The village of Pontedassio, a few kilometres from Imperia, boasts the tradition of pasta making: here, in 1824, the Agnesi household started their business - the most ancient pasta brand in the world.

 

Pontedassio hosted the main headquarters until 1887, when an earthquake damaged the old mill and production was moved to Imperia. The beautiful Palazzo Agnesi (now the seat of the Municipality) is a living evidence of that age. Through time, however, Pontedassio linked its name to another typical product, the fragrant Pontedassio biscuit. According to local lore, in 1905 Caterina, the parish priest’s housekeeper received the recipe on occasion of her wedding: a present that changed her life as well as that of her spouse, Sebastiano Semeria, the baker of the village. 

The ancient recipe and the original brand were bought out and valorised by the renowned Arimondo food business, which still manufactures biscuits artisanally: widespread distribution via supermarkets reaches the 4 Ligurian provinces. 

The cellar of the Azienda vitivinicola Laura Aschero, in the central Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, is another must-visit; the ancient and frescoes spaces, in fact, house a state-of-the-art wine business and a comfortable tasting room where to savour renowned white wines - Pigato and Vermentino, both featuring in the Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC, and Rossese, the most celebrated Ligurian red. Laura Aschero saved the family’s vineyards from oblivion: as years passed by, she focused on quality and was awarded important national recognitions. Today it is up to grand daughter Bianca – the third generation - to carry on family’s traditions.

The centre of the borgo also hosts the Frantoio Pontedassio, which produces EVO (taggiasca cultivar) through its stone mill.

Last but not least, Pontedassio is the seat of Latte Alberti, one of the most important dairy manufacturers in Liguria: milk, cream, fresh cheese and even grana padano DOP (this last – obviously - made with Piedmontese milk). Latte Alberti is available for guided tours of the plant, too.

 

My English abstract of the article as published on LiguriaFood

Luisa Puppo

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