The “Priest’s Hat” pumpkin is a vegetable that symbolises the extraordinary biodiversity of products from the lowlands of Reggio Emilia and Mantua that are celebrated in recipes and at major food fairs. The number one fair is theRegional Pumpkin Fair in Reggiolo, which takes place during the last two weeks of September. This fair is a fusion of cuisine, history and flavours where you can sample pumpkin-based specialities in local restaurants and enjoy costumed lunches and dinners in the old town centre. Folklore, jugglers, parades of medieval clothes, falconry, archery and jousting spice up this event.
This pumpkin gets its curious name “Priest’s Hat” (which is also used in Parma and Mantua) from its double-brimmed shape. With a wider upper brim and a smaller lower brim, its shape resembled the hat of a parish priest in popular imagination until the 1950s. Elsewhere pumpkins with similar shapes have been given more exotic names, such as “Turban Squash”, but in Emilia a name with local meaning has prevailed.
The Priest’s Hat pumpkin is characterised by a distinctly sweet taste and a doughy pulp, which gives the pumpkin a rather hard texture. By its nature, the pumpkin is a low-calorie food rich in potassium, magnesium and vitamins – particularly vitamins A and B. It is also helpful for hydration as it contains approximately 94% water, boasts significant anti-cancer properties and is essential for maintaining correct water balance between our bodies and their mucous membranes.This plant is highly frugal as every part of it, from the flowers to the leaves, is edible and very tasty!
The Priest’s Hat pumpkin has been grown in the Emilian region for longer than any other product. This pumpkin was traditionally stored for months until the spring and was then (and still is) used as the main feature in a typical dish of Reggio Emilia and Mantua – pumpkin tortelli. The characteristics of this pumpkin: a hard, dry pulp, sweetness and the absence of any particular aroma (unlike the typical aromas of the Cucurbita moschata pumpkin), make it perfect for this dish. The characteristics of the pulp also lend themselves well to making pumpkin gnocchi.
For farming families in the Po valley, who in the past trod a fine line between modest wellbeing and subsistence, pumpkins have always been grown in home vegetable gardens and valued for their yield and preservative properties. This predominantly family-based growing tradition has never developed into true specialised cultivation in the Reggio Emilia province. Currently, the areas in which the pumpkin is grown are small. Melon and watermelon farmers grow them mainly for the local market
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