VITERBO – The special kids of the Friends of Galiana Association made an extraordinary gesture today by planting the seeds of the ancient purple carrots of Viterbo, a vegetable thought to have been lost for over 70 years. This particular variety of carrots was once cultivated exclusively by the nuns of the monastery of Santa Rosa in Viterbo in the last century. After the harvest, they were prepared according to an ancient recipe and stored in terracotta jars, often served as a side dish for special dishes such as mixed boiled meat, a tradition for Christmas lunch. The credit for finding the seeds and the secret recipe goes to Paolo Bracaglia, who scoured the Viterbo countryside to recover them. Now, thanks to his discovery, the children of the Friends of Galiana Association will be able to grow these carrots, then selling them to finance projects aimed at autonomy. “The seeds of this vegetable had disappeared for almost 70 years,” explains Bracaglia, “but fortunately they were found together with the original recipe, thus allowing the kids to grow them, cook them and sell them to support themselves.” (source Ansa).
