English version

HISTORY OF THE SAGRA DEL LATTARINO (LATTARINO FESTIVAL)

The little town of Marta has existed since time immemorial on the shores of Lake Bolsena, one of the most beautiful and unspoilt lakes of Italy. The townsfolk work the land and produce olive oil and a local wine called Cannaiola, both much appreciated by locals and visitors alike. There has been a thriving fishing industry there since Dante’s time.
Thirty years ago a cultural association dedicated to Alberto Lisoni was founded by a group of friends from Marta – Giuseppe Frattini, Antonio Lisoni, Costantino Scatarcia and Danilo Paganini – with the approval of a number of professional fishermen (Pepparello, Gigge 'l Grosso, 'l Draghetto and Giuliano il Bitter). Their enthusiasm and appreciation of the natural beauties of the landscape and the gastronomic delights of the lake waters led to an idea that was both practical and innovative: the Sagra del Lattarino. Little by little the lattarino festival grew in importance until it became among the most famous in the province of Viterbo, its fame spreading not only throughout Italy but to many European countries too.
A huge frying-pan, 3 metres in diameter, holds court atop a pedestal in gardens near the lake shore. The freshly-caught lattarini are coated in flour and tossed into hot, fragrant olive oil. They are served piping hot in ceramic bowls to thousands of customers by volunteers. Not professional waiters or waitresses, cooks or cashiers – just friendly local people. Everybody crunches the fried fish, which is eaten whole, head included, while admiring the panorama. Old friends meet up, new friends are made, all in an atmosphere of conviviality.
At sunset the cars snake out of Marta, their occupants having spent quality time with ‘real’ people, enjoying an authentic cultural experience. All who come to the festival return again and again!

THE LATTARINO

Kingdom: Animal
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Genus: Atherina
Species: Boyeri
Classification: Risso, 1810
Family: Aterenidi Atherinidae
Order: Mugiliformes
Morphology: minute in size; slim body; back greenish-grey with black dots; a horizontal silver band; light-coloured underbelly; fins grey and silver with 2 short dorsal fins, the first just behind the vertical fin which joins the rear tip of the pectoral fin to the centre of the ventral fin; a bright silver stripe runs along the side at the level of the 4th or 5th scale.
Size: 12 cm, occasionally reaching 15 cm at 5 years of age.
Habitat: lives in large shoals in fresh or brackish water; present in several lakes of central Italy, including Lake Bolsena; a desirable prey to other fish, it constitutes an important link in the food chain.
Feeding: feeds on planctonite invertebrates
Reproduction: reproduces in spring/ summer; each female lays about 600 eggs several times at intervals of a few days; the eggs are 2mm in diameter and have thread-like protuberances for clinging to rocks.
The delectable flesh of the lattarino makes it a prime target for the fishing industry. It is marketed either fresh or marinated.

RECIPES

Marinated lattarini

Ingredients
1 kg lattarini
4 sprigs rosemary
4 cloves garlic
15 leaves sage
2 peperoncini (small chilli peppers)
¼ litre wine
¼ litre water
½ litre vinegar
salt

Fry the lattarini (without flour). Add the herbs to the water, wine, salt and vinegar and boil for an hour. Pour the mixture over the fried lattarini.

Lattarini in vinegar

Ingredients
½ kg lattarini
3 spoons olive oil
2 spoons vinegar
1 sprig rosemary
2 cloves garlic
1 peperoncino

Fry the herbs in olive oil. Add the lattarini and vinegar. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 180/ 200.

Lattarini buionato

Ingredients
1 kg lattarini
3 cloves garlic
1 sprig rosemary
4 leaves sage
olive oil
vinegar
½ kg tomato pure
peperoncino

Fry the lattarini (without flour) and leave to cool. Prepare the buionato: sautè the herbs, add the tomato pure and half a cup of vinegar. Cook for 30 minutes on a low flame. Pour over the lattarini. Serve hot or cold.

Lattarini soup

Ingredients
½ kg lattarini
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tuft mentuccia (field balm)
2 peperoncini
olive oil
¼ cup wine
300 grams tinned tomatoes

Sautè the herbs in abundant olive oil. Add the lattarini, wine and tomatoes. Salt to taste. Add 1 litre water. Boil for 20 minutes. Pour the broth over toasted bread.

(Translated by Carol Preston)