La PeraccaIn the lovely hills along the Po, on the border with the Monferrato district not far from the small town of Casalborgone, this farm also practices sylviculture but is best known for its cultivation, processing and commercialisation of PGI Piemonte hazelnuts, especially the typical trilobed tonda gentile variety, much used in confectionery. When they are ripe, the hazelnuts are husked and roasted in situ, then sold, some by retail, at the farm shop (open on Thursday from 5p to 8pm, on Saturday from 8.30am to 12.30pm, and in summer also on Sunday afternoons). They are available whole in vacuum-packs or processed in the form of cream spreads, biscuits, tarts, galettes, ice creams and other certified gluten-free specialities.
Other products include wheat flour (ground in a small stone mill) and cornmeal, suitable for making polenta, crêpes and tortillas and for breading.
From February to October, La Peracca also organises educational acivities for school parties, groups and families. They include visits to the hazelnut groves and the bakery where the biscuits are made.
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