Alice Polenta and Cod Festival

Polenta and cod, the flavor of the Carnival finale

In the heart of the Valchiusella, nestled among chestnut woods and the famous Lakes of Alice, the village of Alice Superiore in the municipality of Val di Chy (Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont) hosts a gastronomic event highly anticipated by the community: Polenta and Cod. This is not a grand, spectacular fair, but a genuine village feast where the focus is on the pleasure of gathering around the table and passing down the flavors of the Canavese tradition.

A ritual that closes the Carnival season

The event holds a specific meaning in the local calendar: it arrives after the Carnival celebrations, ideally representing their conclusion. Following the parades, masks, and moments of merriment, the Alice community gathers to share a lunch that satisfies both young and old. It is a way to bid farewell to winter and prepare for spring, keeping alive a custom deeply rooted throughout the Canavese area and the Valchiusella valley.

The star dish

At the heart of the feast is, of course, the pairing that gives the event its name:

• Yellow polenta, cooked according to the traditional Piedmontese recipe, thick and steaming;
• Cod (baccalà), prepared according to family recipes passed down through generations;
• all accompanied by local wines and the conviviality of long communal tables.

This pairing, typical of the Lenten period and the end of Carnival in many Piedmontese towns, is interpreted here with the artisanal care of the volunteers from the Pro Loco Val di Chy, who manage the organization and the kitchen.

Alice Superiore and the Valchiusella

The setting is that of a mountain village immersed in nature: Alice Superiore, an autonomous municipality until 2019 and now part of Val di Chy along with Pecco and Lugnacco, is known for its lakes and the alpine landscape of the lower Valchiusella. Participating in the Polenta and Cod festival is also an opportunity to discover an authentic corner of the Canavese, far from mass tourism circuits, where hospitality and folk tradition are still the main protagonists.

A feast for the whole community

The Alice Polenta and Cod festival is above all a moment of social connection: families, the elderly, and children meet in the village hall to share lunch in an informal and welcoming atmosphere. It is the very identity of a mountain village expressing itself around the table, renewing its bond with its gastronomic roots every year.