Sagretta del Salame Cotto e della Grepola

Two flavours of peasant tradition

In Quinzano d'Oglio, a municipality in the province of Brescia in the Bassa Bresciana region, the Sagretta del Salame Cotto e della Grepola is one of the most cherished gastronomic events of autumn. The stars are two iconic products: cooked salami, awarded the De.Co. (Denominazione Comunale - Municipal Designation) to protect its authenticity, and grepola, the crunchy residue from pork fat processing, a symbol of the simple yet skilled cuisine of the plains.

Together with Thanksgiving Day

The festival takes place concurrently with the historic Giornata del Ringraziamento (Thanksgiving Day) for the agricultural world, now in its seventieth edition, in a union that combines peasant tradition and community spirit. The morning begins with the gathering of tractors in viale Gandini, followed by mass in the parish church and a parade of agricultural machinery through the town streets to the cemetery, accompanied by the Banda Quinzanese in a moment of remembrance and gratitude for the work of the land.

Stalls, exhibitors, and greased pole

At noon, the ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opens the fair: the gastronomic area hosts over 100 exhibitors from Lombardy, alongside a craft market and an exhibition of vintage tractors. In the square, there is also the albero della cuccagna (greased pole contest), a traditional game that entertains both young and old.

The communal lunch

The convivial heart of the day is the communal lunch under the loggia of the Oratorio Estivo (Summer Oratory): spiedo bresciano, cooked salami with polenta and spinach are the star dishes, to be enjoyed on-site or taken away. The Sagretta del Salame Cotto e della Grepola thus tells the agricultural and gourmet soul of Quinzano d'Oglio, in Lombardy, amidst authentic flavours and traditions that endure over time.