Facing the Adriatic Sea, in the Pesaro Urbino province, the picturesque Fano hosts, on the second weekend of September, a festival dedicated to a typical local delicacy: the brodetto, a savoury fish soup which is a staple of the seafood cuisine in Fano. Fano’s brodetto has very poor roots, fishermen used to prepare it right on the boat with that fish that could not be sold due to being to small or ruined by the nets. Scraps were cooked in a pan with oil, onion, tomato paste and vinegar. Today, the brodetto has become an excellent local specialty and is prepared in different versions with a vast range of fish. The official recipe involved the use of: manti shrimp, dogfish, stargazer, monkfish, ray, St Peter’s fish, redfish, squid and weever. The dish is accompanied with bread which is to be used to fare la “scarpetta” (to mop the plate with bread), a typical Italian tradition.
The BrodettoFest celebrates seafood cuisine in Fano
The fish soup is the protagonist, every year, of the BrodettoFest, one of the most important Italian food events because it combined the old sea tradition with innovation: the advanced knowledge of fish by local fishermen meets chef and guests of the national and international food landscape. During the weekend, it is possible to see presentations and take part in different activities set in strategic areas around town; every event has the goal to share and highlight local food excellences and supply chain of the fishing industry. The centre of it all is the Palabrodetto, where it is possible to view cooking shows by great star chefs and celebrities of the Italian cuisine scene. At Palco Cavea talks and panels are held, one after the other, involving some of the most important names from journalism and show business; the conversation is increasingly focused on the biological and sustainable aspect.
On the promenade you can find the Brodetto&Kids area, dedicated to children, where kids can take part in games and workshops to learn about food, healthy eating and the sea. The newest area is Meet Moretta and it is dedicated to Fano’s traditional drink which is called moretta: a coffee with a shot of alcohol which is a blend of aniseed liqueur, rum and brandy, a strong and sweet after-dinner drink. This space also hosts the national Moretta&Co.cktails Competition where bartenders compete to create new drinks. Perfect to be paired with seafood is wine which cannot be missing; the official wine of the BrodettoFest is the Bianchello d’Autore. The project unites nine historic Bianchello del Metauro DOC wineries, a straw-yellow-colored wine with a dry and fresh flavor, produced solely in the hilly area that from the sea goes up along the banks of the Metauro river.
In addition to the official events of the BrodettoFest, the whole town comes to life thanks to the Fuori Brodetto with a lot of initiatives related to the popular declicacy and sea customs. For example, you can take part in a food tasting activity on board of the Brodetto Boat and enjoy the beautiful view on the adriatic coast straight from the sea. But of course, the restaurants are the true protagonists of the initiative, each of them offering their version of the brodetto. Fuori Brodetto, in addition to allowing the audience to taste the dish, is also an actual challenge: a jury decides which, out of all the participating restaurants, cooks the best brodetto.
Featured image: BrodettoFest
