Spelt is an ancient corn, the progenitor of all the corns, renowned food of ancient peoples such as the Assyrians, Babylonians, Romans… and recently we have rediscovered the important nutritional qualities that make it competitive again and much used in cooking, even by the greatest chefs.
There is a place in Tuscany, where the passion for its cultivation has never faded, and in the centuries patients farmers have continued to cultivate it with hard work and dedication. Here spelt is not just a food, it’s history, culture, passion, tradition .. Exactly from the tradition comes an anectdote that we want to tell you, some advice, which can be useful if you find yourself staying for a period in the territories of the Garfagnana… Did you ever woke up one morning with the blankets away from the bed, heard tease during the night, woke up due to the noise at the door? Or found objects in a different position from where you left them, or not even find it for days and then saw them reappeared where you had already searched and searched? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you have certainly found unwittingly in the company of the mischievous Linchetto, invisible master of these lands from immemorial time .
The Linchetto is an anthropomorphic being down for about half a meter high, usually dressed in red and green, with a funny hat and pointy shoes, malicious and spiteful, who loves kiddding people, especially young couples and old women. No despair, unpack your bags if you had already decided to run away, because in Garfagnana there is who live with it all along, and he revealed us some valuable secrets to remove him and avoid his unbearable jokes.
One of these tricks has the ancient corn its protagonist. It is a common knowledge that the Linchetto is extremely punctilious but also very distracted because of his restlessness. During the night, then, lay beside the bed or on the front door a bowl of farro: the Linchetto because of his hectic passion for perfectionism will get to count the grains but being, as we have said, very distracted and a bit ‘illiterate lose the sum and will have to start all over again… This activity will keep him busy for a long time, until it will run away peeved! Do not lose heart and… good luck!
