Malon

The Natisone valleys fan out to the northeast from the town of Cividale, in the far east of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, reaching towards the Slovenian border. The 1,641-meter-tall Matajur mountain overlooks the valleys, which have maintained gastronomic traditions similar to those found in the mountainous Alpine areas. Living where the summers are short and mild and the winters long and cold means making the most of what is available, raising the animals best suited to mountain life and selecting and cultivating fruits and vegetables that can be preserved for months.
But an exception is still grown in the high ridges of the Natisone valleys, a type of pumpkin called Malon, which has been found here for centuries and continues to be cultivated despite its poor suitability for conservation. The rounded, cylindrical, white-fleshed squash looks like a large zucchini when small, but when fully ripe it can reach a length of 40 to 50 centimeters and a diameter of 30 to 40. The skin is smooth, at most slightly bumpy and green and white in color, turning to a deep yellow, almost ochre, when fully ripe. In the best years, a single plant can produce up to five fruits.
Malon is cooked when still fresh, and has white flesh and tender skin. It has a sweet flavor and is the key ingredient in traditional dishes like briza, also known as zupa malonova, a soup made with Malon, batuda (acidified full-fat cow’s milk) and beans. Grated and stewed, it is often served as an accompaniment to meat dishes and sometimes used in variants of štakanje, a mix of mashed potatoes and vegetables, as well as risottos and frittatas.

Season

Malon is available from August to October.