Fried dumpling festival in Castelletto di Serravalle

In the medieval village of Castelletto di Serravalle (BO), "Il" gnocco (not "lo" gnocco, mind you!) reigns supreme. October is its festival: since the early 1990s, the Sagra del Gnocco Fritto has been an unmissable event for those who love the genuine flavors of Emilia Romagna. And there is no shortage of music, a market fair, a display of vintage tractors, wine... The recipe for gnocco fritto is simple: a dough of wheat flour, salt, lard and yeast. Everything is fried in plenty (very plenty) of boiling lard. The gnocco swells up and, voila, it is ready to go with all sorts of local cured meats (or cheeses). Castello di Serravalle's gnocco fritto is in the Guiness Book of Records, current record: 42 meters long!