fragola

Two kinds of strawberries native to Sicily, the fragolina di Ribera (Ribera alpine strawberry) and the fragola di Maletto are both in the Slow Food Presidium, as is the fragrant fragola profumata di Totona, grown in the province of Alessandria, Piedmont.

Uva fragola (or uva americana, or Vitis labrusca) is the Isabella or Fox grape, the basis of American Concord grapes and used to make Venetian favourite, fragolin and Cremona's most famous cake, bertolina.

Fragolina is also the common name for a wild strawberry, but fragolino is a name for the pandora fish, or pagello. And fragoline, or 'little sea strawberries' are very tiny octopuses, or moscardini.

The delicately delicious fragola di montagne from Martello (Alto Adige) is celebrated throughout the Val Venosta in the late June Festa delle Fragole.