Sagra del canestrello (Traditional Waffle Biscuit Festival)

The Sagra del Canestrello returns to Vaie, celebrating the famous traditional local sweet as part of the 'Gusto Valsusa' festival, organized by the Unione Montana to highlight regional culinary treasures. Throughout the celebrations, the village streets are filled with the fresh scent of lemon wafting from homes and artisan workshops. The canestrello is a wafer-thin biscuit with likely medieval origins, historically baked by local households for Carnival and patron saint feasts. Its traditional recipe relies on simple ingredients—flour, butter, eggs, and sugar—infused with grated lemon zest and measured according to closely guarded family secrets. Giving this treat its signature touch is the distinctive grid pattern stamped by the 'ferro', a pincers-shaped waffle iron heated over an open flame to quickly press and bake small balls of dough between its plates.