Like every year in the first Sunday of October Alba organized Palio deli Asini (donkey race). Usually it takes part of Alba International White Truffle Fair program, but this time it anticipated the festival for one week. The capital of the Langhe was decorated with flags of nine borghi (suburbs in the past) that competed in donkey race and a colorful procession was marching on the town’s streets: knights on horses, ladies in medieval dresses, peasants, gli sbandieratori that were entertaining spectators with a spectacular flag flipping.

Meanwhile the old town was transformed into a huge market under the sky with a big choice of delicious food. So you could buy different local cheeses (toma piemontese, Bra DOP, with truffles and many others), sausages (with herbs, with Barolo wine and flavored with truffle as well), boletus and precious white and black funghus as we are in truffle hunting period. Because hazelnut plays a significant role in Piedmont and especially Langhe and Reoro area agriculture, a wide range of hazelnut cakes (torta di nocciole – which is simple round cake, quite thin, tender and according to traditional recipe made exclusive with roasted and processed hazelnuts, eggs and sugar) couldn’t be missed, as well as biscuits tasted with local grappa. A mix of different flavors fused with aroma of roasted cacao coming from Ferrero plant combined and with roasted chestnuts prepared on the main squares sometimes caused a dizziness, and another time it inspired to eat, to taste and to buy, of course! And even a bad weather hasn’t discourage visitors to participate in common festa and all main streets and Alba squares were heavily crowded.