When Etna autumn enters its peak season – usually at the end of October – all the beauty of this fiery mountain explodes, even in terms of colors and scents and flavors. Autumn on Etna means rediscovering those ancient peasant and artisan traditions that allow you to create masterpieces – of taste, as well. This happens by often using materials that the mountain itself offers. In fact, the favourite excursions of the inhabitants of Etna are those in which you go “in search” of something.

In search of blackberries in September

Blackberries on the wild bushes grow everywhere, in the Etna area, and begin to appear already in summer. But it is in September that you can find delicious ones within reach, even on the edges of busy roads.

The Etna area is particularly rich in them in the north-eastern area. Between Milo and Sant’Alfio, blackberries grow everywhere and sometimes you just have to pull over with the car and stretch out an arm to pick whole bags of them. Another excellent area for picking blackberries, sweet berries and strawberries is the western side, near Maletto.

With the harvest of these blackberries, fabulous jams are produced in the piedmont villages.

In search of mushrooms and chestnuts

You have to wait for the first rains to go to Etna in search of mushrooms and chestnuts. And unfortunately recent climate changes often force you to wait for weeks. But when the rain arrives, often violent and sudden, the mushroom hunters’ paths do fill up. There are many expert people who wander through the woods in search of the delicious edible mushrooms of Etna (to learn more, our article here: https://www.go-etna.com/blog/mount-etna-time-of-mushrooms/) and, if you have no experience in the matter, absolutely avoid going on this adventure alone. It is better to be guided by someone who knows mushrooms well to avoid cases of -even mortal! – poisoning.

It is less dangerous to go in search of chestnuts. The south-eastern area of the volcano is very rich in chestnut woods (especially the area between Pedara, Zafferana and Mascali) which are stormed especially by street vendors to stock up for their markets. Don’t be misled by certain names! The town of Trecastagni does not indicate the presence of “castagni” – chestnut woods (even if they are there) but the memory of “tre casti agni”, or “holy lambs”, the patron saints Alfio, Cirino and Filadelfo.

In search of leaves and pine cones

Between November and December, in addition to looking for chestnuts and mushrooms, the people of Etna venture out to look for leaves and pine cones. The collection of these materials, especially when they have fallen from the branches, is mainly used to create Christmas decorations or accumulate material to put in nativity scenes. The autumn leaves of Etna have beautiful golden and red colors, thanks to the ivy, birches and beech trees. Pine cones can also be very large, especially in the woods between Zafferana and Milo, although the best ones can be found in the pine forest Pineta Ragabo, Linguaglossa.

Village fairs

Autumn is the season of village festivals. On Etna, each fair stall will proudly display the results of the harvests we have described so far. Blackberries, chestnuts, mushrooms become delicious preparations of savory and sweet recipes that will then be sold at the fair. The decorations, on the other hand, can be found in the Christmas markets or, already assembled, in the form of small artistic nativity scenes.

We would like to point out in particular the Ottobrata of Zafferana, the Fiera del Fungo of Pedara, Sapori d’Autunno in Nicolosi, the Contrade dell’Etna – a wine fair that involves several wineries in the territory of the volcano. (PHOTOS BY G. MUSUMECI)