A trademark for local specialties, including wild bilberries, in a territory famous for parmesan cheese

Emilia Romagna is well known for some gastronomic excellences with European P.O.D. and P.G.I. labels, such as parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar. However, many other local agri-food supply chains, not recognized with specific labels, don’t find adequate visibility in the gastronomic offer of the Region. In order to raise awareness also on these local products, the Modena chamber of commerce decided to create the label "Traditions and Flavours of Modena" that is used to support the promotion of niche gastronomic products, such as wild bilberries of the Modena Apennines.

In the regional context, wild bilberries represent minor products and their economic impact is negligible compared to other local products, such as parmesan cheese. Nevertheless, several small local supply chains are based mainly on Vaccinium myrtillus L., a wild bilberry species that finds its natural habitat only in some marginal area in the Apennines.