Trifulot del bür
The trifulot del bür, known as "bec potato" or "butter potato" is a potato variety (Solanum tuberosum) belongs to the Solanaceae family. It has a yellow flesh and a tapered shape, with a length from 2 to 4 cm and a weight going from 20 to 75 grams. Trifulot del bür has a very thin peel that it can be peeled by simply rubbing it with your fingers. The plant is multiplied through the division of the tubers, with sowing in February and harvesting in May and June, when the aerial part of the plant will gradually become yellow. In the past, in some agricultural holdings in the hills of Moncalieri, this potato was cultivated in greenhouses, with early harvesting already in April.
The plant has a tuft-like aspect, with upright herbaceous stalks in the initial stage and more or less bent stalks when it is almost ripe. The fruit is roundish and contains several seeds, a characteristic feature of this potato variety. The edible part of the plant is represented by the tubers forming at the edge of the hypogeal runners. Trifulot del bür cannot be preserved, since they have the features of a "firstling", like "new potatoes".
- Production Area: The production area of trifulot can be clearly divided into two different areas:
- the Municipalities of Moncalieri, Santena, Nichelino, and Trofarello, next to the town of Turin where it is sold
- the alpine valleys and in particular Pellice, Chisone, Susa, and Sangone valleys (in this case, with an interesting market in Giaveno) with a production mainly used for personal consumption or for the local trade. - Legislative Protection: Trifulot del bür is classified among the "Traditional Agri-foodstuffs of Regione Piemonte", according to art. 8 of the Legislative Decree 30th April 1998, n. 173 and the Annex to the Decisions of the Regional Council 15th April 2002 n. 46-5823.
