Ravizzone and its connection with Rice, between Tradition and Present
"Ravizzone, /ravi'ts:one/ sm [der. of the Latin rapa "turnip"]. - (bot.) [an annual or biennial herbaceous plant belonging to the cruciferous family, cultivated to obtain oil from the seeds and also as fodder] ≈ navone. ‖ colza." from Treccani .
The arrival of spring, in the Vercelli area, can be seen from the rice fields. More precisely, from the flowering of the yellow rapeseed, which breaks away from the still greyish weather of March. But where does it come from, and why do we often find it on the edge of the rice fields?
During the Second World War, the rice-producing farms, the famous Granges, were much more than simple farms. These structures represented real aggregation centers for rural communities, but also played a fundamental role as a closed-cycle sustenance for the local population. They were therefore real closed communities, which in addition to rice (and wheat), needed additional resources to cook simple meals.
For this reason, the production of oil was essential for them. To overcome the shortage of olive oil, which was difficult to find in times of war, they grew Rapeseed and Rapeseed, plants from whose seeds an edible oil was extracted through pressing. This resource not only satisfied daily food needs, but also allowed families to not depend on outsiders, in a period in which supply difficulties were the order of the day.
Today, although the practice of growing rapeseed is no longer active, it is still possible to see some rapeseed fields in our countryside, especially in areas where the water needed for submerged irrigation of rice fields does not reach. Not only that! Walking along the banks of rivers and rice fields, at this time of year, it is precisely the yellow rapeseed flowers that color the landscape, reminding us of that historical period.
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The rapeseed is now an endemic remnant of that distant past, a sign of a tradition linked not only to agricultural practices but to a real lifestyle in the community aggregated in the Grange. However, in this spring season, the yellow of its flowers gives us a unique and suggestive beauty, a way to live and remember the past seasons through the colors of nature.
In every corner of our countryside, we can still taste a piece of history, of toil, but also of hope. It is beautiful to observe how nature tells us stories of the past and helps us understand the importance of traditions that, although today they are distant, continue to be part of our landscape and our collective memory.