Figaro Shakes
Cultural Ferment

Brovada: Friuli’s Turnips Fermented in Grape Pomace (and How to Cook Them)

By Updated 2 min read

Discover brovada, the ancient fermented turnip dish from Friuli, Italy. This comprehensive guide covers traditional grape pomace fermentation methods, adapted recipes for home cooks, troubleshooting tips, and serving suggestions. A probiotic-rich specialty over 2,000 years old!

At a glance

Brovada is a Friulian dish of white, purple-collared turnips fermented whole in red grape marc (pomace), then grated and cooked – traditionally served with musetto sausage or in bean soup. It has been an EU Protected Designation of Origin since 2011 (Regulation 1119/2011), made only in Friuli Venezia Giulia from turnips grown in Gorizia, Pordenone and Udine and red-grape marc from the region.

  • Whole white turnips with a purple collar fermented in grape marc.
  • EU Protected Designation of Origin since 2011 (Regulation (EU) No 1119/2011).
  • PDO rules: turnips from Gorizia, Pordenone and Udine; marc from regional red grapes.
  • Grated into strips and cooked before eating.
  • Classic pairing: musetto (muset) sausage; also added to bean soup.

Ferment profile

Origin
Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy
Fermentation
Mixed (lactic + alcoholic)
Main microbes
Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts from the turnips and grape marc
Live cultures
No (cooked, baked or pasteurized)
Alcohol
None / trace

Brovada is the fermented turnip dish of Friuli Venezia Giulia in northeastern Italy. Whole white turnips with a purple collar are buried in the grape marc (pomace) left over from winemaking and left to sour; then they’re grated into long strips and cooked, traditionally to go with musetto (a spiced pork sausage, also called muset) or stirred into bean soup like sauerkraut (Turismo FVG). It’s an autumn and winter food, tied to the grape harvest.

A Protected Food

Since 2011, “Brovada” has been a Protected Designation of Origin in the EU. The registered name covers the product obtained from white turnips with a purple collar, transformed by maceration and fermentation in marc, prepared only within the defined area of Friuli Venezia Giulia (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1119/2011). Under the production rules, the turnips must be grown in the provinces of Gorizia, Pordenone and Udine, and the marc must come from red grapes grown in the region (Regione FVG).

How It’s Made

The turnips are layered whole in a container with grape marc and some water and left to acidify – the marc supplies sugars, acids, color and microbes, and the turnips sour slowly over weeks (Turismo FVG). They’re then peeled, grated into strips and cooked, usually slowly with a little fat, onion or garlic, until tender and tangy. Because it’s cooked, brovada is a fermented food without live cultures by the time it reaches the plate.

Brovada is a close cousin of the turnip ferments of Central Europe – German and Austrian Sauerrüben are shredded turnips fermented with salt like sauerkraut – and of salt-brined fermented turnips. What sets it apart is the grape pomace.

Making It at Home

The one hard ingredient is fresh red-grape pomace – ask a winery during harvest, when it’s pressed. Use pomace from grapes you’d be happy to eat, keep everything clean, and make sure the turnips stay covered by marc and liquid with a weight on top. A fine white film can form on exposed liquid; fuzzy, colored mold or a rotten smell means discard. Expect a sour, wine-tinged turnip – then cook it (recipe card below). For films, mold and off smells, see our troubleshooting guide.

Recipe: Home Brovada With Musetto

Makes
About 4 servings
Hands-on
60 min
Fermentation
Several weeks (about 4–8) in a cool place
Salt
A little salt between the layers (about 2% of the turnips' weight)
Temperature
Cool, about 8–15°C (46–59°F)
Difficulty
Moderate

Equipment

  • Crock or food-grade container (5–10 litres)
  • Plate and weight
  • Cloth and lid
  • Box grater
  • Wide pan

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg small white turnips with purple tops (scrubbed, left whole)
  • About 1.5 kg fresh red-grape pomace (marc) (from a winery at harvest)
  • About 30 g salt (about 2% of the turnips)
  • As needed water (boiled and cooled)
  • To cook olive oil or lard, onion, garlic, bay leaf
  • To serve musetto or cotechino sausage (optional)

Method

  1. Layer pomace and whole turnips in the clean crock, sprinkling a little salt on each layer, finishing with pomace.
  2. Pour over cooled boiled water to cover, press down and weigh with a plate so everything stays submerged. Cover with a cloth and lid.
  3. Leave in a cool place for several weeks, topping up with water if needed, until the turnips taste clearly sour.
  4. Lift out the turnips, rinse, peel and grate into long strips on a coarse grater.
  5. Soften onion and garlic in oil or lard, add the grated brovada and a bay leaf, and cook gently with a splash of water for 45–60 minutes, until tender.
  6. Serve hot with musetto or cotechino, or stir into bean soup.
  7. Discard the batch if fuzzy colored mold grows inside or it smells rotten rather than sour and winey.

Frequently asked questions

What is brovada?

A Friulian dish of white turnips fermented in red grape pomace, then grated and cooked. It's an EU-protected (PDO) product of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

What does brovada taste like?

Sour and gently winey, like a softer sauerkraut with a turnip sweetness; cooking mellows it.

What do you eat brovada with?

Traditionally musetto (muset), a spiced pork sausage – 'brovada e muset' – or stirred into bean soup.

Is brovada raw or cooked?

Cooked: the fermented turnips are grated into strips and cooked slowly before serving.

Can I make brovada without grape pomace?

Not true brovada – the marc is what defines it. Without pomace, ferment shredded turnips with salt as Sauerrüben, or in a salt brine.

Is brovada a protected product?

Yes. 'Brovada' was registered as a Protected Designation of Origin in 2011 under Regulation (EU) No 1119/2011.

Sources

  1. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1119/2011 entering a name in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications [Brovada (PDO)] (EUR-Lex). Link
  2. Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia. Brovada DOP production rules (agriculture newsletter). Link
  3. Turismo FVG. La brovada (DOP). Link
#Western and Southern Europe
Share:

More Global Fermented Foods