Root vegetable (wild), picked at snowline

[pedalaforte]

This is a weird one. Does anyone know what edible wild root vegetable, or wild plant, would be picked at snowline in the late spring/early summer. It must be an alpine/mountain plant, since we saw people picking it in late May in teh western Alps at altitude. It seemed they were digging right at the edge, where the snow had melted in recent days. This was on the Colle di Fauniera, west of Cuneo in Piemonte, but the plant certainly could grow elsewhere.

Sorry, I can't remember even what it looked like. We tried to talk to the people (an older couple -- rough and tough folks!) but they were speaking some kind of dialect and I had no idea what they were telling me.

Any ideas? I've always wanted to know, and we're going back in early June.

Thanks.

Edited May 9, 2008 by pedalaforte (log)

[Man]

Sorry Pedalaforte, obviously not too many botanists among us...I can only help 'negatively' by saying it is probably a root distinctive to the North West. I have spent the last few months in the North East Alps, taking regular mountain walks, each time from well below the snowline to well deep in the snow, and while I have often noticed locals picking herbs at lower altitudes, I have never seen any human picker so high up in the mountains (I assume that in late May the snowline in your parts must be like here well above 1500m.).

I have met chamois but their dialect must be even less comprehensible than Piemontese...

[pedalaforte]

Thanks, man. I've been told elswwhere that it might me "meadow salsify," or salsifice. I'm going back there in two weeks. Maybe I'll see some more.

By the way, after Piemonte for a week, we also will be staying in Trento for six days and then Bolzano for two. I am going to wear out your restaurant recommendations that I saved long ago from your great site. Thanks. If you have any updates, please, I'm open ears! We will have 9-10 people, so we're looking for probably less formal places.

Thanks for the response. Be well.

[pedalaforte]

Man: Thanks for the Trento info.

I love you recommendations and we'll try them. We will have a car, and should get to Fior di Roccia and to 2 Camini, although I wonder about the winding drive back after some vino. We will probably do the "designated driver" thing, but are these places a torturous drive back to Trento after a good evening out? We have to eat "dinner" as opposed to lunches as we are cycling during the days. (Can't stomach that good gnocchi before continuing rides!). SOunds like we should hit Vecchia Sorni also; is this a reasonable drive too?

And, finally, any one or two picks in Trento itself for those days when we just don't want to go anywhere near our car? I love Trento itself. Plotkin (sounds like he was rong on the Civezzano place!) recommends a trattoria that caters to climbers and cyclists. Have yo been there? Some days we definitely are into just stuffing in cheese/bread/salami/primi/low-budget-red!, so any of these more raucous places come to mind?

Thanks, thanks, thanks. YOur site is fantastic.