A hidden paradise surrounded by the clearest water Italy
has to offer, Calabria is an undiscovered region rich in
powerful flavors. This idyllic land is filled with many
species of trees that range from bergamot and citron to
lemon, palm, oleander, almond, chestnut, fig, olive, and
pepper trees. These natural elements are used as important
ingredients in the local cuisine.
Calabrian cuisine is among the most flavorful and spicy
food Italy has to offer, abounding in seafood and vegetables.
The most commonly cooked fish are swordfish and tuna, which
are mainly caught on the western coast. Bottarga, or preserved
tuna roe, is a local specialty and features prominently
in many traditional dishes.
The abundance of sheep in the area is the source of Calabria's
various lamb dishes and some of its many cheeses. Calabria
is also famous for its caciocavallo, a cow's milk cheese
that is good raw but even better grilled alongside some
vegetables. Eggplant and peppers are cooked in sauces, pickled,
grilled, or fried as an appetizer, main course, or side
dish.
If you are a pepper lover and are traveling through Calabria,
order a peperonata, a stew of peppers and meaty local capers.
Chili peppers are dominant and used in everything from cured
meats to pasta. Particularly famous are Calabrian spicy
sausages, or soppressata, which are excellent appetizers
or sandwich fillers. Figs, chestnuts, and almonds are mainly
used in desserts like Fichi Ripieni (Stuffed Figs), a specialty
of Cosenza that tops dried figs with cocoa, almonds, and
other nuts. These few ingredients are essential to local
cooking and are the basis of many flavorful dishes.
Soppressata - Calabria
Taste of 'soppressata' from Calabria depends on the lean
meat used, selected from parts of pork leg and fillet and
deprived of nerves.
The sausage mixture, containing first quality bacon which
guarantees its softness, is minced into small cubes to give
softness, is then minced into small cubes. The result is
a high quality product, appreciated by gourmet food lovers.
Calabrian cured meats date back to the period of the Greek
colonies. The first written reference belongs to the seventeenth
century and it describes the methods used for treating pork.
More recent evidence of the production of sausages in Calabria
is contained in a census carried out in the times of Joachim
Murat which noted the use of spices and extracts from local
plants to add extra flavour to meats.
Calabrian cured meat comes from locally-raised hogs. During
treatment, natural flavours such as cumin, black pepper,
red pepper and chilli peppers are added to the meat which
is then aged. Depending on the type of product, the ageing
process may last from a minimum of thirty to a maximum of
one hundred days. The shapes of the products also vary.
Capocollo, Pancetta, Salsiccia and Soppressata are produced
in an environment created by a climate typical of the Italian
Mediterranean. All phases of production, preparation and
treatment of the meats may be carried out anywhere within
the region of Calabria.
Calabrian Peppers
4 large red or yellow peppers, washed,
quartered and seeded
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ounce grated pecorino cheese
1 ounce grated white bread crumbs
1 tablespoons fresh capers
1 pinch dried oregano salt
Pour
the olive oil into a large pan and warm it up. Cut the peppers
in vertical slices or large cubes and sauté them
in the olive oil for about 5 minutes. Remove half of the
olive oil and add the bread crumbs, the cheese, capers,
oregano, and salt. Combine well, cook for 2 minutes and
remove from the heat. Let rest for about 10 minutes so that
the flavors mingle. Serves 4 as a side dish.
Capocollo
di Calabria (DOP)
Calabrian
cured meats date back to the period of the Greek colonies.
The first written reference belongs to the seventeenth century
and it describes the methods used for treating pork. More
recent evidence of the production of sausages in Calabria
is contained in a census carried out in the times of Joachim
Murat which noted the use of spices and extracts from local
plants to add extra flavour to meats. Calabrian cured meat
comes from locally-raised hogs. During treatment, natural
flavours such as cumin, black pepper, red pepper and chilli
peppers are added to the meat which is then aged. Depending
on the type of product, the ageing process may last from
a minimum of thirty to a maximum of one hundred days. The
shapes of the products also vary. Capocollo, Pancetta, Salsiccia
and Soppressata are produced in an environment created by
a climate typical of the Italian Mediterranean. All phases
of production, preparation and treatment of the meats may
be carried out anywhere within the region of Calabria.
Caciocavallo
Silano (DOP)
The Italian name of this cheese may be related to the practice
of hanging the moulds astride (a cavallo) horizontal rods.
Caciocavallo Silano is a stringy semi-hard cheese. The rind
contains small grooves left by the restraining cords. It
is made from cow's milk and ripened for at least fifteen
days. Caciocavallo Silano can be oval or else shaped like
a truncated cone, sometimes with a small knob at the top,
depending on local custom. The cheese is produced over a
wide area that encompasses several town districts in the
regions of Calabria, Campania, Molise and Basilicata and
in the provinces of Foggia, Bari, Brindisi and Taranto
Bergamotto
di Reggio Calabria (DOP)
Bergamot
is the fruit of Citrus Bergamia, a small, evergreen tree
of the rue family. It is a beautiful yellow-color, pear-shaped
fruit weighing an average of 3.5 ounces. Bergamots are cultivated
only in a narrow strip of the Calabrian coastland extending
for about 60 miles from Villa San Giovanni to Gioiosa Jonica,
between the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian Seas, in the province
of Reggio Calabria.
The
origins of Bergamot remain obscure; it is thought that it
might be the result of the mutation of another citrus species.
Legend has it that bergamot was imported into Europe from
the Canary Islands, where it had been introduced by Christopher
Columbus. Whatever its origins, this strip of coastland
in Calabria is the only place in the world where bergamot
meets its optimal conditions for fructification. The first
bergamot grove was planted in 1750 by a certain Nicola Parisi
in his Giunchi estate near Reggio Calabria. Back then the
essence of the fruit was extracted manually by pressing
the rind onto natural sponge placed over special containers.
Nowadays, extraction takes place through abrasion. In 1844
the first industrial methods were employed in the extraction
of bergamot essence. The machine used in this process was
called "Macchina Calabrese." This machine, invented
by Nicola Barillà, reduced the amount of time required
to extract the essence while increasing both its quantity
and quality.The essential oil of Bergamot has 350 chemical
components. It is used in perfume industries worldwide both
as fixing agent for other perfumes and to enhance their
fragrance. Bergamot is also used in the production of cosmetics,
soap and toothpaste. Thanks to its antiseptic and antibacterial
attributes, bergamot is also used in the pharmaceutical
industries around the world. Last but not least, its essence
is used in the production of liquors, tea, candies, candied
fruit, ice cream and soft drinks.
Clementina
di Calabria (IGP)
The
clementine of Italy is the tangerine of English-speaking
countries. The English term is derived from Tangiers in
North Africa and it is possible that this variety of orange
was first grown and consumed there. It is a hybrid citrus
fruit and is probably a cross between mandarin and bitter
oranges. This fruit has few if any seeds and features a
large supply and variety of sugars, acids, vitamins, calcium
and phosphorous. The clementine di Calabria, cultivated
in the provinces of Reggio Calabria, Catanzaro, Cosenza,
Vibo Valentia and Crotone, are particularly noted for their
delectable flavor and remarkable freshness. The region cultivates
the fruit of the common, Fedele, Hernandina, Marisol, Nules,
Spinosa, SRA 63 and Tardiva varieties. The peels are loose,
smooth and dark orange in color. They are spherical in shape
and somewhat flat at either end. The pulp is extremely juicy,
yielding and aromatic. The tangerines grow in soils of medium
consistency and the maximum density permitted under the
production code is 486 trees an acre. They must be cultivated
at a substantial distance from mandarin orange orchards
to avert cross-pollination, which would result in a fruit
with numerous seeds. Maximum output of this citrus fruit
is set at 15.6 tons an acre. The Calabrian clementina ripens
earlier than other varieties-at the beginning of October.
