2. The culinary tradition of Calabria remains
robust, with the intense flavours of ancient recipes:
in fact the passage of many cultures from around
the Mediterranean have marked its history and
their traces are still preserved. Calabria's
gastronomic profile comprises the influences of
both east and west: a lot of dishes come from the
Greeks and the Arabs.
Sausages, lard, Mustica, cheese, pickled
aubergines and sun dried tomatoes were the key
for ensuring the survival in periods of famine
which were not infrequent in this corner of Italy.
3. Calabria is also rich of typical festivals.
The themes are the most diverse and
extravagant. There are, in fact, historical
heritage, culinary background and
ancient religious ceremonies closely
linked.
The folklore
The traces of the past have been preserved
intact, especially in those areas less exposed
to outside influences: the mountain villages,
for example, and some more isolated towns,
still live – in certain periods – parties, festivals
and events originated many centuries ago
but not forgotten. But even in the most
modern centres, more exposed to the
influences of other people, families still keep
small superstitions that accompany the life
of every Calabrian.
4. Festivals
In early August in Spilinga there is the
festival of 'nduja, a typical spicy salami
from Calabria. The “sagra” is enriched
by many folklore perfomances, such as
the giant papier-mâché dance.
It’s an ancient tradition still
alive in some villages which
comes from the Saracen
or Aragonese dominations.
The male giant, a negro, is a
Turkish prince and the female
one is a Sicilian girl. According
to the legend they fell in love
when he became a christian: this
dance symbolizes our freedom
from dominations
The first Sunday of July in Calabria
there is a Festival of swordfish, with
fish tasting and the exposition of
the famous “Spatara”, the boat
once used for the fishing. There is
something legendary in the fishing
of this noble fish and lots of our
songs celebrate its faithfulness to
its female.
5. Pasta
The pasta is always present on our tables. It
is certain the Greek origin of laganoi, the
wide fettuccine loved in the Sibari area. An
old tradition said that a woman was not
worthy to marry if she wasn’t able to
make, at least, 15 different kinds of pasta.
On wrapping the dough on an iron, called
"firrittu" you can produce "fusilli"
, "maccaruni", "filatieddi", "canneroni", "ricci
di donna", "sciliatelli ", "schiaffettoni.
A traditional dish is the "pasta chijna", made
from sheets of handmade pasta (lasagna)
alternated with tomato or meat sauce with
fried meatballs, sliced hard-boiled
eggs, spicy salami and
soppressata, caciocavallo and pecorino
cheese and baked.
6. Meat
Among all kinds of meat, pork is certainly
the most widely used, especially in
winter, as a main dish: it gives excellent
salami. In the past, the killing of the pig
was a popular festival, governed by a
precise, complex ritual: there were huge
banquets, where family and friends used
to meet. The intestines of the pig were
brought on the table, in order to predict
the future.
7. Fish
Coastal areas make extensive use of fish cooked in various
ways, often roasted accompanied by "salmoriglio", a sauce with
olive oil, vinegar or lemon, garlic, and spices; tuna is flavoured with
onions, the red onion of Tropea, particularly sweet, an heritage left
by the Foenicians.
Among all the fish recipes, the most original is the "mestica"
(probably from Arabs ) ,or "caviar of the poor", where baby
anchovies are united with red chilli in oil and soaked in a very spicy
sauce . Mustica can be preserved almost indefinitely
8. SILA
Particularly interesting from the
gastronomic point of view, the
mountainous Sila region that looks
like a piece of Switzerland
transplanted in the midst of the
Mediterranean. The "sillu" or
porcino, often used in the local
timbales of rice, is really appreciated
and expensive so that you can find it
in the markets of the rich Milan but
not in Calabria. The end of summer
is the ideal time for the
"vavusi“, usually fried , but the most
well-known of mushrooms is the
Lactarius deliciosus, (Latin for
delicious milky )called "rosito", due
to its rosy pink colour.
9. The Sila area is famous for its
sausages, trout and cheese. In
summer, shepherds bring their
herd to graze in Sila because of the
drought of the marine areas: this
seasonal migration is called
“transumanza”. So, the dairy
products are of particular interest:
pecorini, caciocavalli, provole, "piti
celle" (mozzarella with butter
inside) and the typical “butirro”, a
caciocavallo cheese with a butter's
soul. Among all the Calabrian
cheese, made from sheep's
milk, the best known is the fresh
ricotta in "fasceddhe" (wicker) and
smoked .
10. Vegetables
The chilli, probably introduced in our land by
Saracens, found in Calabria an ideal habitat for
growth and it’s one of the fundamental
components of our recipes, just like the
aubergine, introduced in Europe by Arabs,
before in Spain and then in Italy. For many
years it formed the basis of culinary traditions
of southern populations while in the north of
Italy, until a few decades ago, it was virtually
non-existent. Many people even believed that
aubergine was unhealthy because the Italian
name , “Melanzana”, derives from "malum
insanum", that is the fruit that predisposes to
madness!
Thanks to our climate almost all vegetables are
sun-dried ( tomatoes, courgettes…) and then
preserved for winter.
11. Fruit
We have lots of IGP products:
Clementine, a particular cross
between mandarin and orange but
without seeds, chestnuts, liquorice
and figs, which, particularly in the
Cosenza region , are covered with
chocolate or prepared with
almonds and walnuts in order to
obtain the "crosses" or the
"balloon".
12. Dessert
Typical regional sweet, often linked to
specific ceremonies are mostly dry or with
ricotta, sweetened with honey and
flavoured or fig honey and candied or
dried fruit. The best known are the
mostaccioli, reproducing various forms
and sold in our fairs; the "cuzzupe, and
"nepitelle" typical for Easter, the "pitta
mpigliata” and" chinulille “for Christmas
and the "pignolata“ for Carnival.
The “Varchiglia" (little boat) is a typical
dessert of Cosenza : it was prepared by
the nuns, the barefoot carmelites, and
dates from 1300.
13. Wine
A lot of Calabrian wine are DOC or IGP: their
quality derives from the particular
characteristics of indigenous grapes,
cultivated in different areas. One of the best
is Cirò . The wine Greco of Bianco takes its
name by the homonymous place near
Reggio Calabria and is particularly
appreciated even by queen Elisabeth II.
At the end of a meal, we usually drink a
bergamot liqueur , an extraordinary and
precious fruit, exclusive of Calabria . The
liqueur is also produced by cedar, a tree
only grown on the Tyrrhenian coast, in the
province of Cosenza, as well as the famous
"limoncello" done with lemons.
