This region, which is divided between the sea and the mountains, has produced an interesting combination of flavours and colours; only grain products are lacking in abundance due to the shortage of the flat plains that are necessary to ensure sustainable cultivation. The only plains are that of Gioia Tauro, where citrus fruit and olive trees are traditionally planted. In recounting the food and wine tradition of this corner of Calabria, it is impossible not to mention olive oil, together with table olives produced by the Saracen olive trees from Locri. The meats are of equal importance: goat, wild boar, and above all, prized pork, which gives rise to the delicious capocollo of Ferruzzano and Pietrapennata, aged in catoji, in cellars made of rock.
Then there is the sea, which in addition to the traditional catches made of anchovies, garfish, saury fish, sardines, surici fish, scabbard fish, and swordfish that mainly come from the Bagnara and Scilla areas, there is also “stocco” (typically known as stockfish).
Finally, the typical sweets: from artisanal gelato (ice cream), to mostaccioli, susumelle, and stomatico, a true triumph of sugar for the palate.
Food and Wine in numbers
Hospitality begins with appetizers
In the Reggio area, as in the rest of the Italian boot, the great history of cooking comes from dishes that were born from the mastery of our grandparents with respect to the conservation of supplies for the winter. The perfect salami recipe was found by preserving the meat of a pig, wasting nothing [...]
Lamb or kid? Better to have both.
In an economy like that of Reggio Calabria, in which pastoralism has traditionally played a leading role, sheep and goat meat, especially lamb and kid, never disappoint on Reggio Calabria tables and the recipes made from this meat are innumerable.
Petrali
Originating from Reggio Calabria, Petrali are crescent-shaped shortbread biscuits filled with dried fruit that are prepared throughout the month of December, which are enjoyed especially during the Christmas period. There are varieties that contain hazelnut cream filling or chocolate covering.
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Stockfish
Dried stockfish, stokkfisk in Norwegian, has found its perfect location in Mammola, a small, yet charming village in the province of Reggio Calabria. It is precisely in the hinterland of Reggio Calabria that expert artisans can transform imported stockfish from the Nordic countries into a valuable f [...]
Stomatico, the panacea biscuit
“Stomachico” is the slang term used to identify food that is “good for the stomach”, perfect for ending a meal. The Reggio stomatico, a dry biscuit of amber colour that smells divine thanks to the caramel and spices used in its preparation, reflects its Greek origin in its name, as well as its recog [...]
Stracette
Stracette are a typical Easter sweet, a shortbread cookie that contains orange peel and chopped almonds. Their shape, as well as their consistency, can vary from soft to crunchy based on the ratio between liquid and solid ingredients. They are perfect to eat during breakfast with milk.
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