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
One never sleeps on the Reggio Calabria waterfront
Reggio’s waterfront, especially in the summer, is not only an essential stop on a tour, but also a true journey of experiences that can be had both day and night.
The reception services overlook the sea. With the early light of day, they offer swimming services, and by sunset they turn into a mee [...]
A delight called the pumpkin flower
The favourite flower of Calabrians is the pumpkin flower. Whether fried, stuffed, or added to a salad or turned into a tasty pancake, it can satisfy both the young and old. The Calabrian-style pumpkin fritters, included simple and genuine ingredients, which can be enjoyed both as an appetizer and as [...]
A master class from the tripe
Tripe, a traditional dish that smells of grandparents’ cooking, must be honoured in Reggio Calabria. There are many recipes around, but the most common thread that unites them all starts from Calabrian tomatoes grown under the sun, to very slow cooking, which gives it its flavour, and the essential [...]
Blessed are the first dishes
The typical Reggio Calabrian lunch begins with the Calabrian appetizer, where the guidelines for flavour are dictated above all by the historical mastery in the conservation of the products. When it comes to great traditional dishes, you can still swear by the “do not throw anything away” motto, and [...]
Cuddhuraci
The oral tradition claims that a salty version of the cuddhuraci known today was brought in by Jews fleeing Egypt, who kept bread stuffed with eggs. Over the centuries, the recipe has obviously changed and adapted to the times, although the basic ingredients have remained unchanged: water, flour, an [...]
More than a fruit, it is an institution
What can we expect from a product that traditionally grows only in this area of the world? A unique opportunity to meet in this land master perfumers, experts on natural remedies, and a great variety of traditions that have produced sweets, liqueurs, natural tinctures, oils, essential oils, and mass [...]