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
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 [...]
Sweet citrus fruits from Reggio: the oranges of San Giuseppe
It is known that in Reggio the bergamot plays the undisputed role of the king of citrus fruits; however, besides this delicacy with multiple uses, there are also other golden fruits typical of the area: the oranges of San Giuseppe.
Swordfish
Fishing for swordfish has ancient origins that date back to the second century BC: we learn about it from some Greek historians, such as Polibio, who, fascinated by this type of fishing, accurately describe the technique.
There is also a legend that describes that when Achilles died, his warriors [...]
The Bergamot of Reggio Calabria, the prince of citrus fruits
The origin of this miraculous citrus fruit is mysterious. Some say it comes from China, others from Pergamum in Ancient Greece. Then there are those trace it to Berga in Spain, brought over by Christopher Columbus who had discovered it in the Canary Islands. What is certain is that the most prized c [...]
The best-known fava bean soup in the south
Macco di fave is a dish included in the list of traditional Italian products by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Policy. There are four versions: Calabrian, Sicilian, Sardinian, and Pugliese, all of which can be cooked both with fresh and dried beans. It is eaten at the end of the harvest as [...]
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 [...]