The essences and flavours of Cilento
A land rich in agricultural and artisan traditions, Cilento can be considered the cradle of the nutritional model known as the "Mediterranean diet", which in fact was synthesised and studied by the American physiologist Ancel Keys (1904-2004) in Pioppi, a fishing village in the municipality of Pollica, in the heart of the lower Cilento. Recognised as a UNESCO protected asset, the Mediterranean diet was included, in 2020, in the list of World oral and intangible heritage.
The intense Cilento artisan activity gives life to typical products of the highest quality, symbols of excellence handed down from generation to generation. These treasures are then combined and reworked in a cuisine that enhances the ingredients, expressing their flavours and aromas to the utmost.
The DOP trademark
When talking about typical Cilento products, one cannot but start with its olives and the wonderful golden olive oil that is obtained from them. The product of a centuries-old tradition, which begins with rigorously hand-picked harvesting, the Cilento olive oil obtained, in 1998, the prestigious and coveted DOP (PDO - Protected Designation of Origin) trademark, attributed by the European Union to the foods and beverages that come from a specific region and which are produced according to a particular traditional process. Cilento DOP olive oil is obtained, in fact, from the pressing of specific varieties of olives, including Pisciottana, Rotondella, Ogliarola, Frantoio, Salella and Leccino. These varieties must represent at least 85% of the total, while other types may also be used for the remaining 15%, which however must still be present in the production area.
The DOP trademark is also used for other true Cilento icons, solidly placed at the base of numerous recipes and combinations: buffalo mozzarella, white fig, and Castel San Lorenzo and Cilento DOC wines. Another typical cheese is the Cacioricotta, which is produced by combining goat's and sheep's milk.
And finally, with regards to liqueurs, worth mentioning is the Amaro Teggiano, which is produced in the medieval village of Teggiano, an integral part of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. This artisanal liqueur, free of preservatives and stabilizers, is created thanks to a hydro-alcoholic solution, cold infused, of aromatic and medicinal herbs typical of the Cilento lands. Balanced between sweet and bitter, the flavour of this liqueur brings back the scent of floral and herbaceous essences, among which the orange blossom aftertaste stands out.
And there's more...
The production of cured meats is also very rich and varied, including the so-called soppressata di Gioi Cilento, a fine larded, smoked and cured sausage with a tradition and processing that dates back to the 11th century.
Cilento's gastronomic tradition also includes the processing and production of pasta, the basis of the Mediterranean diet. Typical Cilento pasta shapes include lagane, long thin porous strips made from a simple combination of water and durum wheat semolina. Desserts include taralli, murzeletti, mestacciuoli al miele and pastorelle di castagne.
