The ABC's of Campania Food & Wine: C
C is for carciofo bianco and coda di volpe
C is for carciofo bianco:
The carciofo bianco, or white artichoke, is a regional specialty that is farmed in Campania in the areas of Caggiano, Auletta, Salvitelle, Valle del basso Tanagro, and Pertosa. It is most popular in the small town of its namesake, Pertosa. The carciofo bianco is a culinary delight, prized for its resistance to cold temperatures, its sweet and mild flavor, and its versatility and ease in preparation. It can be used in any number of dishes, such as artichoke pate, a torta rustica, which is a crumbling puff pastry with any number of ingredients inside, or as carciofo imbottito, seared artichokes stuffed with pecorino, bread crumbs, prosciutto and herbs. It is most commonly eaten raw, dressed simply with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. The artichoke buds are round and large, and do not wield the characteristic artichoke spikes. This gastronomic delight is not only prized for its taste and cold-weather hardiness, but it is farmed and harvested using traditional agricultural methods, and is a Slow Food Presidium of Italy. The fields of Pertosa can be seen as interlocking patchwork squares of olive trees and carciofi bianchi plots, olive oil being another principle product of Pertosa. In the past, the carciofo bianco was a bit more prevalent within the region, though it has nearly always been an exclusively local product. As of today, a relatively small number of farmers cultivate the carciofo bianco. Those who do distribute the artichoke locally, as they did in times past. Recognition of the carciofo bianco has been growing, however; in Pertosa, it is popular enough to warrant an annual festival in its honor: the Sagra del Carciofo Bianco, held every May in the De Marco Square.
TOURING INFORMATION:
Sagra del Carciofo Bianco: The White Artichoke Festival When: May 7 – 8, 2011, from 7:30pm to midnight of the 8th. Where: Piazza G. De Marco, Pertosa (SA) +39-334-656-0544 +39-339-360-3976 ass.agricoltura@yahoo.it Hotel and Ristorante Z’ Marianna Via Muraglione 9, 84030 Pertosa (SA) hotelzmarianna@libero.it Ristorante Venosa Via Muraglione, Grotte, 84030 Pertosa (SA) +39-328-542-9692 ristorantevenosa@cheapnet.it
C is for coda di volpe:
The coda di volpe is an abundant grape in select areas of Campania, but is little-known outside of the region. Its name means “fox tail” which colorfully compares the appearance of the hanging bunches of grapes to a fox’s bushy tail. Like aglianico and biancolella, the roots of this wine reach centuries back into history. The ancient Romans cultivated it, and the first written record exists in Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis Historia. The coda di volpe helped to bring about a resurgence in Campania wines that were lagging in popularity and, often, high quality.
About 30-40 years ago, producers were searching for ways to mediate the high acidity levels of Irpinian wines, due to the composites of the volcanic soil in which the grapes are grown. The coda di volpe was rediscovered as a useful blending variety for white wines, often with other native varieties such as Greco, Falanghina and Verdeca, and helped to balance the acidity. While the coda di volpe excels as a blending variety, in the mid-1980s it was developed as a single-varietal wine. In Campania, three DOC areas register the coda di volpe as such: Irpinia, Sannio and Taburno. Italian law states that to be considered representative of one grape variety, 85% of the wine must be of that grape. Other DOC wines that include coda di volpe as a blender are Solopaca and Vesuvio. The coda di volpe is a golden-yellow, versatile wine with lots of fresh fruit in the nose and hints of spice and citrus flavors. As a younger wine, its flavor is slightly sweet, developing into a drier flavor as it ages and yet never deviating from its generally mild body. It pairs well with many different courses and types of food, and is even a good match for international, not just Italian, cuisine.