Foods

FOODS OF BASILICATA The kitchen of Basilicata belongs to the Mediterranean diet. As such, the typical products are: pasta, cheese, beef, lamb and goat, olive oil, wine, vegetables. Characteristic is the vino cotto used in many parts of the region.

BREAD

Bread is the staple food of the basic food of the region. It’s mixed with wheat flour, yeast and water. It can have different form and often is baked in ovens. There are many different kinds of bread: from one kilogram up to three kilograms, round or oval or bun, focaccia, sandwiches ( the sandwiches rosette or oil). In some areas is preparing an initial typical dish of bread, the so-called"bread baked”.

PASTA

The pasta is prepared mixing wheat flour and water (sometimes eggs) and left to dry for a couple of hours. There are several types of pasta. Typical are the cavatelli, like gnocchi, sunken to a finger, two, three or four, and served with beans or tomato sauce with fresh basil and with the addition of cacioricotta or asparagus, and the orecchiette usually seasoned with tomato sauce, are also the famous fusilli so called because are been worked with an iron thin. Lagana like the noodles but larger and thicker, are prepared with chickpeas flavored with garlic, chilli or cotich of pig. Other type of pastas are cooked with legumes (lentils, beans, peas, chick peas, beans), with vegetables or tomato sauce

OTHER PRODUCTS

The hot pepper is used mostly in winter, in summer you prefer the cool, dry those peppers fried in oil and plenty to make them crispy, with scrambled eggs, or are used to winter boiled with salt cod. Very special are the Lampascioni, wild onions by taste bitter that are eaten cooked with raw oil, or fried in batter.

SALUMI AND CHEESE

The Basilicata is famous for sausages and soppressata. The sausage is prepared as follows: the pork is chopped with a knife, seasoned with salt, chili powder and fennel seeds, and left to dry in places with a fireplace always switched. For soppressata you choose the most valuable meat of pork with little fat, add pepper , put under a weight for a few days to remove the empty air and left to dry. Typical of the region are also other derivatives from pork as ham, capocollo, bacon.

Dairy production are very common in this region and so there are a lot of cheese and dairy products. The best cheeses are those derived from bovine milk and ovicaprino. Typical dairy products are Caciocavallo, the butyrate, the scamorza and mozzarella. Mostly used is also the pecorino cheese. Pecorino cheese is the result of an excellent sheep milk rich in nutrients and aromatic essences. It’s recommended consumer Pecorino with a seasoning that varies from 3 to six months.

Aglianico del Vulture

The Vulture is the cradle of the famous red wine Aglianico del Vulture, produced by clusters of Aglianico and certified DOC (Denomination of Origin). The Aglianico is one of the best Italian wines The wine Aglianico del Vulture has a ruby red garnet, fragrant scent and winy, with hint of strawberry and raspberry; flavor of dry, fruity and harmonious. 11,5-13% alcohol. The Aglianico is considered 'old' after at least 3 years and 'reserve' after at least 5 years of aging in barrels. Excellent with meat and roasts.

Olive oil

Olive oil is cultivated from the time of Magna Greece. The oil is obtained from squeezing olives Lucanian of high quality and it’s always at the base of each plate

Recipes The old chestnut cake

Ingredients 1 kg of chestnuts 500 gr. of sugar

cooked wine a bit of cinnamon

Procedure Cook chestnuts, remove the skin and crush them in the mortar Mix on fire with cooked wine, sugar and some cinnamon

Calzoncelli fried chestnut Ingredient s gr. flour 500 50 gr. of lard 50 gr. sugar 2 eggs a pinch of cinnamon white wine for the dough

Procedure Mix the flour with all ingredients, spread a thin pastry, put the chestnut cake, close the browse and fry the calzoncelli in boiling oil.

Ingredients

PETTOLE

2 kg. flour 500 gr. leaven 2 tablespoons salt 1 kg. Potato past A teaspoon of sugar Half cup of oil

Procedure

On spianatoia put the flour adding the yeast (previously dissolved in warm water), potatoes, oil, salt and sugar. Once the dough is nor too hard or too soft, put it to rest for about 1 hour and a half. Form sticks, not too thin and fry in hot oil..

Nougats Ingredients 2 kg. flour 2 kg. sugar 16 eggs 1 kg. chopped almonds 1 kg. chopped hazelnuts 2 envelopes of yeast bread of angels

Procedure On spianatoia put the flour, add sugar, hazelnuts, almonds. Make a hole in the middle and add eggs one by one and start to knead until you obtain a homogeneous mixture. Form thin and long pieces, cut them, put them in the pan, cook for about one quarter of an hour at 170 °.

P’CCILATIDD

Ingredients 1 kg. flour A "nut" leaven 4 eggs Fennel seeds

Salt and enough warm water 1 cup water olive oil

Procedure

On spianatoia put the flour, add all other ingredients and knead with warm water. Let the dough rise for about an hour. Obtain small piece and heat their in salt water by adding little oil. Bake in preheated oven at maximum temperature (like bread).

Ingredients

1 kg. flour

150 gr. leaven 5 eggs 1 cup sugar Fennel seeds 1 glass of anise 1 cup oil their heat

FRISELLINI

Procedure

In a bowl beat the eggs with sugar, add oil, anise, fennel seed and yeast (dissolved in the water tepida). Pour the flour to make a dough or too hard or too soft, knead for 3 quarters of an hour. On spianatoia stretch of sticks made from dough and make a circular shape. Let stand for about 2 hours and then heated in a pot with boiling water and half cup of oil. Put the frisellini at rest until they have dried The next day cook the frisellini in the oven for about 15 - 20 minutes at 180 degrees.

THE ZEPPOLE 600 g. sugar 350 g. (lard or butter) 14 eggs 900 g. water A pinch of salt  Procedure

Boil the water and put the flour and pinch of salt. Turn on the fire and leave for 5 or 6 minutes, cool and put the eggs and work the dough. Creating the round shape and fry in plenty of boiling oil.

And finally .... a nice glass of Amaro Lucano