Tag: gastronomy

Pizza “grupariàta”, flavors of Calabria

31.1.2024

Grupariàta is a typical dish of Calabrian cuisine, originating from the town of Luzzi, in the province of Cosenza.

It is a rustic focaccia stuffed with tomatoes, anchovies, oregano and chili pepper, which is cooked in the oven and served hot or warm. Grupariàta is a simple but tasty dish, which tells the story and tradition of an area rich in flavors and culture.

The grupariàta (from “grupu” which translates into Italian as hole) owes its name to its preparation. To prepare it, in fact, it is necessary to prick the leavened dough with your fingers, to fill it with its toppings.

Luzzi, the village

The grupariàta recipe dates back to ancient times, when farmers prepared this bread with the ingredients they had available: flour, oil, yeast and tomatoes grown in the fields. The flour, oil, yeast and tomatoes lovingly grown in the surrounding fields formed the basis of this dish, while the anchovies, wisely preserved in salt, added a touch of delicacy, elevating the modest dish to a higher level. Oregano and chili pepper, with their aromatic and spicy notes, joined the chorus, enriching the complexity of the flavors and aromas.

Delicious pizza

The grupariàta is still very widespread in Luzzi today, where it is prepared on the occasion of traditional festivals, such as the patronal feast of San Giuseppe or the feast of the Madonna del Carmine.

These days, the streets of the town are filled with scents and colors, and the Grupariàta is offered to visitors as a sign of hospitality and sharing. Anyone who tastes the Grupariàta is enchanted by its unique taste and its soft and crunchy consistency.

Grupariàta is a dish that will win you over with its simplicity and goodness, and will make you discover the authentic flavors of Calabria.

HISTORY

In the evocative setting of the picturesque town of Luzzi, in the heart of the province of Cosenza, there is a culinary treasure that enchants the palates of those who are lucky enough to taste it: the Grupariàta. This typical dish of the Calabrian tradition represents the very embodiment of the essence of local cuisine, expertly intertwining simple ingredients with a savoir-faire passed down from generation to generation.

countryside of Luzzi

As mentioned, the Grupariàta, whose name derives from the local word “grupu”, which translates as “hole”, is a rustic focaccia steeped in history and passion. Its preparation begins with the leavened dough, which is delicately pricked with the fingers to create welcoming spaces for its rich filling. This dish has existed since at least the 16th century, since the first tomatoes arrived from the Americas, and since then not only juicy tomatoes, but also tasty anchovies, fragrant oregano and vibrant chilli pepper have fused together in a harmonious union, embellishing the bread and giving it a unique profile of unparalleled taste.

Even today, the experience of tasting the Grupariàta is a sensorial journey that enchants and enchants. Its soft and crunchy texture caresses the palate, while the authentic flavors of Calabria slowly reveal themselves, telling stories of generations and passion for good food.

Lastly, this humble and tasty dish represents the perfect combination of simplicity and goodness, offering anyone who tastes it a culinary experience that exudes the authentic soul of Calabria. 

Plenty of flavors

PREPARATION

This delicious focaccia is prepared in the Sila area, but it is a workhorse of Luzzi’s cuisine in the Cosentino area. Very simple but very tasty focaccia, be careful, also very spicy! The dish is prepared on the eve of the holidays when you have to eat “lean” but today it is always prepared when you want to eat this focaccia. “Grupariàta” can be translated as perforated, from the appearance that the focaccia takes on after being garnished with tomatoes and anchovies or with sea rose.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 kg 00 flour
  • 800 grams of peeled tomatoes
  • 250 grams of sourdough (or 1 stick of brewer’s yeast)
  • 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
  • ground red chili pepper (sweet or spicy)
  • chopped garlic
  • oregano
  • anchovies (for the garnish)
  • salt

You need to use cubes of brewer’s yeast and dissolve it in a little hot water, like when preparing pizza at home. Then you need to pour it into the little “volcano” of flour and add the chopped chili pepper, the garlic, the oil and 2/3 of the peeled tomatoes cut into small pieces. The dough will become slightly red, you now need to mix well and obtain a soft and slightly sticky dough. It needs to rise for at least 1 hour in a warm place. After leavening, you must knead again and roll out the dough on a greased baking tray, but do so with well-greased hands.

mission accomplished

Garnish with the remaining peeled tomatoes which will push into the dough forming “holes”, same procedure with sardines and pilchards. Lots of oregano, olive oil and then everything in the oven at 180 degrees for about 1 hour.

When the focaccia is cooked, it must be removed from the oven and left to cool for a few minutes.

San Vito Di Luzzi, the wine prized by the ancient Romans

6.12.2023

Drinking a glass of San Vito di Luzzi Wine is your personal jump into an ancient tradition, that of a nectar prized by the ancient Romans, and in less remote times by the Cistercian Monks, who settled in the small village of San Vito di Luzzi, in the north of Cosenza, the famous Monastery of Sambucina.

The presence of the monastery gave a further boost to the production of wine at Luzzi, and now this authentic piece of Calabrian and Mediterranean gastronomy is important, in defining the identity of our cuisine, just like local bergamot, salami, dairy, honey, fruit and all other flavors of the territory.

LOCATION

Nowadays, San Vito di Luzzi is a sub-region of the protected area of Terre di Cosenza DOC. It was once a DOC in its own right, but was subsumed into the Terre di Cosenza in 2011, along with its neighbors Donnici, Pollino and Verbicaro.

In well-exposed vineyards, located in the village of San Vito in the municipality of Luzzi, in the province of Cosenza, the homonymous wine is produced in the following types: red, white and “rosato”.

Given that it is named after San Vito village (in the parish of Luzzi), located in the hills of Calabria’s northwestern coastline, this wine is mainly made in the village of Luzzi. This small town situated on the lower slopes of the Sila National Park is the only one authorized, according to the Regulations, to produce this wine, which must come from local vineyards.

However, for the production of the red, white and rosé wines, many non-native varieties are used; for example, some of them come from the Sangiovese vine.

The territory is that in front of the Tyrrhenian Sea and under the large Sila Plateau. These areas are vital factors in creating the agriculturally suited microclimate here. Precisely, the volume of waters surrounding the Calabrian peninsula is a vital component of the local terroir, helping to moderate the intense heat of the south Italian summer.

The mountainous topography around Luzzi helps to channel air up and down the valleys, providing a more stable environment in which to grow healthy vines.

HISTORY

After an oblivion of 2000 years, this wine now has a well-deserved but discreet renown. The San Vito di Luzzi D.O.C. was established in 1994, combining the area’s ancient winemaking traditions with qualities that can be appreciated by the modern consumer.

Even if it is produced in the tiny municipality of Luzzi in the province of Cosenza, this remote area of Calabria has an ancient history. The ancient Romans prized the wine, while after some centuries the Cistercian Monks settled here and built the famous Monastery of Sambucina, which increased and improved the production of wine at Luzzi.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the remote winemaking is the magical combination of geological and climatic conditions with the work of Monks.

This explains why you can find an unbelievable combination of fragrances and perfumes in the wine of such a tiny territory, giving rise to a superior-quality wine.

FEATURES

San Vito di Luzzi was introduced as a DOC title in October 1994, a year before Verbicaro just to the north. Both wines were granted DOC status almost 20 years after the other DOCs in northwestern Calabria, making them the relative newcomers to the Calabrian quality wine scene. However, they did not gain any traction as a distinctive wine appellations, and as a result, both were absorbed as sub-regions of the Terre di Cosenza DOC introduced in 2011.

The grapes used to make Terre di Cosenza San Vito di Luzzi wines are typically Calabrian vine varieties. The most commonly used of these is Gaglioppo, but Malvasia Nera, Greco Nero and Sangiovese are also used. The local white wines are based on Malvasia Bianca and Greco Bianco.

The San Vito di Luzzi Doc wine generally has a minimum alcohol content, ranging from 10.5 degrees to 11.5 degrees for either the white or the red.

The typical red has an intense, dry flavor and a velvety red color. The rosé has a mild aroma and flavor, although it is dry, cool and elegant with a minimum alcohol content of 11 degrees. The white has a yellowish color with a more or less intense flavor and pleasant aroma.

Speaking more precisely of “San Vito di Luzzi Rosso” (red), it comes from Gaglioppo grapes (70% minimum), Malvasia grapes and any other red-berry vines, including Greco nero and Sangiovese; it has a more or less intense ruby ​​red color, is pleasant and delicate, has a characteristic smell, and has dry and velvety flavors. The minimum alcohol content is 11.5°, perfect for every meal.

With regard to “San Vito di Luzzi Bianco” (white), its grapes are white Malvasia and Greco, with the possible addition of other white grapes (maximum 40%). The wine, coming from such a blend, has a more or less intense straw color, a pleasant smell, and dry, harmonious and delicate flavors.
The minimum alcohol content is 10.5°; its typical use is as an appetizer.

“San Vito di Luzzi Rosato” (rosè) is made with the same grapes of the red Gaglioppo (minimum 70%), of Malvasia and of any other red-berry vines, among which the Greco Nero and the Sangiovese. It has a more or less intense pink color, sometimes with orange hues, is delicate, has a characteristic smell, and has fresh, dry, harmonious, elegant flavors. The minimum alcohol content is 11 °C, perfect for every dinner.