Tag: culture

The true face of Calabria: Food Sharing in Maida

15.7.2018

SHARING THE FOOD: A CELEBRATION

The “ciciarata” began some 500 years ago with the arrival of the Hermit Francesco di Paola in the town. The Saint would apparently share out food to the needy, a tradition re-enacted each spring up here on the hill. It has, needless to say, grown a little in scale since then.

This ancient tradition reveals the true face of Calabria: food sharing.

After you first walk into the wood-smoke chaos of the feast of “ciciarata”, the midnight before the day of the celebration, you see, under a shower of fireworks, many  men snapping dried olive branches over their knees, to stuff them under great cast-iron pots.

In the meantime, orange peel is thrown into the fire adding a citrus tang to the existing smell of wood, male sweat and cigarettes.

A secret recipe for a pasta “that needs to sleep” is not revealed, but at midnight the chickpeas are heated on the fire, at 3am are added the 200 kilos of tomatoes, at 5am they add the wild fennel and oregano foraged from surrounding fields, at 10.30am they start to cook the pasta and just before midday the whole thing is mixed together to the cacophonous sound of 2,000 hungry people rattling their pans.

It’s an all-night, all-fiesta of carbohydrates and community spirit that will make your eyes sting and your mouth water.

THE LOCATION OF FOOD SHARING: MAIDA

The location is an old monastery in Maida, Calabria. Every year, the whole of the Maida community gets together to stew up buckets of pasta over open fires for 12 hours, before dishing it out to waiting, shouting, pushing, grainy-faced hordes wielding their own cookware.

The climax is when the local priest blesses the tonnes of chickpeas and tonnes of pasta with a scattering of holy water.

Then, the bells ring, and a smell of wood smoke coiled among the olive groves, lemon trees and cacti lining the roads.

A stall beside the monastery sells limoncello from the top of a little wooden table; there are men selling belts and plastic dolls; whole families arrive with picnics and wine to drink under the trees in a nearby orchard.

Special Calabrian Salami: “Soppressata di Decollatura”

10.7.2018

PERFECT SEASONING: THE DROP FROM A SLICE

If you want to taste a natural and authentic Mediterranea food, then “soppressata di Decollatura” is your choice.

It is a typical salami of the Calabrian plateau, called “Pre-Sila”, and is produced in the municipality of Decollatura (inside the territory of Catanzaro). This soppressata owes its prestige, above all, to the quality of native pigs, reared in the house with leftovers from the kitchen, acorns and bran. Further, the meat processing and maturing process accurately reflects the centuries-old traditions of Decollatura. So that you can justly say that Calabrian culture and cuisine mix together inside this special salami.

The meats, that are used for the preparation of “soppressata”, are the lean ones of the thighs and the fillets, mixed with the fat of the neck. The mixture of meat is then salted and mixed with sauce and peppers sauces. Then, the meat, so prepared, is  stuffed into the intestines. Finally, a typical characteristic of “soppressata” is the drop that comes out from the first cut, which indicates the perfect seasoning and quality.

This salami must be eaten raw and used as an appetizer. It must be cut into thin slices and accompanied by a local red wine, for example Donnici DOC, Melissa or Lamezia.

 

SLOW FOOD LOCAL COMMUNITY

At the end of June 2013 the first feast of the Decollatura’s Soppressata was held (of course…in the town of Decollatura).

Further, a local community of producers founded in Decollatura the so called “Accademia della Soppressata”. This institution, coming from an original idea of  mr. Ennio Bonacci, has the purpose to spread and keep alive the tradition of this Salami of Decollatura.

It is needless to remember that at Decollatura “soppressata” is produced by almost all families for self-consumption and by many farmers for direct sales. Therefore, the municipality of Decollatura, the Mountain Community and the Slow Food association have decided to set up a producers association of the… “Soppressata di Decollatura”.