12.03.2022

“Limon Calaber fructu minima rotundo angustioribus et brevioribus foliis”: this is how in 1726 Paolo Bartolomeo Clarici identified the Calabrian round lemon by describing its characteristics.

Lime (Citrus limetta) is a citrus fruit characterized by a very delicate scent and a yellow-green skin, with a sweetish or slightly acidic and not very savory pulp, and is another of the Protected (Traditional) Agri-food Products of Calabria (PAT).

The variety grown in the upper Ionian coast of Cosenza is Citrus limetta umbilicata hispanica or Spanish limo.

The fruit stands out for being small and round, with an umbo, almost completely surrounded by a deep groove.

Dialectally called piretta, it has been cultivated for centuries in the Piana di Sibari, where it has found an ideal climate for its adaptation.

It is also known by the name of Calabrian limoncello or Calabrian lime, used a lot in the preparation of liqueurs and cocktails.

It has an intense aroma, rich in essential oils, with a fine peel; details that give it excellent organoleptic qualities and that make it one of the products of excellence of its kind. According to some, it is a hybrid between cedar and another citrus fruit that is not better defined.

The origin and history of Citrus limetta or lima dulcis (as Giovanni Battista Ferrari defined it at the end of 1500, in his work “Hesperides”), are very fragmentary and little is known about its past.

It almost certainly spread from India (where different varieties of sweet limes are still grown today, called in Hindi musambi or mosambi, with which sweet and refreshing juices are made) to Asia Minor, Egypt and other countries of the Mediterranean basin, in which it has been present for many centuries.

It forms small trees or large erect, branched and thorny bushes, its flowers are white and fragrant, single or in inflorescence, and are produced from spring to autumn.

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Among the sweet citrus fruits it is the least known, but it is sought after by connoisseurs who appreciate both the beauty and the goodness and taste of this fruit. As with most citrus fruits, sweet limes are rich in vitamin C and potassium, and are used to fight the flu and colds.

Their juice is rich in substances that stimulate the digestive system by helping the stomach to regulate gastric juices, and this is why in Calabria, with its rinds, an excellent piretta liqueur is made for the end of a meal.

This juice with a pinch of salt is also useful against constipation and nausea.

It also increases appetite, purifies the blood, is highly thirst-quenching and cools the body.

In India, it is one of the most consumed among citrus juices, and in oriental cuisine it is also used to marinate meat (as it enhances its flavor without contrasting it with the acidity that other citrus fruits have) and to dress salads.Finally, it is used in the food industry for the production of soft drinks, jams and sorbets.

This citrus fruit is particularly cultivated to obtain the essential oil from its peel.

The essence, very fragrant and similar to that of lemon but more delicate, is appreciated by the perfume industry to create unusual perfumes, detergents and refined deodorants.

Calabrian limetta citrus: another small but great fruit made in Calabria, to discover and taste!

1.2.2022

We proudly present our line of Authentic Calabrian Dairy: SMAF Ltd selection.

All Dairy is generally produced throughout Southern Italy, over the wide area of Apennine Mountains, but only in Calabria the classic Dairy Products are a must of Mediterranean Cuisine. We can mention sweet or seasoned Calabrian Pecorino cheese of Mount Poro, the Crotonese Pecorino cheese, and many pure sheep cheese with a 4 month seasoning and a spicy flavour.

TRADITION AND QUALITY

First starring of our production is CACIOCAVALLO, a type of stretched-curd cheese made out of sheep’s or cow’s milk.

While it is generally produced throughout Southern Italy, over the wide area of Apennine Mountains and of the Gargano peninsula, only in Calabria it is shaped like a tear-drop, very similar in taste to the aged Southern Italian Provolone cheese, with a hard edible rind.

Many different types of caciocavallo exist in Italy and several are recognized as P.A.T. (“Prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale”, traditional regional food product), for example Caciocavallo podolico or Caciocavallo di Godrano, but only Caciocavallo Silano has the better Protected geographical status (PDO).

This cheese is made with cow’s milk in designated areas of Southern Italy, in the regions of Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise and Puglia and gained protected geographical status, since 1993.

The origins of the Italian name of caciocavallo are literally in the expression “horse cheese”, but it is thought that the name derives from Latin “cascabellus” with the meaning of “sleigh bell” for its shape of a hanging ball.

Caciocavallo was first mentioned around 500 BC by Hippocrates.

Our second actor is CALABRIAN PECORINO. Generally, of the six main varieties of Pecorino, all of which have Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status under European Union law, Pecorino Calabrese (“Monte poro” and “Crotonese”) is probably the less known outside Italy.

It is common that important export markets mostly deal with Pecorino produced on the island of Sardinia, while are less known the other mature PDO cheeses, like:

Pecorino Toscano,
Pecorino Siciliano (or Picurinu Sicilianu in Sicilian) from Sicily,
Pecorino di Filiano from Basilicata
Pecorino Crotonese (from Crotone in Calabria).

We deal with Calabrian matured pecorino cheeses, referred to as stagionato (“seasoned” or “aged” ), which are harder but still crumbly in texture and have decidedly buttery and nutty flavours. We also supply two types of semi-stagionato and fresco, which have a softer texture and milder cream and milk tastes. Further, we can sell Pecorino Pepato (literally, “peppered Pecorino”), to which red pepper corns are added. Today many other additions are made, for example walnuts or rocket or tiny pieces of white or black truffle.

In many recipes you can find such cheese and a good Pecorino Stagionato is often the finish of a meal, served with pears and walnuts or drizzled with strong chestnut honey. Pecorino is also often used to finish pasta dishes.

OUR ROLE

SMAF LTD is a supplier and has vision and mission as a Society for Authentic Mediterranean Food (S.M.A.F.). Therefore, SMAF LTD deals with all the cheeses labelled in Calabrian DOPs, first of all the classic Dairy Products, mentioned above, and with sweet or seasoned Calabrian Pecorino cheese of Mount Poro, and the Crotonese Pecorino cheese, pure sheep cheese with a 4 month seasoning and a spicy flavour.

But above all, the Aspromonte Caciocavallo produced with whole-cow milk with a savoury and spicy flavour with a two month seasoning.

Tag: delicious

A small and very fragrant citrus: the Calabrian lime

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Authentic Calabrian Dairy: SMAF Ltd selection