food – Page 15 – SMAF Ltd

28.8.2019

With climate change, the first Made in Italy mango and avocado crops come along with many other exotic consumer products, familiar such as bananas or lesser-known specialties such as black zapote (also said sapodilla).

This is what emerges from the first Coldiretti study, entitled “Italian Tropical Fruits” presented at the opening of the Coldiretti peasant village in Milan at Castello Sforzesco, from Piazza del Cannone to Piazza Castello, with the presence of over ten thousand farmers.

TROPICAL FRUITS OF CALABRIA

Here are the products grown on our land, Calabria! We have these Calabrian tropical crops:

Mango
Avocado
Passion Fruit
Thai Aubergine (Thai variant of our aubergine)
Macadamia (a dried fruit halfway between almond and hazelnut)

Further, the land of Calabria hosts even Sugar Cane, while the Annona, another fruit typical of the countries of South America is now widespread along the coasts so much that it is also used to produce jam.

THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

That of the Made in Italy tropical fruit – underlines Coldiretti – is an exploded phenomenon due to the effects of overheating determined by climate changes and it is destined to profoundly change consumer behavior in the coming years, but also the productive choices of the same farms . This is demonstrated by the fact that cultivation has gone from a few hectares planted with tropical fruits to over 500 hectares with an increase of 60 times in just five years.

Nearby regions are in the same situation. In Sicily – explains Coldiretti – there are hectares and hectares cultivated with avocado and mango crops of different varieties, in the countryside between Messina, Etna and Acireale, but also with passion fruit, black zapote (similar to persimmon, of Mexican origin), and litchi, the small Chinese fruit that recalls the Muscat grape.

AN ENTIRELY NEW MARKET

All thanks to the commitment of young farmers – recalls Coldiretti – who have chosen this type of cultivation, often recovering and revitalizing abandoned lands precisely because of climate changes, previously destined for the production of oranges and lemons.

A market segment that is growing dramatically, considering that over six Italians out of 10 (61%) would buy bananas, mangos, Italian avocados, if they had them available instead of foreign ones, according to a Coldiretti survey released for the occasion.

71% of citizens would also be willing to pay more for the guarantee of the national origin of the tropical. A choice motivated by the greater degree of freshness but also by the fact that Italy – specifies Coldiretti – is at the top of world food security with the lowest number of food products with irregular chemical residues (0.8%), lower than 1, 6 times the European Union average (1.3%) and 7 times that of non-EU countries (5.5%).

Conclusively, the phenomenon of exotic Italian fruit, driven by the commitment of so many young farmers, is an example of the innovation capacity of Italian agricultural companies in the fruit and vegetable sector. This sector too often is however hampered by an organizational, infrastructural and diplomatic delay that has prevented the Italy to engage the recovery in demand abroad, with a collapse in fresh fruit and vegetables exported in 2018 of 11% in quantity and 7% in value, compared to the previous year.

President of Coldiretti Ettore Prandini underlined, therefore, the need to guarantee “efficient transport on the railway line and airport hubs for goods that allow us to bring our products quickly from north to south of the country and then to every corner of Europe and the world“.

17.8.2019

“PURPPETTI” (SPECIAL CALABRIAN MEATBALLS)

Typical of mountain areas, these aromatic meatballs, full of parmesan, black pepper, parsley and a fine powder of stale bread, are now spread throughout the region. They are prepared with a fair amount of protein products: raw pork, eggs, goat cheese and oil and salt.

The dough is then fried, becoming caloric but extremely good.

“LICURDIA” (A SPECIAL VEGETABLES SOUP)

This dish has a special taste, it is a must of Mediterranean cuisine, at the same time is a very traditional recipe. This soup can contain various vegetables, such as endive, beets, asparagus or carrots, cooked to become cream to dip slices of toasted bread. In any case, the main ingredient is the red onion of Tropea, absolutely the starring of this recipe with its strength and sweetness.

“PASTA E PATATE ARA TIJEDDRA” (A KIND OF PASTA WITH POTATOES)

It is the simpler version of the pasta “ncasciata or pasta a lu furnu” (a baked pasta).

The recipe of pasta “ncasciata or pasta a lu furnu” is very popular with various names throughout the South. The variants contains various measure of salami, hard-boiled eggs, meat, caciocavallo cheese and provola cheese. All these ingredients come into play.

Instead, the “pasta e patate ara tijeddra” is cooked using only pasta, potatoes, sauce, cheese and stale breadcrumbs.

“LAGANE E CICIARI ARA CUSENTINA” (A KIND OF PASTA)

The “Lagane” (a kind of pasta) are mixed together with a chickpea sauce. Lagane are among the first types of pasta attested in ancient texts, they are similar to tagliatelle, but their ingredients are only water and flour, they are cooked in salted water, and then seasoned with a lightly fried sauce, oil, garlic, chilli and chickpeas, boiled separately. The outcome is a very traditional dish that comes from afar.

“MACCARRUNI ARU FIERRU” (A HAND MADE PASTA)

The ‘fierru’ is the iron instrument (a sort of knitting needle) still used today for the preparation of this pasta. Fresh pasta is prepared with milled durum wheat semolina and water: it is seasoned with very rich sauces, such as beef ragout, pork or goat, or with the beloved ‘nduja.

**So called “Scilatelli” or “Maccaruni”**

“PESCE SPADA ALLA GHIOTTA” (SWORDFISH “ALLA GHIOTTA”)

Swordfish is the protagonist of the Calabrian seafood cuisine, which is influenced by neighboring Sicily. There are various recipes: one of the most famous is the sowrdfish “alla ghiotta” with tomato, capers and olives but the version of Reggio Calabria (“riggitana“) is also widespread, where only garlic, oil and parsley are used.

“MAZZACORDE ALLA COSENTINA” (OFFAL ROULADE)

This dish uses the less noble parts of the lamb: lung, spleen, heart, tripe, which are coarsely chopped and wrapped in the guts of the lamb. After a short turn in oil and onion, the cook adds tomatoes, bay leaves and other aromatic herbs. The “mazzacorde” are accompanied with peppers and browned potatoes.

“STOCCO ALLA MAMMOLESE” (STOCKFISH “ALLA MAMOLESE”)

In Calabria, the stockfish is part of a myriad of recipes: it is prepared with mushrooms, beans, salad with lemon and parsley and in many other ways. But the most important remains the stockfish “alla Mammolese”: in this small town in Reggio area, the dried cod is cooked with tomato sauce, potatoes, peppers and olives.

“MELANGIANI CHJINI” (STUFFED EGGPLANT)

The most common ones are prepared with the filling of the flesh of the same aubergines: the flavor is determined by the mixture with the cheese and the natural aromas. Other regional recipes include stuffing, ricotta, vegetables, potatoes, onion and tomato sauce in the filling.

“CREMA REGGINA” (“REGGINA” CREAM)

Legend has it that it was born at the beginning of the nineteenth century due to the mistake of a pastry chef in the preparation of a classic cream.

Calabria has a good reputation in the art of ice cream making. This icecream of Reggio is now considered a Traditional Agri-food Product – based on milk. sugar, carob seeds, rum, candied fruit and chocolate.

Tag: food

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