Simplicity in Basilicata
The land of Basilicata has always been extremely poor, with no aristocrats, popes, or wealthy families living there. This region was inhabited by the Enotri people who were the pioneers of wine culture in southern Italy. After the Enotri came the Lucani people, which were a combination of the Enotri and Greek populations. This region is sometimes referred to as Lucania because of the influence this population had on the land. The name Lucania comes from the tribes who populated the region during the Iron Age.
I decided to do more research into this poor region and here is what I found:
The people of Basilicata date back to the Paleolithic. The first stable market center of the Apennine culture was found on the promontory of Capa la Timpa, which is near Maratea during the Bronze Age. Then during the Iron Age, communities lived in large villages located at the borders of the rivers and flat plains.
The economy of Basilicata is very interesting, with the cultivation of the land mainly consisting of wheat. Potatoes and maize are also produced in the mountainous areas of the regions. Olives and grapes are also cultivated in the region of the inactive volcano, Mount Vulture. This is about all of the agriculture of the region, something very different from the other regions we have studied thus far. The reason for this is because a lot of the land is mountainous, even though there are 2 coasts on the Meditteranean and the Ionian Sea. There is only a tradition of fishing on the Ionian Sea, but on the Meditteranean, there is no use of the sea affecting the cuisine.
This cuisine focuses more on the cultivation of sheep, pork, and chicken. They have a few DOP and IGP products from cheese to beans. Here are a few:
Fun Fact of the Day
List the DOP and IGP products of this region.
- Fagioli bianchi di rotonda DOP (beans)
- Pecorino di filiano DOP (cheese)
This cheese is made with sheep's milk and the rind is treated with olive oil, wine, and vinegar. Often, they even rub soot on the wheel to prevent flies from settling on the cheese.
- Marroncino di melfi DOP (chestnuts)
- Pane di Matera IGP (bread)
This is a bread with ancient origins from the kingdom of Naples. It is traditionally cut with 3 slits on top, representing the holy trinity. This bread will last 7-9 days at least!
- Peperone di Senise IGP (peppers)
- Canestrato di Moliterno IGP (cheese)
This cheese is made with both sheep and goat milk and is aged in cellars and is treated with oil and vinegar.
This region also has a few slow food procedures. I think they are interesting so here they are:
- Caciocavallo podolico della Basilicata
This is cheese produced as a symbol of the southern dairy traditions. It is made with a technique known as "pasta filata" that was developed over the centuries to ensure the preservability of cow's milk.
- Oliva Infornata di Ferrandina
These are olives that are very sweet and aromatic. The olives are air dried and then are baked at 50 C.
- Pera Signora della Valle del Sinni
This is a small pear that is often dried or made into jams and juices. This pear was often cultivated by shepherds who grafted useful pears with wild ones. They were almost extinct, but with the slow food procedure title, they are being brought back.
Today I made a chicken dish that was more or less braised in tomatoes, white wine, onions, parsley, and basil. The chicken was just seared off, onions were sweat, deglazed with wine, then tomatoes, parsley, and basil went in. The chicken was placed on top and then it sits for about 1 hour. The chicken was extremely flavorful an I think this could be done with any type of meat. This would be a great dish to make at home or compose for a restaurant setting.
Here are my tasting notes on the region of Basilicata:
- A lot of mushrooms are used because of the mountain ranges. They are very flavorful and just eaten with few add-ons.
- The cuisine is very earthy with flavorful dishes that are simple and inexpensive to make.
- Broccoli rabe is served with pasta, adding an acidity to the dish. Overall, acidity is something seen in many of the dishes from the addition of tomatoes and other ingredients.
- A lot of the dishes are made with one pot, a simple and easy preparation for any kitchen.
- There is a lot of cheeses on the dishes.
- There is no fish dishes! Something different from every other region of Italy.
- Spices are important: cinnamon, cloves, peperoncino
With love,
Baylee
I decided to do more research into this poor region and here is what I found:
The people of Basilicata date back to the Paleolithic. The first stable market center of the Apennine culture was found on the promontory of Capa la Timpa, which is near Maratea during the Bronze Age. Then during the Iron Age, communities lived in large villages located at the borders of the rivers and flat plains.
The economy of Basilicata is very interesting, with the cultivation of the land mainly consisting of wheat. Potatoes and maize are also produced in the mountainous areas of the regions. Olives and grapes are also cultivated in the region of the inactive volcano, Mount Vulture. This is about all of the agriculture of the region, something very different from the other regions we have studied thus far. The reason for this is because a lot of the land is mountainous, even though there are 2 coasts on the Meditteranean and the Ionian Sea. There is only a tradition of fishing on the Ionian Sea, but on the Meditteranean, there is no use of the sea affecting the cuisine.
This cuisine focuses more on the cultivation of sheep, pork, and chicken. They have a few DOP and IGP products from cheese to beans. Here are a few:
Fun Fact of the Day
List the DOP and IGP products of this region.
- Fagioli bianchi di rotonda DOP (beans)
- Pecorino di filiano DOP (cheese)
This cheese is made with sheep's milk and the rind is treated with olive oil, wine, and vinegar. Often, they even rub soot on the wheel to prevent flies from settling on the cheese.
- Marroncino di melfi DOP (chestnuts)
- Pane di Matera IGP (bread)
This is a bread with ancient origins from the kingdom of Naples. It is traditionally cut with 3 slits on top, representing the holy trinity. This bread will last 7-9 days at least!
- Peperone di Senise IGP (peppers)
- Canestrato di Moliterno IGP (cheese)
This cheese is made with both sheep and goat milk and is aged in cellars and is treated with oil and vinegar.
This region also has a few slow food procedures. I think they are interesting so here they are:
- Caciocavallo podolico della Basilicata
This is cheese produced as a symbol of the southern dairy traditions. It is made with a technique known as "pasta filata" that was developed over the centuries to ensure the preservability of cow's milk.
- Oliva Infornata di Ferrandina
These are olives that are very sweet and aromatic. The olives are air dried and then are baked at 50 C.
- Pera Signora della Valle del Sinni
This is a small pear that is often dried or made into jams and juices. This pear was often cultivated by shepherds who grafted useful pears with wild ones. They were almost extinct, but with the slow food procedure title, they are being brought back.
Today I made a chicken dish that was more or less braised in tomatoes, white wine, onions, parsley, and basil. The chicken was just seared off, onions were sweat, deglazed with wine, then tomatoes, parsley, and basil went in. The chicken was placed on top and then it sits for about 1 hour. The chicken was extremely flavorful an I think this could be done with any type of meat. This would be a great dish to make at home or compose for a restaurant setting.
Here are my tasting notes on the region of Basilicata:
- A lot of mushrooms are used because of the mountain ranges. They are very flavorful and just eaten with few add-ons.
- The cuisine is very earthy with flavorful dishes that are simple and inexpensive to make.
- Broccoli rabe is served with pasta, adding an acidity to the dish. Overall, acidity is something seen in many of the dishes from the addition of tomatoes and other ingredients.
- A lot of the dishes are made with one pot, a simple and easy preparation for any kitchen.
- There is a lot of cheeses on the dishes.
- There is no fish dishes! Something different from every other region of Italy.
- Spices are important: cinnamon, cloves, peperoncino
With love,
Baylee
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