The distinctive, complex character of Calabria has been shaped throughout its history by a remarkable convergence of East and West. Beginning with the ancient Greeks, this beautiful but often harsh land on Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas has been ruled by the Romans, Teutons, Goths, Lombards, Franks, Sicilians, Saracens, French, and Spaniards. Often the people of Calabria were forced to flee from invaders into the mountains, where they continued to cook their customary dishes, based on vegetables coaxed from the poor soil and limited livestock farming. Today, Calabria has begun to shake off its wariness of visitors and has become an increasingly popular tourist destination for Italians and Europeans alike, who enjoy its 400 miles of beautiful sand beaches, wonderful climate, and magnificent mountains.
Like the land itself, the cuisine of Calabria unites the sea and the mountains, and has been transformed over time by its many outside influences. The cooking is not refined or rich in ingredients, but it is substantial and infused with intense flavors and aromas – chili pepper, mint, garlic. Fresh vegetables (tomatoes, sweet peppers, eggplants and red onions), pork, bread (the local version is called pitta) and pasta – and in the coastal areas, fish – are the key foods enjoyed by Calabrians. In recent years, excellent cheese and fine wine making have been on the rise, a signal that the strong flavors of Calabria are being increasingly embraced beyond its borders.
Specialty Foods of Calabria
Peperoncino Cancariello, pipariellu, pipazzu, pipi vruscente: these are just some of the local names for peperoncino, the most important ingredient in the culinary heritage of Calabria. Whether long or round, red, orange, yellow or green, fresh, dried, or crushed: it’s difficult to find a local specialty here that doesn’t contain chili pepper. Originally from the Americas, chili pepper found its ideal habitat in Calabria, although it may seem a paradox that there is relatively little commercial cultivation of this crop here: everybody grows it at home, either in the garden or in a pot, and everyone has a string of chili peppers hanging on a door or at a window.
The name melanzane all parmigiana, or eggplant parmesan, sounds like this popular dish (eggplant that is fried, then baked in the oven with tomato and cheese) is a specialty of Parma. But it was invented in Calabria (and is typical of much of the Italian south), where the eggplant has been the queen of vegetables for centuries. Calabria’s dry climate, high temperatures, and nearly calcium-free soil are ideal for growing eggplants because they prevent a build-up of the fruit’s bitter juices and concentrate its sweet flavor. The name melanzana derives from the Latin malum insanum, which translates as “the fruit which makes one crazy”! Perhaps this is why until the late 19th century, the eggplant was viewed with great suspicion in central and northern Italy. Today, it is enjoyed throughout the country.
Most Italians consider breakfast to be a brioche and a steaming cappuccino, but the Calabrians insist on a cooked breakfast called murseddu. It consists of a ragu made from pig and calf’s liver that are cooked slowly in tomatoes, herbs and hot red pepper, and then stuffed in the local pitta bread.
Despite numerous attempts to export production to other areas in Italy and the world, bergametto, or bergamot oranges, thrive only in Calabria. Bergamot oranges have a smooth, thin peel, an acidic flavor, and an intense scent. They look like an orange, but their color ranges from green to yellow, depending on how ripe they are. Their essential oil is used not only to flavor liqueurs, tea (such as Earl Grey), sweets and drinks, but also in perfumery and cosmetics.
