The cuisine of Basilicata, or Lucanian cuisine, is the cuisine of the Basilicata region of Italy. It is mainly based on the use of pork and sheep meat, legumes, cereals and vegetables, with the addition of aromas such as hot peppers, powdered raw peppers and horseradish. The local gastronomy is, for historical-cultural reasons, typically peasant, based on simple recipes and on the culture of reuse, in particular of meat and bread.
Some dishes have undergone variations and enrichments in modern times, losing the connotations of "poor" cooking which characterized them in the past. The most ancient manuscript available about Lucanian cooking dates back to 1524, by Antonio Camuria from Lagonegro, cook at the service of the Carafa family.
Overview
The cuisine of Basilicata is mostly based on inexpensive ingredients and deeply anchored in rural traditions.
Pork is an integral part of the regional cuisine, often made into sausages or roasted on a spit. Famous dry sausages from the region are and . Wild boar, mutton, and lamb are also popular. Pasta sauces are generally based on meats or vegetables. Horseradish is often used as a spice and condiment, known in the region as "poor man's truffle". The region produces cheeses such as , , , and and olive oils such as the Vulture. The () is a staple of the local cuisine, defined as the "red gold of Basilicata". It is consumed as a snack or as a main ingredient for several regional recipes.
Among the traditional dishes are , pasta served with dried crunchy pepper and breadcrumbs; , also known as (), pasta prepared with chickpeas and peeled tomatoes; , tagliatelle-dish of Arbëreshe culture; , a type of omelet with horseradish; , a vegetable stew with artichokes, potatoes, broad beans, and pancetta; and the , one of the few recipes made with fish. Desserts include , made with sugar glaze and scented with anise and , fried pastries filled with a cream of chestnuts and chocolate.
The most famous wine of the region is the Aglianico del Vulture; others include Matera, Terre dell'Alta Val d'Agri, and Grottino di Roccanova.
Basilicata is also known for its mineral waters which are sold widely in Italy. The springs are mostly located in the volcanic basin of the Vulture area.
Characteristics
The region is characterized by many small towns, villages and rural centers often separated by geographical barriers, therefore determining the necessity of cooking and eating what was produced on the spot, according to techniques developed on the spot. The most common recipes, passing from an area to another, from a village to another take on different connotations, and are made with different raw materials.
Pork has been a fundamental ingredient of Lucanian cooking since ancient Roman times. According to Marcus Terentius Varro, in ancient Lucania (which included most of today's Basilicata) originated the sausage, at the time called lucanica, which spread, later, in the whole national territory and from which originated the luganega, typical sausage of northern Italy.
Little used fish in the hinterland and only widespread in the limited Tyrrhenian and Ionic coasts. In the past, salt cod was the most common variety in inland areas because of its long shelf life.
Among the most used legumes and cereals there are beans, chickpeas, chickling peas, broad beans, barley and spelt, which are widely used in different recipes such as and ; and used for the production of , a mixture of flours dating back to the sixteenth century, used for the preparation of dishes served on the tables of counts, barons, marquises and landowners of Basilicata.
Fruit has always represented an essential component. Figs, in particular, were considered a versatile food: consumed both in holidays and in the most intense working periods such as harvesting. Grapes, besides the production of wines, have a culinary use in the preparation of first courses () and desserts such as pan minisc. Dried fruits, such as chestnuts, are used in many ways in first and second courses, as well as in sweets such as .
Peperone crusco, a variety of dried bell pepper, is a key element of the regional cooking, so much to be labeled as "the red gold of Basilicata". It is consumed both as a snack and in the preparation of first courses, second courses and appetisers, such as , (salt cod) and acquasale. A very used aromatic element is horseradish, defined by people from Basilicata as "poor man's truffle", historically common on the tables of labourers because of its accessible costs and its wide spreading in the territory. Horseradish is a fundamental ingredient of condiments such as , main courses such as rafanata or by mixing it with bread and potatoes to prepare meatballs, as well as to flavor meat.
A condiment frequently found in Lucanian dishes is breadcrumbs which was considered the "poor man's cheese", representing an alternative to more expensive dairy products.
Ancient is the art of calzone, known in Basilicata with different names such as pastizz or , datable at least between the eighteenth and nineteenth century.
Pasta dishes Basilicata is considered the region with the highest consumption of pasta. The figures reach per capita per year, compared to the national average of . Typical pasta formats of the region are strascinati, cavatelli (also known as rascatielli), ferretti (also known as ferricelli, fusilli or frizzuli), orecchiette, maccaronara, lagane (not to be confused with lagane, better known as "lasagne"), an ancient pasta format dating back to Roman times, similar to tagliatelle but slightly shorter and thicker, and manate, a long pasta rather thick and irregularly shaped.
Some notable pasta dishes are:
Name Image Description Calzoni di pezzente e fagioli pasta stuffed with pezzente salami and cooked ham, seasoned with beans, pecorino cheese and parsley. Cavatelli o strascinati con cime di zucca pasta served with pumpkin tops, crusco peppers and tomatoes. Cavatelli con cime di rapa or senàpe selvatiche pasta seasoned with vegetables and garlic. A variant foresees the addition of tomato and pecorino cheese. Cauzunciedd ravioli filled with ricotta cheese, eggs and mint, seasoned with tomato sauce. Ferrett' cu pezzent e rafano pasta seasoned with a sauce of salami pezzente and horseradish, with the addition of cacioricotta cheese or grated pecorino cheese. Lagane e ceci pasta with chickpeas, garlic or leek and laurel. They are also called "piatto del brigante" (dish of the brigand) because it is said that they were very appreciated by the Lucanian brigands of the nineteenth century who were, therefore, called "scolalagane". Lagana chiapputa lagh' na chiappout in dialect. Typical of the municipalities of Alto Bradano. Pasta seasoned with cooked wine, walnuts, almonds, pine nuts and raisins. Orecchiette alla materana baked pasta with tomato, minced lamb, mozzarella and pecorino cheese. Pasta con fagiolini e cacioricotta typical recipe from Bernalda, with green beans from the eye and tomato puree. Pasta con peperoni cruschi first course with cruschi peppers, bread crumbs and cacioricotta cheese. Types of pasta used are strascinati, frizzuli and cavatelli. Pasta con ragù alla potentina generally strozzapreti or strascinati served with l'ndruppeche, ragout prepared with pork and beef meat and seasoned with grated horseradish. Pasta mollicata known in dialect as pasta ammuddicata or pasta ca muddica, is present in many culinary traditions of Southern Italy. In Basilicata it is prepared with breadcrumbs and with the addition of other seasonings such as chopped tomatoes or meat sauce, powdered crusco bell pepper or acciughe sotto sale. Strascinati con la menta typical pasta dish of Tito with chopped mint, lard, crusco bell pepper and horseradish. Timballo di riso al forno topped with provola cheese, sausage, chicken livers, bread crumbs, pecorino cheese and tomato sauce. Tumact me tulez dish of the arbëreshë lucana tradition typical of Barile; tagliatelle with tomatoes and anchovies, seasoned with breadcrumbs and nut grains.
Secondi
Ingredients which stand out in Lucanian second courses are pork and sheep meat, with some exceptions of chicken and fish. Among these are to be mentioned:
Name Image Description Agnello alla contadina lamb cut into pieces with potatoes cooked in the oven. Anguilla di Pantano eel served with tomatoes and chili pepper, flavored with bay leaf and mint. Baccalà alla potentina also called baccalà a ciauredda. Dish based on fish with different variations. Generally seasoned with tomato puree, onion, black olives and raisins. Baccalà alla lucana or Baccalà all'aviglianese seasoned with cruschi peppers. Brodetto 'Vredett in dialect. Lamb meat with wild fennel, eggs, pecorino cheese and tomato (optional). Cappucci e cicorie second course that combines vegetables with pork rind and pig's foot. Cutturidd also known as Pastorale or Pignata, sheep meat stew with different ingredients and variations such as tomatoes, potatoes, lampascioni and cardoncelli. Frascatula cornmeal polenta with potato and lard prepared in different versions, usually with pork sauce or cooked wine. Gnummeriedde widespread in all of central-southern Italy. Also known with other names such as Gnommariell or Migliatiedde, they are entrails of lamb or kid twisted and seasoned with different aromas according to the area. Grattonato or Trippa risottata typical of the Pollino area, made with offal of sheep (bovine in the most recent version), eggs, pecorino cheese and powdered bell pepper. Maiale con cipolle pork with onions and dry white wine. Pollo alla potentina prepared with tomato, onion, potatoes, lard and fresh chilli pepper. Pollo ripieno al ragù chicken giblets stuffed with breadcrumbs and sausage, seasoned with pecorino cheese and tomato puree. Rafanata high baked omelette flavored with horseradish and pecorino cheese, boiled potatoes and/or sausages can be added. Sarde con origano e pane sardines seasoned with grated bread crumbs, pecorino cheese, oregano, parsley and garlic. Spigola alla malvasia lucana fish dish with malvasia, seasoned with grapes, orange and lemon peel, thyme, rosemary and garlic. Zucca lunga sposata in dialect Cocuzza logna maritata. Pumpkin seasoned with a sauce of tomatoes, onions and celery.
Other dishes
Acquasale: a unique dish with several variations, all with stale bread as a basic ingredient. It can be enriched with egg, tomato, onion, raw peppers. Cialledda: similar to acquasale and widespread in the area of Matera. It is prepared with bread, onion and tomato. Crapiata: typical soup from Matera with various ingredients such as peas, broad beans, chickpeas, wheat, spelt, lentils, beans, chickling peas, new potatoes, cherry tomatoes, celery, onion and carrot. Cuccìa: widespread in the area of the Lucanian Dolomites, peasant soup with wheat, chickpeas, broad beans, chickling peas. Falagone: in dialect Falaòn. A type of calzone prepared with an unleavened dough. The filling can be salty or sweet depending on the place of production. Patate piene: also known as patat' chiene or patat' abbrazzat, typical recipe of Laurenzana, therefore called "patate alla laurenzanese" (patat' alla runzanese). Baked potatoes cut into slices and stuffed with seasoned sausage, cheese and eggs. You can also add breadcrumbs and horseradish. Munnulata: typical soup of Castelsaraceno, prepared with chestnuts, beans, potatoes and crusco bell pepper powder. Pane cotto (or pan cotto): prepared with bread, potatoes, guanciale or pancetta. Another version common in the Vulture-Melfese area is made with bread, broccoli or turnip tops and cruschi peppers. Pizza rustica lucana: known with different names such as scarcedda, pasticcio, cazzola or cuzzola, it is a savory pie of the Easter period with a filling of eggs, ricotta (or toma), pecorino and soppressata (or sausage).