BASILICATA
TERRITORY
AND HISTORY
Located in southern Italy, the territory of Basilicata (also known as Lucania) is predominantly mountainous and hilly, with a modest flat percentage and two stretches bathed respectively by the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Ionian Sea. It has a single large plain: the Plain of Metaponto. The massifs of Pollino and Sirino, Monte Alpi, Monte Raparo and the Maddalena mountain range are the major reliefs of the Lucanian Apennines. In the north-western area of the region there is an inactive volcano, Mount Vulture.
The history of Basilicata takes place starting from the first human visits in the Paleolithic and the development of the indigenous communities, passing through the colonization of Magna Graecia, the Roman conquest, and the subsequent Byzantine, Longobard and Norman dominions, to then follow the vicissitudes of the Kingdom of Naples and finally the Kingdom of Italy and the Italian Republic.
CUISINE
AND TRADITIONS
Historically speaking, the cultivation of cereals has always been a staple of the local economy, therefore it is not surprising the richness of the offer of pasta, cavatelli, fusilli, maccheroni, strascinati, manate, orecchiette, capunti or cavatelli, and desserts , panzerotti, focaccia, taralli, cicirata; as well as stuffed pastas, such as the local version of the calzone or strazzata, a typical focaccia from the Avigliano area. Not to mention the famous Matera bread, made from durum wheat semolina. The region is very much affected by its proximity to the regions of Calabria and Puglia: if with Calabria, a western neighbor, one shares a passion for chillies, with Puglia in the east conversing as to the production of cheeses. Among the best known, pecorino di Filiano, canestrano from Moliterno, caciocavallo podolico, from whose processing we also obtain manteca, and cacioricotta; there is no lack of ricottas, the strong and the salty ones, and the mozzarella; and then goats such as paddraccio, scamorze and tome.
Traditions such as arboreal rites, which celebrate the regeneration of nature and fertility, as well as anthropological and anthropomorphic carnivals, which refer to the profound bond between man and nature, make Basilicata a unique region, where the relationship with nature has always characterized man's life.
The grapes cultivated and the different systems of vine cultivation allow us to identify three wine-growing areas in Basilicata: the Vulture, with some branches in the Upper Bradano, the Val d'Agri and the area of Matera, with the hill slopes that slope down towards the Sea Ionian. Aglianico del Vulture is the main grape variety in Basilicata, with over 60% of the vineyard surface, which represents 90% of the production of PDO and PGI wines.
TYPICAL DISHES
Bread of Matera IGP
With its processing system, it has a very long tradition dating back to the Kingdom of Naples. It has always been a typical food of the territory of Matera, a traditional area of cereal cultivation, as can also be seen from various artistic and literary testimonies that attest to the importance and the cult of bread in the life and economy of the whole territory. The ritual of the three cuts impressed with the knife to the dough, representing the Holy Trinity, is particularly suggestive; a gesture of profound devotion with which families thanked God for the opportunity to take advantage of this primary good.
Orecchiette alla Lucana
t is a dish that can be offered as the only dish in the lunch or dinner menu as it includes so many ingredients: in addition to pasta, which must be strictly fresh, there is also lamb in pieces and a tasty sauce that will surely make you get off the table well satiated. Preparing orecchiette alla materana is very simple and does not take much time.
Soppressata
The soppressata from Basilicata is a sausage made from pork with a knife tip kneaded then with lard cubes. It is mainly produced in the mountainous or hilly areas of Lucania with fillet and thigh pork and lard cubes of locally reared pigs. The classic equipment for its preparation still remains today, the wooden tompagno, the manually operated meat grinder, needles, string and wooden poles.
Cavatelli with Cicerchia
The "Cavatellini with cicerchia is a classic first course in the Matera cuisine.
Cicerchia is an ancient legume that comes from a herbaceous plant, is characterized by its particular taste similar to both chickpea and broad bean.
It was once present in every vegetable garden and was known as the food of the poor. It was used for nutritious and tasty soups as well as in soups.
Cacioricotta Lucano
The Cacioricotta Lucano is obtained by bringing the milk of goat and sheep at 90 ° C and adding lamb or kid rennet. The name of this specialty evokes both cheese and ricotta and can be defined as a mix of both products. In fact, the processing technique requires the milk to be heated to a very high temperature in order to incorporate both casein (used for the production of cheese) and albumin (used to produce ricotta) in the curd.
Lucana Cod
The Lucanian cod is particularly widespread in the areas of the municipality of Avigliano, for this reason it is also known as baccalà all'Aviglianese.
It constituted a food based on fish which is fundamental for the people of the Lucan hinterland, being the hilly area far from the sea. Simple to store and transport, it was an excellent alternative to meat-based dishes.
Ficculi
Similar in shape and ingredients to sweet taralli, but without glazing: the ficculi are crunchy cupcakes flavored with wild anise with the peculiarity, in the more traditional versions, of being cooked in a wood-fired oven. They are often eaten for breakfast, although they are suitable for any time of the day. To prepare them you need 00 flour, fresh eggs, sugar, olive oil, lard, anise, a bit of liqueur and aniseed.
STARRY
RESTAURANTS
VITANTONIO LOMBARDO
Via Madonna delle Virtù 13
Matera (MT)
+39 0835 335475