The green Irpinia: chestnuts and hazelnuts, wines and olive oils and many other delights

Irpinia is a generous land. Even in the mountains areas, as well as in the fertile plateaus and on the hills where agricultural productions are accompanied by the breeding of bovines, sheep and goats in the wild along ancient paths, suggested by the nature cycles. There are many excellences recognised nationally and internationally, linked to small companies, often families, and deeply rooted in the territories, which from the artisanal transformation of the raw materials, result of the daily work in the fields, in the pastures and even in the woods, have added value of products with a unique flavour. Able by itself to indicate and characterise the origin. Their first brand. Unmistakable.

The image of the green Irpinia has to be associated with the woods surrounding the most impressive highlands and paint the landscape. The chestnuts woods, which give autumn their renowned fruits, already provide in spring abundant blooms to the bees which produce excellent honey for the most diverse preparations and most enjoyable combinations. And already in summer, mushrooms from the many edible species cannot be missing, among the other hundred thousand present in the region. To be consumed fresh in the recipes of the traditions or even dried. All the species of porcini, especially, and the sought after royal agaric. From Terminio to Bagnoli Irpino, around the Laceno Lake. And Bagnoli can also boast its PAT black truffle, not at all inferior to the best and most known species of Umbria.

Bagnoli also links its name to the Bagnoli sheep one (the “Bagnolesi”), which are in its territory in the heart of the Picentini mountains, where the pastures at a thousand meters above sea level offer very aromatic herbs, which you can find in the milk transformed into pecorino cheese. Among the dairy products of punta dell’Irpinia, there are three varieties of pecorino cheese corresponding to as many breeds of sheep of rather limited ranges. In addition to the “Bagnolese”, the “Carmasciano”, produced in the Ansanto valley between Guardia dei Lombardi, Rocca San Felice and Frigento, where the pastures - and therefore the milk- feel the effect of the proximity of the small lake of the Mefite. And then the Laticauda, the pecorino cheese made from the milk of “big tail” sheep, also present in Irpinia, in small hill farms. The delicate juncata is mostly from sheep’s milk, but also goats and cows’ milk, which was produced during the transhumance, using characteristic reeds baskets.

The dairy production is, however, widespread almost everywhere in Irpinia, even if the bovine and ovine farming are concentrated particularly in the areas of the Terminio Mount and the massif of Partenio. The milk for PAT Caciocavallo cheese arrives from the wild farms of Podolic cows from the Upper Irpinia, in the territory from the hills Terminio-Cerviatlo to the Ufita Valley. The cheese can be in sweet or spicy versions and with different aging periods, even in natural caves, produced in limited quantities between Montella, Aquilonia, Bisaccia, Zungoli and Calitri. This latter location is also famous for its brain, rigorously kneaded with mother yeast and cooked on firewood. The ancient bread of Montecalvo Irpino, with saragolla durum wheat is also renowned.

The variety of cured meats is very rich, with distinctive peculiarities depending on the production areas, corresponding to the farming areas of Caserta white and black pigs. Particularly, seasoned capocollo and smoked and aged soppressata. At the foot of the Partenio, Mugnano del Cardinale and the area of Baiano are distinguished by the typical PAT salami, documented since the Fourteenth century with the use of braziers and then dried in the wind, which is also characteristic of those places.

Cheeses and cured meats with strong flavours recommend full-bodied wines, such as the noble red wines from the vines which charavterise the important Irpinia viticulture since the imperial age: Taurasi and Greco di Tufo DOCG. And the white DOCG Fiano di Avellino.

In addition to the great wines, Irpinia is also the land of a great extra virgin olive oil: the high quality DOP Irpinia-Colline dell’Ufita. And the “Oro Verde” (“Green Gold”) of Irpinia produced by small companies in the territory of 38 Municipalities of the valley and of the middle course of the Calore and the Arianese, where the soils offer the ideal conditions, together with the microclimate, for the cultivation of olive trees, mostly of the Ravece variety.

The Montoro copper onion PAT is as unmissable as the extra virgin olive oil in the great dishes of Irpinia cuisine. The onions are produced in the area of Solofra and are sweet and aromatic, to be consumed cooked or to make jams and preserves. And the hills of Montoro are also the home of the typical sweet olive tomatoes.

The long braids to hang for the desiccation allow to perfectly preserve the fine White Garlic of Ufita PAT, of the family of the “white of Campania”, obtained from seeds produced in the farms which cultivate it or in seedbeds of the territory and rigorously hand-picked in June.

The typical "Peperoncino" (Chilly pepper) belongs to the hamlet of Quaglietta, dominated by the Lombard castle, in the municipality of Calabritto and has two varieties: the papaiola or papazzo, which is preserved in vinegar and the spicy Spungulicchio, which is used for cured meats and ad a condiment.

Among the fruits of the Irpinia territory, cherries are widespread and represent a quarter of the considerable Campania production. We distinguish The “Palermitana” of Montoro and Serino, the “Monte” of Baiano, the “Maiatica” of Taurasi and the “Malella” and “San Pasquale” of Ariano Irpino.

The PAT figs of San Mango sul Calore are irresistible. Adapted to the cold climate over the centuries, with a red skin when the fruit is ripe and a juicy dark bronze pulp, they are also ideal for preserves both frosted or coated with dark chocolate. They are also produced in the areas of Paternopoli (also famous for broccolis), Caposele and Castelfranci. During the last weekend of July they are the protagonists of a typical festival.

Also around Avellino, the hazelnut groves are what dominates the most, as in other areas of Irpinia, which is a large hazelnuts producer. Much sought-after by the national industry of creams, chocolates and snacks for their peculiarities. Thanks to the cultivar, queens of the Irpinia’s hazel cultivation, dating back to the Roman times: the “Mortarella”, medium-small and light brown; the “Camponica”, typical of Avellino, and the “San Giovanni”, crumbly and aromatic.

And hazelnuts with the honey are the basic ingredients of the “cupeto ”, the “torrone” (nougat), which in its territorial variants is among the typical sweets of many Irpinia localities. One of the main production centers is Dentecane, a district of Pietradefusi, with its torroni factories. Traditionally, the pilgrims visiting the Sanctuary of Montevergine consumed the torrone and in fact, the one in the nearby hamlet of Ospedaletto d’Alpinolo is very renowned. There is a hard and a soft version, widespread in Irpinia with the name of pantorrone, due to the addition of the usual ingredients of sponge cake soaked with rum and Strega liqueur. The Spantorrone di Grotta, originally from Grottaminarda in the valley of the Ufita, is a variant, and is a particularly crumbly sweet, which once cut, is divided into flakes.

Chestnuts

The shape of the sweet fruit vaguely resembles a dove. And it justifies the name of “Palommina” (from the Neapolitan dialect “Palomma” meaning "dove" ) of the variety clearly prevalent among the chestnut trees populating the woods of Montella. The strict production regulation provides that 90 percent of the chestnuts must belong to the area protected by the PGI, while the remaining part belongs to the “Verdole” variety. Together, the two species of chestnut trees contribute to the landscape of Terminio-Cervialto, homeland of the Montella chestnut, a national excellence which is rooted in history. Because the chestnut groves have ben growing in the Irpinia mounts for at least twenty-five years, favoured by the soil and the climate, to which the human care has been added over time, already prescribed in the Lombard period, when the availability of chestnut flour and its long conservation period proved to be very useful during the recurrent sieges.

Fresh, dried, desiccated and toasted to make the Christmas “priest’s chestnuts”, transformed into delicious marrons glacés or into flour for the castagnaccio, in purée or in preserve, in Montella they also obtain an excellent liqueur and a typical pantorrone.

Other production centres of the Montella Chestnut are Bagnoli Irpino, Cassano Irpino, Nusco, Volturara Irpina e Montemarano. 

The IGP chestnut of Serino is bigger, ideal for the consumption and marrons glacés. These chestnuts are from the “Verdole” and “Montemarano” varieties. They are grown in the upper valley of the Sabato and on the Picentini, where there were introduced by the Benedictines between the 12th and the 13th centuries.

 

The recipe

Baccalà alla pertecaregna - Pertecaregna salted codfish

A fish recipe from the Irpinia peasant cuisine, a dish of the tradition frequented especially when important holidays of the year approach. You first need to boil the fish previously soaked. Then you can prepare the fried garlic with abundant extra virgin olive oil and cook until it has golden and remove it before putting out the fire. Pour some dried crusco peppers, after having removed the stalk and part of the seeds. You only need to cook them for a few seconds and make sure that you do not burn them. Set aside to cool. In the oil of the peppers, put the fish, and heat it up making sure that you don’t fry it. Serve the fish with the condiment and complete with the crusco peppers.