A synthesis of colour, fragrance and flavours that reflect the melting pot of traditions, creating an extremely rich natural and original cuisine, belying its purely Mediterranean context.
The typical calabrian cuisine is a balance between meat-based dishes: pork, lamb, goat, vegetables and fish. In contrast to most other Italian regions, Calabrians have traditionally placed an emphasis on the preservation of their food, in part because of the climate and potential crop failures.
The sausages and salamis, spiced with black pepper, chilli or other flavours, all have their own names, some of then unpronounceable and unique flavours.
Some local specialties include: Read onion, everywhere around Calabria and Tropea in particular you can see signs on the roadside for Cipolla Rossa; Caciocavallo and Pecorino Cheese; some typical pasta are Fileja and Strangughi; liqueurs are Liquirizia and Amaro del Capo.
There is a tradition of packing vegetables and meat in olive oil, making sausages and cold cuts ‘Nduja and Sopressata; the ‘Nudja, made in Spilinga and surrounding villages is probably the most famous: pork innards, especially the liver, are mixed with fatty meats and generous amounts of red chilli pepper and sweet pepper.
Along the coast fish is indeed cooked: anchovy, cuttlefish, sargo, octopus, calamari and pawns all feature on restaurant menus, generally fried, although swordfish is the most venerable of the Calabrian tradition.
This whistle-stop tour of the Calabrian cuisine cannot omit its wines, famed already in the 4th century BC. The Ciro’ Rosso, Zibibbo, Greco di Bianco, Esaro, Savuto, Melissa, Pollino, Donnici are the main varieties and are considered among the best produced in the south of Italy.
