What’s there other than chili?

Strong flavors that reflect the identity of an incredible land: these are the typical products from Calabria, a perfect combination of taste and quality, perfect for many Calabrian recipes go here for info

Cedro liscio di diamante.

This variety of cedar is the most famous in the world as well as the most sought after in the agro-food industry. Cultivated in the so-called Riviera dei Cedri – where there is also a museum that celebrates it – Diamante’s smooth cedar is a spherical green fruit with a sour taste and intense aroma. With a thousand beneficial properties, this particular citrus is not edible in its fresh state, but needs to be transformed; in fact it is mostly used in the preparation of sweets or – through the infusion of the peel in alcohol – for the preparation of the cedar liqueur. A curiosity: Diamante’s smooth cedar is particularly linked to Jewish culture. Being considered “the best fruit of the most beautiful tree”, it is in fact widely used by rabbis around the world for the celebration of Sukkoth, one of the main Jewish festivals.

Calabrian chili

Here we are the Calabrian product par excellence: the chili. The Soverato, the Poinsettia, the Naso di cane picante and the Ciliegione are some of the varieties that belong to the Calabrian pepper category, known in the world as the “king of chillies” and honored every year in the month of September in Diamante with a Festival full of gastronomic events. Whether green or red, round or croissant-shapped, fresh or powdered, its taste is unmistakable: spicy and aromatic at the same time. An essential ingredient of the typical Calabrian recipes and cuisine, chili pepper has always been used not only as a simple spice, but also as a food preservation method.

Licorice

About 80% of the national licorice production is concentrated in Calabria. This perennial herb grows spontaneously on the whole regional territory, constituting a real good fortune for the local economy. Unlike that produced in other countries, the Calabria DOP licorice stands out for its more balanced taste, less bitter, which allows it to be consumed without the addition of additives. These unique characteristics make licorice one of the typical Calabrian products that the whole world envies us! In addition to being consumed in its natural form – namely in sticks to nibble – the licorice of Calabria is transformed into essence to be used for the preparation of cakes, ice cream, liqueurs and candies. If you are curious to find out everything about the history of this extraordinary product, in Rossano Calabro you can visit the only Italian museum dedicated to licorice, where the tools and manuscripts of the Amarelli family, always involved in the production of this Calabrian excellency, are kept.