La gastronomia & l'artigianato

Gastronomy

Cilento has a food tradition based on local produce. The Mediterranean diet is the centrepiece.

•Pulses and vegetables: Controne beans, Cicerale chickpeas, artichokes, tomatoes.
•fruit: chestnuts, citrus fruits, Cilento white figs, whose name originates from the uniform light-yellow coloured skin of dry figs.
•Typical specialities: olive oil, buffalo mozzarella, "mozzarella co’a mortedda". The last one is kept in twigs of "mortedda" or "mortella", ancient name of myrtle. Soppressata di Gioi is a particular cold cut. At its centre there is a piece of lard.
•Seafood: menaica anchovies. This name derives from an ancient fishing technique, by rowboats called "Menaide".
•Cheese: Pecorino, Cacioricotta, Caciocavallo podolico, whose name derives from the species of cows used for its production, namely - vacche podaliche.
•Wines: Doc Castel S. Lorenzo, red wine produced from Barbera grapes, and Doc Cilento, without parallel in Campania
•Typical dishes: "Ciambotta",a traditional mixed vegetable peasant dish, Lagane e chickpeas, cavatielli, Fusilli. "Maracucciata" is a recipe based on "maracuoccio", little pod, quite like pea. "Alici ‘mbottunate" is a typical fish recipe.

Craftsmanship

Basket makers, carpenters, blacksmiths, stonemasons and ceramicists are the centrepiece of the local production. Here craftsmanship becomes art, thanks to expert handwork, a strong creative force and the great humanity of the inhabitants of the Cilento region.

It is possible to visit workshops and buy the handworks of Vallo di Diano stonemasons or stone craftsmen in Centola. You could meet wrought-iron blacksmiths in Bussento, ceramicists in Camerota, specialists in axes for shipyards or carpenters that carve chestnut and beech wood to create pipes.

The Mount Stella and Mingardo ceramicists follow the footsteps of their Magna Grecia masters, Alento basket makers fold and weave wicker, reeds, straw and thin chestnut wood leaves. It is also interesting to watch the women embroider in southern Cilento.