Wines from the Cilento area are also renowned and popular. They are produced using local grape varieties that were introduced to Elea and Paestum by the ancient Greeks. Here, the clay-limestone soil and climate provided the ideal conditions for them to express all their personality. The vines produce very few bunches, but these are used to create excellent wines that are the perfect accompaniment to the “poor” and simple, but nevertheless delicious cuisine of the Cilento.
Jams and marmalades produced locally using seasonal fruit are also particularly tasty and include fig, apple, apricot, plum and pumpkin jams and orange and lemon marmalades. Other foods worth mentioning are baby artichokes preserved in olive oil and
salella a variety of olive that has been popular in the Cilento for centuries. Not to mention, various cold cuts like
pancetta,
longa or
longarella - a flavoured pancetta made using large quantities of sweet or spicy peppers, pepper, garlic, fennel seeds, parsley and other aromatic herbs.
Finally, visitors must try other local specialities such as
Menaica anchovies
, cheeses like
caciocavallo podolico and
cacioricotta, Cicerale chickpeas, white figs, mozzarella
co’ a mortedda (the word in local dialect for myrtle) and
soppressata from Gioi, a slightly-smoky cold cut with a piece of lard at the centre.
For the perfect accompaniment, choose DOC Cilento or Castel San Lorenzo wines; whether white, red, rosé, muscatel or
Anglianico they all boast a rich history and have been lauded by poets and bards.
