Bernalda - Metaponto: Liquorice

The juice obtained from this herbaceous plant of the Leguminose family has a lot of properties – digestive, detoxifying, emollient and antiseptic properties. It is widely used in natural medicine, in pharmaceutical industry, in the production of spirits and sweets – different types of sweets, powder or paste to make ice-creams; the youngest branches, dried, can be chewed and sucked. In Basilicata, aromatic and officinal herbs have been grown in intact natural areas, along the coasts and in high valleys to guarantee high-quality fresh and dried products.

Jonian Coast: Strawberries and Tangerines

The production of strawberries mostly takes place in the Metaponto area. Most strawberries are grown in the open and only some in greenhouses. The production is intended for exportation to meet the ever-increasing demands of the market requiring good quality fruit. Thanks to several experiments, a fruit with strong surface, firm pulp, rich in sugar and evenly red in colour has been obtained.

Trecchina: Walnut Cakes

Walnut cakes are a speciality of the area around Trecchina and Maratea. They are hand made and match the sweet taste of sugar to the bitterish taste of walnuts.

One of the typical recipes is as follows:

Ingredients: 1 kg of shelled walnuts, 4 eggs, 750 gr of sugar.

Ingredients for the frosting: 1 egg white, 1/2 squeezed lemon, 120 gr of sugar.

Procedure: shell the walnuts and grind them finely, add sugar and eggs. Mix all the ingredients and stir until smooth. Make some sticks having a diameter of 3-4 cm. Prepare the frosting by whisking all the ingredients and spread it on the mixture. Cut the sticks in small pieces 2 cm long. Lay the cakes on an oven tray greased with butter and leave them in the oven for about 15 min.

Maratea: Rosolio and Cream Liqueurs

‘Rosolio’ is an infusion of honey, rose oil and other spices in alcohol. ’Rosolio Marathia’ was born as a digestive spirit, but can also be an aperitif. It is a refreshing drink with tonic and crushed ice. This original liqueur is obtained with an old recipe. Lemon peels are left in alcohol for about 30 days. Lemons are hand peeled to avoid adding part of the white, bitter, layer. In some local shops orange Rosolio can also be found. The ‘Alloro Maratea’ is a digestive spirit obtained with the infusion of laurel leaves, from plants grown in Maratea without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, in 95 degrees alcohol. Also cream liqueurs are quite famous: there are the ‘limoncello’ cream (liqueur made with lemons) and the cream of orange peels in infusion. ‘Fragolino’ is a traditional liqueur made of an infusion of fruit in alcohol. It is prepared according to the popular recipe, passed on from generation to generation, only using organic fruit from the area. Typical products of this area are also a walnut liqueur and a citron liqueur.