Gastronomy

The Gasperina’s gastronomy reflects the quality of whole Calabria, taking the tastes and the dishes of what is commonly defined “the Mediterranean’s diet”.
The first dishes can space from the pasta, often a home made production, seasoned with the traditional small meat sauces of (lamb, kidskin, goat) meat of calf or of pig, to the soups of vegetables (chickpeas, beans, fava beans), very often enriched with vegetables of various kind.
Pasta can be seasoned, just for example, with the juice of the meat involtinis or with that of the meatballs, or with the juice of the dead fish. The seconds are mostly meat or vegetables based,  but also include the presence of the dead fish, of the dried cod, and of other fish (especially blue fish), that favors the variety of the dishes. Typical is the stoccu a’ troppitara.
The potato is used very much; it can be found in a lot of dishes: pipi e patati (peppers with the potatoes), sòcuru e patati (beet with potatoes), stoccu e patati (dead fish with potatoes), just for some examples.
The production and the workmanship of the pig is widespread. The typical cold cuts of the Gasperina’s tradition are: ‘u buχjularu o magulau (pig’s bottom part of the throat, pillow, entire cut, rubbed with abundant red pepper, then hanged); ‘u capicoḍu  (capocollo, salami produced with the fleshy part of the pig’s neck); i ciculiḍi  (small residues of meat and pigskins put in pots); u salatu (pieces of fat that are found just under the skin of the pig’s back; it is preserved after a coverage with salt and pepper); ‘a pancetta (pancetta); u sozizzu (salsiccia) and ‘a suppressata (soppressata).

The cheeses, typical of the Gasperina’s tradition, mainly derive from the transformation of the ovine and goat milk.
The percorino cheese (commonly called in this way, even if there could be some other types of milk) is produced from an accurate workmanship of the pasta that takes its definitive shape when it is immerged inside the  ‘a hasceḍa  (multishape basket made of reeds). A variation of this cheese is ‘u casu do’ quàgghju, a cheese with abundant rennet-yeast that has very tiny worms; it is a very rare and appreciated cheese.
Another typical product from Gasperina is the ricotta, also shaped inside the a hasceḍa.
The confectionery tradition is various and, almost always, it is tied up to recurrences or particular seasons of the year. It is worth to mention, among so many sweets:  ti buccunotti; i castagnoli; i chjàcchjari o nguanti during the Carnival period. They are made of water, eggs and flour, with the final addition of veil sugar; the i muruneḍi, sweets made of cooked must;  i nacàtuli, i taralli, during the Easter period. They are dry biscuits of hard pasta that can be covered with a white cream (‘u nnaspu); i cuzzupi, which are Easter biscuits. The classical cuzzupa is big, round and woven, decorated with fresh eggs that, during the cooking, become firm.
Of the Christmas period, (salty) there are the zzìppuli. They are simply prepared with a mix of fresh flour, water, salt and yeast. After the leavening, pasta is spun up to give the selected shape (doughnut) and, subsequently they are fried in abundant olive oil. A variation of the a zzìppula include the presence of the anchovy in the mixture.

Where to find the products of the tradition

Oli Mac s.n.c. di Macrina Francesco & C. is a society that was born on 2014 from the idea of four members with the intent to continue the job developed by the preceding generations in the olive growing. The Extra Virgin Oil is produced by olives cultivated on the hills around Gasperina, and other places that lean out on the Golfo di Squillace.
The Society has the legal headquarter in Gasperina, Via Gramsci, 2.
Telephone: 3339011593 / 3337367542 / 3382157044 / 3318132712
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Since 1962 the confectionery Papucci offers an extraordinary assortment of artisanal confectionery. The confectionery creations come from the wisdom and the passion handed down from father to son, but also the high quality of the used products. Semifreddi, mignon, cakes for every event and the sweets of almond, the specialties of the tradition such as: buccunotti, chjàcchjari, nepitelle, nzuḍi (susumelle), cuzzupi, taralli…

Pasticceria Papucci Nicola – Via Gramsci, 7 – Gasperina (CZ)
Contatti: +39 0967 48348
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The dairy Catrambone, from two generations, transforms the milk of the ovine raised with the artisanal and traditional technique, realizing products such as ricotta and pecorino cheese which receive a peculiar aromatic register thanks to the hill feeding where the animals graze.

Caseificio Catrambone Gerardo Vincenzo – Via Campanella, vico VII, n. 5 – Gasperina (CZ)
Contatti: +39 0967 486129

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The Frantoio Oleario Macrina Giuseppe Mario continues the family’s tradition started by founder Nicola in the second half of ‘800. A modern system for grinding with annexed bottling line produces oil of extra quality, mainly.

Frantoio oleario di Macrina Giuseppe Mario – Loc. Conella – Gasperina (CZ)
Contatti: +39 0967 486427 – 28 / +39 334 3084243

The  farm Donna Tolla di Voci Ann is operational in the oil sector for almost 20 years; it extends on 30 hectares of olive trees and produces oil from olives of color quality. The location of the plants on the hill donate the product particular characteristics. The method of harvest and grinding add unique peculiarity, creating a product of extra quality with excellent taste. The farm is going to open a special laboratory for the transformation of the internal products such as tomatoes sauce.

Azienda agricola Donna Tolla di Voci Anna – Via Nicola Paparo – Gasperina (CZ)
Contatti: +39 339 7007592 / +39 333 6073814
Email: annavoci1958@libero.it

The dairy Rauti Vincenzo transforms the milk of his ovine raised in the greens pastures of the location Rognosa. The traditional processing, today still well practiced, is able to delight so many tastes through the production of ricottas, cheeses, smoked ricottas and provole.

Caseificio Rauti Vincenzo – Via Garibaldi – Gasperina (Cz)
Contatti: +39 333 2496985