FOOD & DRINK

EATING OUT

You will find a variety of restaurants and eateries across the region. From upmarket restaurants (risorante) to the more frequently found cafes (or osteria) and Trattoria, eating out is one of the most memorable experiences in Basilicata, as many regions of Italy, you won’t necessarily find the best looking restaurants serving the best tasting food! Often it is shabbier establishments, that don’t always print a menu, where you will find delicious freshly made local specialities. The local tourist office will recommend the best places for you to eat.

Children are very welcome and meal times are family events in Italy; just ask for a mezzo piatto (half plate), even if it doesn’t feature on the menu.

REGIONAL SPECIALITIES

Pasta

Basilicata is a region full of local speciality dishes and ingredients. There are over ten different kinds of fresh pasta made in the region, each one unique in the way it is made. The most well known of the pastas is ‘Orechiette’ meaning ‘little ears’ which is handmade and most often accompanies vegetable dishes. Orechiette is joined by its bigger cousin, Taparelle meaning ‘big ears’ and Lucane Chiappute, a wide tagliatelle, and many other delicious variations.

When in Matera, try Mischiglio, a traditional pasta served with local ‘cacioricota’ cheese and strips of peppers. As a traditional speciality, local chefs delight in finding new and innovative ways of creating this dish and it is one not to be missed. Here you will also find wonderful walnut desserts served with local cream liqueur. Matera bread is famous and the scent of the bread baking in the ovens that fills the Sassi is truly mouth watering.

Cheese

The region takes great pride in its cheese. Pecorino is made from a blend of sheep and goats milk produced by the animals grazing on the unpolluted farmlands of the Pollino and Gallipoli Cognato regional parks. It is known for its strong, salty flavour and is often grated over pasta dishes. Caciocavallo, or ‘horse cheese’ is also local to Basilicata and is actually made from cows milk and an especially prized kind of this cheese, Podilico Caciocavallo is made from the milk of the Basilican Podilico cow.

Salami, Meat and Other Specialities

Terranova di Pollino is the highest rural district in the Pollino national park and is renowned for its production of salami. The special meat is produced from pigs fed on acorns and other natural fodder. Basilicata’s most famous sausage is Lucanica, made from the acorn fed pork and seasoned with fennel and pepper, these are really not to be missed. Other meat dishes are usually hearty stews, like Cutturiddi, made with lamb.

Beans are popular here too, the Fagiolo di Sarconi is a locally grown variation of the Canellino and Borlotti bean ecotypes. Whether fresh or dried, the Sarconi beans cook rapidly in water, a result of their geographical origin and the traditional techniques of cultivation in Western Basilicata. The bell pepper is a staple ingredient in many of the region's dishes along with aubergines and tomatoes. The red aubergine is unique to the village of Rotonda and has a far more bitter flavour that its purple counterpart. As a little surprise, the region also has its own variation of chilli pepper, diavolicchio or ‘little devil’ which can be found in a number of local dishes.

Bread is an important ingredient in many dishes, as well as a delicious accompaniment. Each area has its own way of making bread in wood burning ovens. The recipes have been passed through the generations and so vary between region and even families. Matera bread with it's typical cornet shape, is valued for its scent, fragrance, taste and the pale yellow colour of its bread-crumbs.

Olives are grown in abundance in this region; the cold pressed fruit makes a first class olive oil, which is low in acidity and has a nice straw yellow colour.

Wine

There are of course some great wines too. In Basilicata, grapes are cultivated in the provinces of Matera and Potenza where the hilly volcanic district around the Vulture mountain yields a grape of exceptional quality. There are some D.O.C (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) wines including Aglianico del Vulture, one of the greatest wines of Southern Italy, (try it with a hearty steak) and more recently Terre dell’Alta Val d’Agri – a wine produced in a small territory in the province of Potenza. It is best enjoyed with savoury dishes like pasta with a meat or mushroom sauce and Pecorino cheese.