Tag Archives: Gastronomia

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Limoncello cream recipe

Category:Blog,Food Tags : 

The territory of Massa Lubrense allows us to embark on a journey through the aromas and flavors of its land. In particular, those of its citrus fruits with an irresistible scent, from which countless delicacies can be drawn.

Limoncello cream, for example, is a thick and creamy liqueur very common in the Sorrento peninsula. It is an ideal end of meal, to be served frozen and enjoyed alone or in company. Some use limoncello cream as a garnish for cakes and tarts, to flavor desserts or as a wets for sponge cake and baba. Its preparation is not difficult, but requires quite a long time. However, the result repays the effort.

The flavor of limoncello cream recalls that of limoncello, the classic liqueur made from the alcohol infusion of lemon peel. The lemon of Massa Lubrense, known as “femminiello”, is different from the one of Amalfi for its particular skin, more subtle and aromatic. In short, impossible not to recommend for the production of our limoncello cream.

How to prepare limoncello cream

To get an excellent limoncello cream, make sure, therefore, to pay attention to the lemon peel that you will use. In fact, regardless of their origin, it is preferable that they are biological and untreated. 

Ingredients – dose for 1,5 liters

8(untreated) Lemons
500 mlPure alcohol at 95°
½ lFull-cream milk
800 gSugar
½ lFresh cream
1Vanilla bean

Here’s how to prepare our limoncello cream in 4 steps:

Crema di limoncello
  1. Wash the lemons with the help of a sponge and cut the peel avoiding the white part. Pour the pure alcohol in an airtight jar, then add the lemon peels and let them macerate there for at least 10 days. Put the jar in a cool place remembering to shake it every day.
  2. After doing this, pour the milk and cream into a pan and bring to a boil adding next the vanilla bean.
  3. After turning off and letting it cool add the sugar and stir it until it will dissolve completely. Once the cream has cooled completely, let’s remove the vanilla bean and proceed to pour the alcohol of our jar filtering it with a gauze or a strainer.
  4. Mix it well, pour the liquid into glass bottles and keep it in a freezer for about 20 days. After this, our cream will be ready to be served with a dessert or to be enjoyed in good company as a simple digestive.

Storage

Limoncello cream can be stored in the freezer for one year. Cream and milk liqueurs (liqueur creams) are easily altered, so it is better to keep them in the refrigerator and consume them within 12 months of their production.

Advices

Shake it well before serving. If the cream is too thick, leave it for 10-15 minutes outside the freezer before consuming it. To make your limoncello cream less alcoholic, reduce the dose of alcohol: about 350ml instead of ½ liter, remains an excellent solution.


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Festivals: an opportunity to get to know the area

Category:Blog,Featured,Festivals Tags : 

written by Claudia Fontana

Festivals are popular local celebrations that generally arise from a religious festivity, often to commemorate a saint. They are generally animated by music, fun activities and excellent cuisine. In Massa Lubrense there are several festivals throughout the year: here you can taste the best products of our land.

Zucchini Festival

It takes place on the second Sunday of July in the village of Acquara to celebrate the patron saint St. Vito. The day of St. Vito is actually celebrated on June 15th, but it is customary to carry out the festival in July. The most important moment is certainly the procession that passes through the whole village. Among the delicious foods that you can eat, there are many zucchini-based dishes such as the famous parmigiana and spaghetti alla Nerano.

Lemon Festival

Among the most famous festivals in the area there is certainly the lemon festival. It is held in July and is dedicated to one of the typical products of our land: lemon. You can taste various dishes and lemon-based specialties such as sorbet and risotto and you can also try the famous limoncello.

Snail Festival

Also very famous is the snail festival held on June 29th in Monticchio. The festival takes place on the occasion of the feast of St. Peter. There is, at first, a long procession followed by the Massa Lubrense music band. Then during the festival, in addition to pleasant musical performances and various activities for the youngest, you can taste the delicious snails.

Potato Festival

It takes place in the village of Termini to celebrate San Costanzo. It is held in July and usually lasts for a weekend. The main product is the potato, which is the basis of all dishes, from the starter to the dessert. Among the specialties are croquette, potato ravioli and Neapolitan staples.

Tomato festival

It takes place on the first Sunday of August in the village of Torca to celebrate the patron saint, St. Anna. As for the zucchini festival, also in this case the feast of the saint is actually on a different day, that is, July 26th. The tomato can be tasted in many traditional and non-traditional recipes, all accompanied by music and fun.

Fiordilatte Festival

On the occasion of the patronal feast of St. Salvatore, on August 6th, the Fiordilatte Festival is held in the village of Schiazzano. Fiordilatte is one of the typical cheeses of Massa Lubrense but you can also taste the famous provolone del monaco and a great variety of local dairy products.

Eggplant Festival

The festival is held on August 15th in the village of Marina della Lobra to celebrate the feast of the Madonna dell’Assunta. For the religious anniversary, a procession takes place by sea to the rock of Vervece. Afterwards, in the evening, you can enjoy various eggplant-based dishes, including the famous chocolate eggplants.


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Typical Easter dishes in Massa Lubrense

Category:Blog,Festivals Tags : 

written by Eleonora Aiello

Massa Lubrense is known not only for its cultural, historical and landscape resources, but also for its gastronomy. In particular, given the imminent arrival of Easter, we will go and see which are the main dishes of the Easter tradition in this area.

Salty “casatiello”

Casatiello, a name that derives from the Latin caseus (= cheese), is one of the savory dishes par excellence of the Easter holidays. Inside we can find a mix of cheeses, lard, cracklings and various cold cuts. All then garnished with unshelled hard-boiled eggs that are woven into the dough as a decoration.

Casatiello guarnito con cubetti di salame, prosciutto, mozzarella e uova sode.

Sweet “casatiello”

It is a recipe that is handed down from family to family, each with its own secrets and procedures.
Compared to the salty casatiello it has a much longer and more elaborate preparation. It has a leavening process that can last for days, thanks to the use of “criscito” which in the Neapolitan dialect is nothing more than the mother yeast, which allows it to be stored for many days without losing its soft consistency.

Pastiera

It is one of the oldest Easter desserts on the peninsula. Its origins date back to pagan cults, prepared to celebrate the arrival of spring. It is a shortcrust pastry pie with a filling made of ricotta, boiled wheat, eggs, spices and candied fruit. The pastry of the pastiera is crunchy, in contrast to its soft gold-colored filling which has a flavor and scent that vary according to the aromas used. The classic version involves the use of cinnamon and orange blossom water, but this does not prevent you from trying different aromas.

Roasted artichokes

They have always been considered the classic side dish of the Easter lunch. To prepare roasted artichokes, you need large, hairless, thornless artichokes with a long, straight stem. They are flavored with oil, garlic and parsley, and then cooked directly on the coals.

Carciofi arrostiti Piatti Pasqua

The handmade Easter egg

The choice of the Easter egg as a symbol of this holiday is linked to the fact that the egg is seen as a symbol of life. All the children are anxiously awaiting the arrival of this day in order to finally be able to break the chocolate eggs and unwrap the surprise. The eggs have been made to celebrate Easter since 1850 and are used only in Italy or in countries where there are large Italian communities.

Today, the Massa Lubrense pastry shops prepare artisan chocolate eggs of all sizes and for all tastes. A gift appreciated not only by children!

Handmade Easter dove cake

It was Dino Villani, advertising director of the Milanese company Motta, who, in the 1930s, invented a dessert similar to panettone, but intended for the Easter holidays. Since then, the Easter dove cake has spread to the tables of all Italians, and even far beyond the borders of Italy. The original dough, based on flour, butter, eggs, sugar and candied orange peel, with a rich almond glaze, has subsequently taken on different shapes and variations.

Piatti del menù di Pasqua

Easter menu with traditional dishes

For those who have no idea what to cook for Easter Sunday lunch, here is a menu to take inspiration from.

  • Appetizer: casatiello, various cold cuts, cheeses and vegetables;
  • First courses: lasagna or baked pasta;
  • Second courses: lamb in the oven or mixed grilled meats with potatoes or vegetables;
  • Desserts: pastiera and chocolate eggs.

These are the typical dishes of an Easter lunch in Massa Lubrense, but nothing prevents you from being able to create a personalized menu based on your preferences.

Buon appetito!


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Cooking classes in Massa Lubrense

Category:Blog,Food,Places Tags : 

by Rosario Sisto

Interview with Fabio Colucci

Italian cuisine is certainly the most famous and renowned in the world. People from all over the planet come to Italy to taste our dishes. However, many people don’t come here just to taste our food, but also to learn how to cook it by attending cooking classes.

Undoubtedly italian cuisine possesses a degree of charm and quality without equal, which is why many people wish to learn some recipes directly from our chefs. However, where exactly can you go to learn our culinary art?

Well, here in Massa Lubrense we have a cooking school: the Chez Barone Cooking School, where you can not only learn various traditional recipes of Italian cuisine, but also spend a wonderful and relaxing day at the Palazzo del Barone, where the school is located.

We had the opportunity to interview mister Fabio Colucci, who works at Chez Barone, to give all of you some information about the kind of experience you will have there.

Mr. Colucci, tell us about the Chez Barone Cooking School: what are its origins? What determined its creation?

Chez Barone was born in 2019 in the Palazzo del Barone, a historical villa, almost by intuition: we had noticed that there were a lot of people who wanted to learn how to cook Italian dishes, in particular specialties from Sorrento. By September of that year we were already in the top rankings thanks to the numerous positive reviews we were given.

cooking classes

What kind of people usually attend your cooking lessons? Are there many foreigners? Can they still be passionate about Italian cuisine, despite cultural differences?

Surely those who chooses to attend our classes already have a certain passion for cooking, after all not many would attend a cooking school otherwise. But our teachings allow them to go back home proud of finally being able to prepare those Italian dishes they loved tasting so much. About 80% of our clients are American, oftentimes Italian-American, but there are also British, Germans and Israeli. In the past, we’ve even had international chefs attend our courses.

What are your classes about? What recipes do you teach?

cooking classes

We have 2 cooking courses:

The first one is every morning from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm. We teach participants how to make traditional pizza with a wood oven. Moreover, we also teach them how to make various types of pasta, like gnocchi and tagliatelle. We also have a “Mozzarella Show”, where we teach people how to make mozzarella. Lastly, we teach participants how to make desserts such as caprese and tiramisù, as well as ice cream.

The second course is every evening from 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm, and we teach how to prepare fried pizza, which non-Italian participants often consider interesting as they are not used to see this type of pizza. Furthermore, we teach how to cook chops, prepare ravioli alla caprese, and make limoncello.

Both of these courses happen in two different parts of the Palazzo del Barone.

Something that makes you stand out is your “no-stress no-haste” philosophy. Could you tell us more about it?

People who come here can enjoy a relaxing atmosphere because we offer them te utmost hospitality: the courses do not last too long and the activities are very pleasant, and after the courses people can stay and relax in the Palazzo, for example by going to the swimming pool.

During your courses you also teach how to make limoncello. Since the lemons of Massa Lubrense are one of our local products, could you tell us how the teaching process takes place?

cooking classes

We have a lemon garden, we teach the clients how to pick the right lemons, then we bring them indoors and we make them peel the lemons. We tell them what the right doses of alcohol are and how to make infusions with the peels. Once the process is over, they can taste the product of their own work.

We truly thank mister Colucci for the information he has given us. We really hope that this has motivated many of you to try out the cooking classes of Chez Barone here in Massa Lubrense!


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Spaghetti alla Nerano, primo piatto tipico del luogo.

Culinary traditions: Spaghetti alla Nerano

Category:Blog,Featured Tags : 

di Claudia Fontana

Marina del Cantone, a Massa Lubrense, è legata allo spaghetto con le zucchine fritte che, già dall’inizio del Novecento, ha assunto il nome di spaghetto alla Nerano. La salsa è preparata con le zucchine fritte, basilico e un mix di formaggi grattugiati. Per quanto riguarda i formaggi, le nonne utilizzavano quello che avevano in casa, pecorino ma soprattutto il parmigiano o la caciotta secca. I migliori ristoranti della zona, invece, utilizzano spesso il Provolone del Monaco, un formaggio tipico della costiera sorrentina. Questo è un formaggio DOP a latte crudo, contenente almeno il 20% di latte di vacca agerolese e invecchiato dai sei mesi in su. La cremosità della pietanza, inoltre, viene resa dalla cagliata di provolone fresco che si scioglie al contatto con l’acqua di cottura della pasta.

Per il piatto viene utilizzata la famosa pasta di Gragnano, soprattutto gli spaghettoni, ma c’è anche la versione con scialatielli o mezze maniche. Questa pasta è ottenuta dall’impasto della semola di grano duro con l’acqua della falda acquifera di Gragnano. In seguito, viene essiccata a una temperatura compresa tra i 40 e gli 80 gradi, per un periodo tra le sei e le sessanta ore, ottenendo quelle caratteristiche che la rendono inconfondibile. Per lo spaghetto alla Nerano è necessario utilizzare una pasta di qualità per una migliore riuscita del piatto, in modo tale che gli amidi rilasciati nella cottura aiutino la formazione della salsa.

Anche le zucchine, ovviamente, sono importanti nella riuscita di questo piatto, ma possono essere utilizzate zucchine di diversa qualità purché dell’orto e fritte in olio extravergine d’oliva. La mantecatura finale, fuori dal fuoco, prevede che sia l’acqua di cottura ad amalgamare i sapori e unire i formaggi. Non ci resta che dare la ricetta affinché chiunque, anche a casa propria, possa apprezzare il gusto dello spaghetto alla Nerano.

Ricetta dello spaghetto alla Nerano

Ingredienti per 4 persone:

  • 400 g di spaghettoni artigianali
  • 700 g di zucchine fresche 
  • 80 g di Provolone del Monaco grattugiato
  • 80 g di Parmigiano Reggiano grattugiato
  • 40 g di Pecorino Romano grattugiato
  • Basilico fresco
  • 350 ml olio extravergine d’oliva + 150 ml olio d’arachide (per friggere)
  • Uno spicchio d’aglio
  • Sale e pepe nero q.b.

Lava e asciuga le zucchine, affettandole a rondelle di circa 2 millimetri di spessore. Friggile nella miscela d’oli a 180 gradi, finché sono dorate; scolale con una schiumarola e ponile a riposare su un piatto foderato di carta assorbente o per fritti. Sala, lava e asciuga il basilico e mettilo sulle zucchine appena cucinate.

Cuoci la pasta in abbondante acqua salata. Nel frattempo, in una padella di alluminio abbastanza grande fai soffriggere, in un giro abbondante d’olio extravergine, uno spicchio d’aglio a fuoco moderato. Quando è appena dorato, elimina l’aglio e aggiungi alla padella le zucchine già fritte, lasciandole sfrigolare a fiamma bassissima.

Scola gli spaghetti al dente e riserva la loro acqua, aggiungili alla padella e completa la cottura aggiungendo gradualmente circa due tazze dell’acqua di cottura. Qualche secondo prima di ritirare dal fuoco aggiungi il basilico e il pepe nero. Versa la pasta e zucchine in un’altra padella e aggiungi rapidamente i formaggi, mescolando continuamente e regolando la densità della crema con eventuale altra acqua di cottura. Buon appetito!


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Sagra del Limone Massa Lubrense - 2018 limoncello

10 souvenirs from Massa Lubrense

Category:Blog Tags : 

Se la tua destinazione è Massa Lubrense e ti stai chiedendo quali sono i souvenir più originali o i prodotti gastronomici tipici che potresti acquistare qui, abbiamo stilato per te un elenco da cui potrai prendere spunto. Continua la lettura se sei alla ricerca del souvenir perfetto.

1. Ceramiche

Il souvenir perfetto è quello realizzato da mani di artigiani esperti, i quali sapranno stupirti con realizzazioni originali di ceramiche ispirate sia dalla tradizione che da innovazioni tecniche e stilistiche. La bellezza della porcellana viene esaltata da colorazioni esuberanti ma si trovano anche creazioni più sobrie e minimaliste. Accontenta tutti i gusti e ti assicura un figurone. 

2. Provolone del Monaco

Il Provolone del Monaco si ottiene da una lunga stagionatura del latte, esclusivamente crudo, delle mucche agerolesi che pascolano liberamente nei Monti Lattari. La sua forma è simile a quella di un melone allungato e il suo peso varia da tre a otto chilogrammi. La stagionatura lunga, di circa 7/8 mesi, conferisce al formaggio una pasta tendente al giallo. Per apprezzare ulteriormente il provolone, di solito, viene servito assieme a della frutta di stagione o, ancor meglio, si può gustare con della confettura.

3. Sandali handmade

Esplorando Massa Lubrense, ci si può imbattere in calzolai che in pochi minuti realizzano per te dei sandali su misura. Si può scegliere il materiale, i colori e le eventuali decorazioni che rendono l’esperienza del cliente divertente e creativa. Una volta terminato il lavoro dell’artigiano, sarai entusiasta di sfoggiare i tuoi nuovi sandali. Quindi, perché non regalarne un paio come souvenir?!

4. Quadri e quadretti

Solitamente visitando luoghi così caratteristici, possiamo trovare nei negozi di souvenir dei dipinti realizzati da artisti del posto. Questi imprimono su tela piccoli scorci di stradine caratteristiche o una vista sul mare davvero suggestiva. Ogni opera è unica e racchiude in sé particolari che altre non hanno. Scova tra le botteghe i quadri più incantevoli e porta con te un ricordo impresso sulla tela.

5. Souvenir a tema limone

L’Unione Europea ha riconosciuto l’unicità del “Limone di Sorrento”, anche conosciuto con il nome di “Limone di Massa”, conferendogli il marchio IGP. Dal limone si possono ricavare le idee regalo più fantasiose. Tra queste si potrebbe optare per l’acquisto del famoso limoncello, della particolare confettura di limoni, del sapone al limone 100% biologico oppure di oggetti artigianali decorati a tema.

6.  Liquore alle noci di Sorrento

Sono molto popolari le noci sorrentine, conosciute anche al di fuori dell’Italia, grazie al loro sapore leggero e la consistenza tenera e croccante. Pertanto, un souvenir gradito agli amanti di liquori, oltre al più conosciuto limoncello, è proprio quello prodotto con le noci fresche sorrentine, conosciuto come “nocino” o “nocillo”. Di norma, il liquore viene servito dopo i pasti come digestivo e può essere accompagnato da dolcetti.

7. Olio d’oliva

Tra i prodotti tipici, Massa Lubrense offre anche una produzione raffinata di olio d’oliva, al quale è stato assegnato il marchio DOP. L’olio d’oliva è un prodotto tipico della cultura italiana. Una piccola bottiglietta potrebbe rappresentare il regalo ideale per coloro che apprezzano la cucina mediterranea.

8. Libro di ricette locali

Quando si viaggia, non sempre si ha il tempo di sperimentare tutto ciò che la cucina del luogo ha da offrire. Acquistare un libro di ricette locali potrebbe essere il modo più semplice per portare a casa parte della propria esperienza culinaria e ciò che non si è potuto assaggiare per replicarlo da sé.

9. Mobilio creato con la tecnica dell’intarsio

La tecnica dell’intarsio è un’arte interamente nata nel territorio sorrentino, poi diffusasi in tutta Italia. La procedura prevede di decorare la superficie dei mobili con legno, madreperla e altri materiali. L’artigiano impegna tutta la sua ingegnosità per rendere i mobili dei veri tesori d’arredo che donano un tocco di originalità alla propria abitazione.

10. Calamita da frigo

Ed infine, non può mancare, dopo un viaggio alla scoperta di una nuova località, la tipica calamita da attaccare al frigo. Spesso ci si imbatte in botteghe o negozi di souvenir e una delle prime cose che si possono notare sono le pareti con sopra attaccate calamite di ogni forma, soggetto e colore. Selezionare le più belle è una scelta ardua ma non può che coronare il proprio viaggio.

Parte dell’esperienza di viaggio consiste nella ricerca e scoperta di ciò che il territorio ha da offrire. Come avrai potuto notare, Massa Lubrense rappresenta la meta turistica ideale per coloro che adorano immergersi nella natura, tra panorami mozzafiato, scorci caratteristici e tramonti sul mare. Non per ultimo, offre ai suoi visitatori una vasta scelta di prodotti tipici del luogo per poter apprezzare appieno la permanenza in questa località.


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5 unmissable dishes of local cuisine

Category:Blog,Featured,Food Tags : 

di Miriam Russo

Uno dei punti di maggiore forza del territorio è sicuramente la cucina, che, con la sua grande varietà di prodotti, è in grado di rispondere a tutti i gusti e palati, regalando un’esperienza unica e irripetibile.
Di seguito, 5 piatti imperdibili della cucina locale, che vi consigliamo di assaggiare e gustare in particolar modo dopo esservi dedicati all’esplorazione che gli intensi paesaggi di Massa Lubrense offrono.

Zeppoline di alghe
L’antipasto ideale per iniziare a conoscere la gustosa cucina locale sono le zeppoline di alghe: si tratta di frittelle di “pasta cresciuta (denominazione tipica napoletana che indica la pasta lievitata) a cui vengono aggiunte le alghe di mare. Il connubio dona un caratteristico ed unico profumo di mare. La loro semplicità le rende adatte a qualsiasi occasione e gusto personale.

Uno dei 5 piatti imperdibili della cucina locale: spaghetti alla Nerano

Spaghetti alla Nerano
Classico della cucina napoletana, nonché primo piatto che prende il nome dall’omonima frazione di Massa Lubrense, gli spaghetti alla Nerano sono quasi un simbolo del territorio locale. Sono fatti con zucchine, prima fritte e poi unite al basilico, e provolone, con varianti che prevedono anche l’utilizzo del burro e della caciotta. Anche questo un piatto semplice, ma squisito.


Ravioli alla caprese
Come alternativa, un altro validissimo primo piatto sono i ravioli alla caprese. Il trio di basilico, mozzarella filante e pomodori rende questa pietanza completa e saporita. Con la sua semplicità, ma allo stesso tempo bontà, permetterà di portare in tavola sapore e tradizione, conquistando anche i palati più difficili.

Piatti imperdibili: pesce spada alla brace, condito con sale, olio, limone e foglie d'alloro

Pesce spada alla brace
Il quarto dei nostri 5 imperdibili della cucina locale è il pesce spada alla brace. Questo secondo piatto è tra i più prelibati della tradizione. Il pesce spada ha un gusto intenso e piacevole al palato, gusto che viene esaltato dalla marinatura all’olio d’oliva, succo di limone, aglio e prezzemolo. La cottura alla griglia, poi, risalta ancor di più odori e sapori di questa ricetta semplice, ma deliziosa. Sicuramente tra i piatti più consigliati.


Piatti imperdibili: monoporzione di delizia al limone

Delizia al limone
Per concludere il pranzo ideale all’insegna del buon gusto e della tradizione, immancabile è la delizia al limone. Si tratta di un dolce delicato, caratteristica dovuta alla crema di limoncello, ma allo stesso tempo deciso, tratto distintivo dei limoni che la compongono. Questi ultimi permettono di rinfrescare, ripulire e gustare contemporaneamente. Il tutto unito a del soffice pan di Spagna, che crea le fondamenta del dolce perfetto.


Tutto questo è solo un assaggio di ciò che la terra e la cucina di Massa Lubrense hanno da offrire, un ipotetico menù per conoscere meglio i suoi prodotti e, allo stesso tempo, le sue radici. L’incontro perfetto tra bontà e storia che chiunque dovrebbe avere il piacere di scoprire.


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Schiazzano: discovering the Provolone del Monaco

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written by Claudia Fontana

Schiazzano is a small hamlet of Massa Lubrense and is one of the major production sites of Provolone del Monaco. The village, which has always been related to maritime trade, was in the past among the richest villages of Massa Lubrense. Today the inhabitants of Schiazzano continue to base their main activity on trade, agricultural activities and the production of typical products of the area.

The main center of the village is the church of SS. Salvatore, patron saint of Schiazzano. Built at the end of the sixteenth century on the remains of a fifteenth-century church, it was completed around 1624, as indicated by the date on the pediment of the entrance. The church represents the meeting center of the inhabitants of Schiazzano. Many of the restaurants and bars of the area overlook the square in front of the church.

Schiazzano, like the other hamlets of Massa Lubrense, is famous for its excellent gastronomy. Here you can taste the typical products of our land and try the traditional dishes.

On the occasion of the patronal feast of SS. Salvatore, on August 6th, the Fiordilatte Festival is held in the village of Schiazzano. Fiordilatte is another of the typical cheeses produced in the Massa Lubrense area. During the festival you can taste a great variety of local cheeses, which can be enjoyed plain or in traditional recipes, where they are used as the main ingredients.

In particular, the village is known for the production of Provolone del Monaco (= monk’s provolone), a specialty of the many dairies in the area.

Who is the “monk”?

This cheese has been produced since 1700 when, following the urban expansion of the city of Naples, the shepherds who lived on the Vomero moved to the Lattari Mountains and began to exploit the large pastures of the area.

Provolone del Monaco was produced in our lands and transported to Naples by sea. During their journey the transporters, to protect themselves from the cold and humidity, used to cover themselves with a large cloak similar to the one worn by the monks. Since then, the people who worked at the port of Naples began to call the transporter “Monaco” (= monk) and his cheese “Provolone del Monaco”.

The cheese is obtained with a more cooked curd than the caciocavallo. Maturation is slow and does not require the addition of preservatives or enzymes. The seasoning, which can also take place in the cave according to the production disciplinary, starts from a minimum of six months. There are many companies that, from Vico Equense to Massa Lubrense, have formed a protection consortium bringing this product to national and international attention.


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Products of Massa Lubrense

The typical products of Massa Lubrense

Category:Blog,Featured,Festivals,Food Tags : 

by Claudia Fontana

The mild climate and the fertility of the lands of Massa Lubrense make this place rich and unique for the products that are produced. Since ancient times, in the area, very tasty fruits, cereals but above all oil and wine have been cultivated. The latter, according to the historian Cesare Capaccio, who lived between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in the Kingdom of Naples, as well as being of excellent quality, it was “light and useful to the sick”. Nowadays the salad tomatoes, oil, cheeses, apples and lemons of Massa are very popular among citizens and visitors.

The tomato of Massa Lubrense has an intense red color and perfectly matches with the fiordilatte. Seasoned with extra virgin olive oil and a fresh basil leaf, it forms the famous Caprese, a delight for the most refined palates. Its cultivation dates back to the early twentieth century when, bringing the lemons to America, the sailors of the area imported the seeds.

The extra virgin olive oil, another one among the native products, comes from the olives of the wonderful olive groves sloping down to the sea. Its cultivation dates back to ancient times, and pilgrims, who brought the oil as a gift to the goddess Minerva in a sanctuary in Massa dedicated to her, believed that she was the inventor of olives and oil. Its color is yellow, tending to green, fluid, balanced and sweet, not very acidic.

The fiordilatte and the provolone del monaco are the specialties of the many dairies in the area. The latter has been produced since 1700 and is obtained with a more cooked curd than caciocavallo. Maturation is slow and does not require the addition of preservatives or enzymes. From Vico Equense to Massa Lubrense, many factories that produce provolone del monaco have formed a protection consortium bringing this product to national and international attention.

Another one among the products of this land is the famous limoncella apple. Of ancient origin, this type of apple is mainly linked to the village of Sant’Agata sui due golfi. The apple is named in this way because of its tart aroma, which is reminiscent of citrus fruits. It is also often used in the preparation of jams and pies.

But it is the prince of citrus fruits, the lemon, that is the most famous product of Massa Lubrense: it has a yellow pulp and is rich in essential oils and vitamin C. In the famous Lemon festival, held every year in the summer months in the center of Massa, the lemon is used in a thousand ways, from appetizers to desserts, on pizza and with cheeses. The abundant juice and the thin perfumed peel make it an ideal product for granita and the famous limoncello.