Local Produce and Typical Dishes of Campodimele
Campodimele’s rich fertile soil has meant that the local economy has always been based on agriculture. The village’s name is derived from Campus Mellis as the village was once renowned for its production of honey. The cicerchia (an unusual type of grass pea) a type of chickpea / pulse that was widely used during Roman times is a common ingredient in the typical dishes of Campodimele. Other items of local produce include beans, sweet cornetto peppers, mushrooms, marzolino goats cheese, baby goat, wild boar, homemade bread, olives and olive oil.
Local delicacies include Ciammotte (snails flavoured with mint and other herbs), Zuppa di Fave – broad bean soup and Zuppa di Cicerchia – chickpea soup and Laina e Fagiole.
Laina is a handmade pasta which is made with wheat flour, water and a pinch of salt, without the addition of eggs. The dough must be worked vigorously to obtain a uniform mass and then rolled out thinly. This is then covered with a thin layer of flour and allowed to stand for a few minutes. Then it is then rolled up and then cut into uneven strips. It is typically served with a sauce containing fagiole beans or chickpeas.
We would highly recommend the rustic restaurant La Casareccia in the lower Taverna district of Campodimele, where Maria is passionate about cooking many of the traditional authentic dishes of this beautiful region using fresh wholesome locally sourced produce.
Trattoria e Bar La Casareccia
Stazione di Servizio Repsol, Taverna 04020 Campodimele, Italy. Tel: 07715980207
