Regional cuisine
- Olive harvest - The whole village lends a hand.
The Cilento is famous for its diverse regional cuisine, featuring products produced in the local region.
As evergreen olive and chestnut groves are prominent all over the Cilento, the most widespread delicatessen are olive and chestnut products. The mild olive oil meanwhile meets the top quality standard "D.O.C.", sometimes even organic quality standards (see Villa Fasani which sells products at smaller quantities). Taking part in autumn harvesting is possible.
Fruit and vegetable harvesting in the Cilento takes place four times a year; among them are citrus fruits (limoncello liqueur!), figs (covered with chocolate!), apples (apple tart!), nuts,mushrooms and on and on.
However, the most famous delicacy is the buffalo mozzarella. Various dairy products are made from cow´s, buffalo´s, sheep´s or goat´s milk. And dairies can be visited, too.
- The Cilento has more to offer than just the famous mozzarella di bufala ...
Wine (especially the "Cilento Rosso") is grown by mainly small producers - i.e. almost every family owning some ground.
Everybody knows the culinary delights of the Italian cuisine. However, hardly anybody knows where to enjoy genuine, indigenous delicacies in a family atmosphere. We have discovered trattorias in little mountain villages where fruits, vegetables, olive oil and wine are self-produced, lambs self-raised, wild boars caught in the local chestnut woods, and ricotta and pasta (gnocchi!) are homemade. To top it all, the sweet filled calaloni are served as a dream of a dessert.
Especially recommendable are the restaurants “da Brera” (also self-made grappa, liqueur and oil available!) and “U´ Sciavichiello” in Marina di Camerota and the beautifully and scenically situated agriturismo “Isca delle Donne” in Palinuro with on-site produce sale and little livestock husbandry. We also recommend the restaurant “Tre Gufi” (Three tawny owls) in Pisciotta, which offers a large terrace with a splendid view from the highest point of the medieval town centre.
There are still numerous fishermen living along the Cilento coast, whose fresh catch can be bought at fish markets and enjoyed in seafood restaurants. A special fishing tradition, which has been carried on for centuries, still takes place in Marina di Pisciotta: “alici di menaica”.
