The peperone di Senise, or Senise pepper, is cultivated in
a number of villages in the provinces of Matera and Potenza, in the heart of
Basilicata.
These include Senise, the village that gives the pepper its
name, stands on the slopes of a hill in the valley of the river Sinni.
Traditionally used for flavoring peasant dishes, the Senise pepper is today
a specialty of the Basilicata region and has been produced with IGP status (Indicazione
Geografica Protetta - Protected Geographical Indication) since 1996. Brick
red in color, the Senise pepper may be eaten fresh.
It has a slightly
elongated form and thin flesh, and contains very little water, making it
particularly well suited to being dried and turned into powder. In powdered
form, the Senise pepper is often used for making local cheeses and cured
meats, and for flavoring soups.
In Basilicata food the best salsicce lucane, or lucanica sausages, the pork sausage of Basilicata
(which was once known as Lucania) are made using only top quality meat,
seasoned with salt pepper and fennel seeds, or with pork fat, pepper, salt, peperoncino, and fennel seeds. Although the people of other regions
of Italy would quibble with the idea that this sausage originated here, few
would argue that the varieties produced in the region, where pigs are prized
and still fed almost entirely on natural foods (bean, corn, acorns), are
some of the finest in the country.
Some typical dishes of the Basilicata regional
food are lamb
cooked in a pignata, or earthenware pot, and
flavored with bread crumbs, carrots, cheese, and sausage, or al
cuturillo, cooked with chicory. Also exceptional are the
Basilicata’s pastas, such as the local orecchiette,
dressed with cherry tomatoes and cacioricotta, the
wonderfully scented local cheese. In the province of Potenza, two tasty
specialties are pupazzella, small round hot
peppers in vinegar filled with anchovies and parsley; and pasta
with lu’ntruppc, a tasty meat sauce made with meat and
sausage.
Basilicata Food:
