Mozzarella in myrtle
There mozzarella in myrtle (co' a mortedda) more than a product of the Cilento tradition.
This is a cheese to pasta spun cheese obtained from the transformation of cow's milk and then wrapped in bundles of "mortella", or myrtle, to preserve its freshness.
The name comes from the custom of packaging the mozzarella in freshly picked myrtle branches and then tied at the ends with thin, flexible broom branches.
In ancient times the mozzarella with mortadella It was produced in the areas where animals grazed and therefore there was a need to preserve it during transport to the towns where it was sold. The Cilento shepherds therefore decided to use myrtle as a preservation wrapper, because in addition to being an evergreen and easily available plant, it preserved the freshness of the product and gave the mozzarella in mortella a very particular aroma.
A particularity of the process is the maturation of the curd almost without whey, which gives the product a compact and dry consistency.
Once the myrtle has been removed, mozzarella in mortella retains its marks and aroma.
Mozzarella in mortella, excellent in all circumstances, is mainly used as an appetizer, served with excellent cold cuts , olives and pickles from the Cilento tradition.
Menaica anchovies, the flavour of the Cilento sea
The Menaica anchovies they are obtained thanks to a very ancient fishing technique, once widespread on all the coasts of the Mediterranean, which survives above all in Pisciotta in Cilento thanks to a small group of fishermen who go out to sea at night with a boat and net (both are called menaica or menaide, anciently minaica).
The “menaica anchovies” are fished on calm sea days, between April and July: you go out at dusk and spread the net, blocking their path offshore. The net selects them based on size, capturing the largest ones and letting the small ones pass. Nervous and wriggling, the anchovies, once trapped, quickly lose much of their blood. With the strength of your arms, you pull the net into the boat and, delicately, you extract them from the mesh, one by one, detaching the head and eliminating the innards. Then they are placed in wooden boxes and – very importantly – neither ice nor other types of refrigerant are used for transport. The anchovies must be processed immediately: first they are washed in brine and then they are arranged in terracotta jars, alternating with layers of salt. Then the seasoning begins, which takes place in the so-called magazzeni, cool and humid rooms where once, before the port was built, boats were also stored. Here the anchovies must mature, but without drying out too much, for at least three months.
The Menaica anchovies in salt they are distinguished by their light-coloured flesh tending towards pink and by their intense and delicate aroma, which makes them absolutely unique.
They are eaten fresh or salted, raw or cooked. Many recipes are very simple, such as raw anchovy salad, just blanched from the lemon and seasoned with oil, garlic And parsley, or the anchovy sauce, excellent on spaghetti and very quick: just fry anchovies with a little oil, cherry tomatoes, garlic And chili. More complex, but always based on a few ingredients: the inchiappate (opened Menaica anchovies, stuffed with goat's cheese, egg, garlic And parsley, floured, fried and cooked in the sauce tomato), the ammollicate (split anchovies, seasoned with breadcrumbs, garlic, oil and parsley), the cauraro is made with potatoes, beans, anchovies and wild fennel.
Cilento bruised salella olive
THE'bruised olive from Cilento it is one of the most characteristic Cilento pickles
For preservation, the most suitable and pulpy olives that have not yet begun the ripening process are chosen and bruised one by one with a sea stone.
Once bruised, the olives are patiently pitted and immersed in water for a few days. After four or five days, a brine is prepared with water, salt, bay leaves and wild fennel and they are left immersed in this solution for a few days. Before placing them in oil, the olives must be pressed to eliminate excess water. Then they can be seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, oregano or thyme and place in a jar, keeping them pressed to prevent them from soaking up oil. The olives must be bruised, pitted and placed in water the same day they are picked to obtain an excellent product.
Only the skill and patience of the Cilento farmers, combined with the availability of the variety of olive called salella, from which the oil for preserving is also obtained, is it still possible today to enjoy the taste of the Cilento bruised olives.
