Among the many jewels of Calabria, one stands out for its scent and value: the black truffle. Francesco Maria Spanò’s volume travels the streets, the stories and the dishes that tell about this delicious mushroom, accompanying them with truly extraordinary iconography
“Calabria also has its black gold…We’re talking about black truffle, of a prized truffle with a unique and delicate aroma”. This is the incipit of the latest book by Francesco Maria Spanò* in collaboration with Claudio Mattia Serafin and dedicated to one of the rarest and most fragrant fruits on the earth.
The volume “The Black Truffle of Calabria” is a surprise both for lovers of this underground mushroom (which grows underground) and for those who are simply curious about anything gastronomic or otherwise.
Calabria is still a little-known paradise that offers incomparable beauty combined with a series of products which, influenced by the optimal climate and centrality in the Mediterranean Sea, offer the best of themselves. Perfumes that run through the air and permeate the soil, making the black truffle of Calabria so good and special, which remains the most important and tasty of our South.
The golden moment of this mushroom is autumn but also during the other months of the year the truffle grows wonderfully: there is the Bianchetto, perhaps less fragrant than the prized one but very present in the trade and in dishes as well as the Scorzone the spring and summer months are dedicated to the harvesting of which.
Spanò’s volume is a journey through literature, art, history and cuisine.
For Pliny the truffle was a “callus of the earth” and for Gioacchino Rossini, a great lover of the art of the table, it was “the Mozart of mushrooms”. For us it is a delicacy, very expensive, but unsurpassed which starts from Piedmont and brings us , as in this case, at the end of our boot.
From the pages appear stories of men with their tales, of civilization, of news and of an extraordinary iconography, almost brought back to our sight by the pages of this text.
And we would like to add: a new act of love and research that Francesco Spanò dedicates to his land.
The volume, published by Gangemi Editore, will be presented by the Author himself on Saturday 11 May 2024 from 2 pm at the Luxemburg International Bookshop, Piazza Carignano Turin.
But we don’t want to end this beautiful and fragrant story here and from the book “The Black Truffle of Calabria” we suggest this recipe: STOCKFIX AND BLACK TRUFFLE SALAD (chef Carmelo Cataldo)
for 4 people:
600 g of already soaked stockfish
50 g of lemon juice
10 g of peppercorns
30 g of truffle
45 g of extra virgin olive oil
Dry the stock fish well and cut it into very thin slices. Place it on a serving plate and season it with salt, extra virgin olive oil, lemon and pepper. Grate the truffle and serve
*Director of People & Culture Luiss Guido Carli University.
Author of the bill for the promotion of flexible working in small municipalities in order to allow their repopulation.
Chairs the Committee for the nomination of World Heritage Sites (Unesco)
