01/28/2013 - From the chickpeas of Cicerale to the beans of Sorana, via the chickling vetch of Serra de' Conti.
In winter, especially for those who eat local and seasonal, the market has less to offer than at other generous times. It would be good practice to take advantage of whatever is available, rediscovering somewhat marginalized products and unleashing one's creativity and skills in the kitchen. But resuming practices related to a farming world that could not rely on today's intercontinental transportation for a wide variety of goods is not to be disdained. People often ate what they put aside in times of plenty, such as dried legumes, an excellent source of protein and other valuable nutritional elements at a low price. These are products that we have increasingly put aside, forgetting about them, associating them too much with diets deemed poor, and finally replacing them with the "richer" meat. Yet they are indispensable for a balanced diet, they can replace meat, and moreover their production is much more sustainable than all sources of animal protein-they are a great way to do good for yourself, the environment, and even your wallet.
The funniest thing is that in Italy we can choose from a biodiversity that offers us everything: beans of all shapes, chickpeas, broad beans and even more curious things like cicerchia. Having in fact gone a bit out of fashion in our customs we have also run the risk of losing much of this heritage. In fact, browsing through the various Italian Slow Food Presidia we realize how much wealth still exists and needs to be safeguarded especially by putting it on the table. The website has contact information for producers. So this week instead of going to the market maybe we also do our shopping by mail order: we have Cicerale chickpea, Acerra dead tooth bean and Controne bean in Campania; Badalucco, Conio and Pigna beans in Liguria; Serra de' Conti cicerchia in Marche; Piattella canavesana in Piedmont; Murgia Carsica black chickpea and Carpino bean in Puglia; Lucca red bean and Sorana bean in Tuscany. Then there is Sicily with the badda bean from Polizzi and cosaruciaru from Scicli; Veneto with the giàlet bean from Val Belluna; and Umbria with the cottora bean from Amerino, the fagiolina bean from Lake Trasimeno and the roveja from Civita di Cascia. A riot, including different colors, sizes, shapes and tastes.
Carlo Bogliotti, from the Saturday at the Market column, La Stampa
Photo: Giuseppe Fassino