Abruzzese Apennines Solina Wheat

Slow Food Presidium

Italy

Abruzzo

Cereals and flours

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Abruzzese Apennines Solina Wheat

Throughout Abruzzo’s interior, the Solina variety is used as a reference point when talking about wheat. Popular sayings, like “Solina fixes all flours” or “if the farmer wants to go to the mill, he should sow Solina,” attest to the close connection between the variety and local life. It was once particularly appreciated for its consistent productivity, guaranteeing the survival of farming families.
Historic sources, such as notarial deeds of sale drawn up at the Lanciano fair, testify to the cultivation of this very old variety of soft wheat in Abruzzo since at least the start of the 16th century. In the early 20th century it was used by renowned Italian geneticist Nazareno Strampelli for experiments and in crosses with other local varieties.
The wheat is characteristic of the Gran Sasso’s mountainous and marginal zones, particularly the inland areas of the mountains on the L’Aquila side, where the cold temperatures and high altitudes produce a grain of excellent quality. Able to resist long periods under the snow and intense cold, the variety can be grown from 600 up to 1,400 meters above sea level and higher. In fact, the higher the altitude, the better the quality: In the mountains facing Pescara and Teramo, where the climate is milder due to the influence of the Adriatic Sea, the wheat is never grown lower than 750 meters. The wheat is always sown in the autumn, from the middle to the end of September at higher altitudes and in the last 20 days of October in the lower-lying inland valleys. Very hardy, it is well suited to the poor, gravelly soils typical of the higher areas.
The Solina wheat is used to make a not-very-strong flour, best worked by hand. It is ideally used to make homemade bread and pasta. Two particularly typical dishes are sheets of pasta cut into pieces and used in timbales and scrippelle, Teramo’s typical crêpes, served in broth.

Season

The wheat is always sown in the autumn, from the middle to the end of September at higher altitudes and in the last 20 days of October in the lower-lying inland valleys. Harvest is in July.

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Solina flour is little suited to modern production technologies, which require wheat with a high gluten content, but brings unexpected, almost-forgotten flavors to baked goods and homemade pasta. Its cultivation is labor intensive: The mountainous terrain is difficult to access and to farm, and the wheat must be rotated with other crops like corn and potatoes and legumes for fodder or eating like chickpeas and lentils. The harvest is slow to arrive, particularly at higher altitudes, and the average yield is not particularly high, generally around 20 quintals per hectare.
A group of mountain farmers, united in a cooperative, are working on reintroducing this heritage variety, growing it at the better-suited higher altitudes, following organic agriculture principles and seeking to encourage local artisans to use the flour for pasta and bread.

Production area
Gran Sasso area, particularly in the province of L’Aquila and areas of the opposite slope over 750 meters above sea level

Presidium supported by

Gal Gran Sasso Velino
Producers

Agri Bio Beppone
di Simona De Santis
Strada Provinciale 14, 1
Introdacqua (Aq)
Tel. +39 338 3015545
simodesan@hotmail.com
www.agribiopeppone.it

Agriturismo Casa Sole
di Maria Teresa Silveri
Località Colananni
Castelvecchio Subequo (Aq)
Tel.+39 368 7762557
agriturismocasasole@libero.it

Agriturismo La Canestra
di Noemi Commentucci
Via San Rocco, 48
Frazione Aglioni
Capitignano (Aq)
Tel.+39 347 6155580
lacanestra@libero.it
www.lacanestra.it

Antico Monastero
di Claudia Carfagnini
Via Napoli, 129
Scanno (Aq)
Tel. +39 347 9418388
raffaele_cosenza@libero.it
www.anticomonasterosanpietro.com

Carenzano
di Angelantonio Cipolla
Via dei Peligni, 6
Castelvecchio Subequo (Aq)
Tel.+39 339 5629458
angelantoniocipolla@gmail.com

La Dispensa
di Fabrizio Valente
Via Terza Strada
Frazione Villa San Sebastiano
Tagliacozzo (Aq)
Tel. +39 349 0978201
valente.fabrizio67@gmail.com

Giorgio D’Orazio Vinditti
Viale Kennedy, 37
Pescara
Tel. +39 347 8594617
giorgiodoraziovinditti@gmail.com
www.doraziovinditti.it

Maurizio Leone
Via della Chiesa, 4
Rocca Pia (Aq)
Tel. +39 349 8923841
maurizio.leone84@yahoo.it

Francesco Simone Maggi
Via PlaiolaSecinaro (Aq)
Tel. +39 389 6637454
maggisimone88@gmail.com

Il Maniero
di Fabiola De Amicis
Via Enrico Cialdini, 27
Luco De Marsi (Aq)
Tel. +39 353 4182202
ilmanieroinvallelonga@gmail.com

Nunzio Nolletti
Via Capo Croce, 13
Collepietro (Aq)
Tel. +39 339 3617704
info@aziendaagricolanolletti.com
www.aziendaagricolanolletti.com

Le Prata
di Nazzareno Sacchi
Via Picente, 1
Frazione Concavallari Montereale (Aq)
Tel. +39 335 5325410
info@leprata.eu
www.leprata.eu

Riccardo Santoponte
Via Fonte Nuova, 131
Magliano dei Marsi (Aq)
Tel. +39 347 7910087
riccardo.santoponte@gmail.com
www.carattereagricolo.it

Società Agricola Battista
Via Cavalieri di Vittorio Veneto, 5
Goriano Sicoli (Aq)
Tel.+39 339 6441969
brunabattista@libero.it
www.terradistatulae.it

Terra Futuro
di Vincenzo Nuccetelli
Via Lago Maggiore, 6
Avezzano (Aq)
Tel. +39 339 7299861
vincenzo.nuccetelli@gmail.com

Terre del Tirino
di Alfonso D’alfonso
Nucleo Capodacqua, 4
Capestrano (Aq)
Tel. +39 331 6766139
info@terredeltirino.it
www.terredeltirino.it

Donato Trufoli
Via Rufiano IV, 23
Bisenti (Te)
Tel. +39 338 578888
tr.donato@libero.it
Slow Food Presidium coordinator
Giorgio Davini
Tel. +39 393 6132492
giorgiodavini@gransassolagapark.it
Solina flour is little suited to modern production technologies, which require wheat with a high gluten content, but brings unexpected, almost-forgotten flavors to baked goods and homemade pasta. Its cultivation is labor intensive: The mountainous terrain is difficult to access and to farm, and the wheat must be rotated with other crops like corn and potatoes and legumes for fodder or eating like chickpeas and lentils. The harvest is slow to arrive, particularly at higher altitudes, and the average yield is not particularly high, generally around 20 quintals per hectare.
A group of mountain farmers, united in a cooperative, are working on reintroducing this heritage variety, growing it at the better-suited higher altitudes, following organic agriculture principles and seeking to encourage local artisans to use the flour for pasta and bread.

Production area
Gran Sasso area, particularly in the province of L’Aquila and areas of the opposite slope over 750 meters above sea level

Presidium supported by

Gal Gran Sasso Velino
Producers

Agri Bio Beppone
di Simona De Santis
Strada Provinciale 14, 1
Introdacqua (Aq)
Tel. +39 338 3015545
simodesan@hotmail.com
www.agribiopeppone.it

Agriturismo Casa Sole
di Maria Teresa Silveri
Località Colananni
Castelvecchio Subequo (Aq)
Tel.+39 368 7762557
agriturismocasasole@libero.it

Agriturismo La Canestra
di Noemi Commentucci
Via San Rocco, 48
Frazione Aglioni
Capitignano (Aq)
Tel.+39 347 6155580
lacanestra@libero.it
www.lacanestra.it

Antico Monastero
di Claudia Carfagnini
Via Napoli, 129
Scanno (Aq)
Tel. +39 347 9418388
raffaele_cosenza@libero.it
www.anticomonasterosanpietro.com

Carenzano
di Angelantonio Cipolla
Via dei Peligni, 6
Castelvecchio Subequo (Aq)
Tel.+39 339 5629458
angelantoniocipolla@gmail.com

La Dispensa
di Fabrizio Valente
Via Terza Strada
Frazione Villa San Sebastiano
Tagliacozzo (Aq)
Tel. +39 349 0978201
valente.fabrizio67@gmail.com

Giorgio D’Orazio Vinditti
Viale Kennedy, 37
Pescara
Tel. +39 347 8594617
giorgiodoraziovinditti@gmail.com
www.doraziovinditti.it

Maurizio Leone
Via della Chiesa, 4
Rocca Pia (Aq)
Tel. +39 349 8923841
maurizio.leone84@yahoo.it

Francesco Simone Maggi
Via PlaiolaSecinaro (Aq)
Tel. +39 389 6637454
maggisimone88@gmail.com

Il Maniero
di Fabiola De Amicis
Via Enrico Cialdini, 27
Luco De Marsi (Aq)
Tel. +39 353 4182202
ilmanieroinvallelonga@gmail.com

Nunzio Nolletti
Via Capo Croce, 13
Collepietro (Aq)
Tel. +39 339 3617704
info@aziendaagricolanolletti.com
www.aziendaagricolanolletti.com

Le Prata
di Nazzareno Sacchi
Via Picente, 1
Frazione Concavallari Montereale (Aq)
Tel. +39 335 5325410
info@leprata.eu
www.leprata.eu

Riccardo Santoponte
Via Fonte Nuova, 131
Magliano dei Marsi (Aq)
Tel. +39 347 7910087
riccardo.santoponte@gmail.com
www.carattereagricolo.it

Società Agricola Battista
Via Cavalieri di Vittorio Veneto, 5
Goriano Sicoli (Aq)
Tel.+39 339 6441969
brunabattista@libero.it
www.terradistatulae.it

Terra Futuro
di Vincenzo Nuccetelli
Via Lago Maggiore, 6
Avezzano (Aq)
Tel. +39 339 7299861
vincenzo.nuccetelli@gmail.com

Terre del Tirino
di Alfonso D’alfonso
Nucleo Capodacqua, 4
Capestrano (Aq)
Tel. +39 331 6766139
info@terredeltirino.it
www.terredeltirino.it

Donato Trufoli
Via Rufiano IV, 23
Bisenti (Te)
Tel. +39 338 578888
tr.donato@libero.it
Slow Food Presidium coordinator
Giorgio Davini
Tel. +39 393 6132492
giorgiodavini@gransassolagapark.it

Territory

StateItaly
RegionAbruzzo

Other info

CategoriesCereals and flours