Calabrian Podolica Cattle

Slow Food Presidium

Italy

Calabria

Breeds and animal husbandry

Back to the archive >
Calabrian Podolica Cattle

The hardy Podolica cattle breed has ancient origins and is farmed in the southern Apennines, from Campania to Puglia to the hills of Calabria. It has a coat that ranges from gray to dark gray in color, though it’s generally lighter in color for the female. The horns, thin and light, are in a half-moon shape in the males and a lyre shape in the females.
It’s a hardy breed, easily adapting to steep terrain, it manages to graze where other breeds find it difficult, eating Mediterranean scrub, bushes, stubble, and undergrowth foliage. In the past it was primarily used as a work animal and only secondarily for its meat and milk. It produces small amounts of high-quality milk (around 1500 litres a year), which makes an excellent Caciocavallo cheese. Thanks to the open grazing the Podolica cattle can graze all year round; it doesn’t cope well with being restricted indoors. Its meat is flavorful and rich in vitamins and minerals. A high carotene content gives the fat a yellowish tinge, and because of this, and the slightly tougher texture compared to grain-feed beef, the meat does not get as much appreciation as it deserves.
The growth of Podolica cattle is also slower than other intensively-raised breeds. The calves grow less than 900 grams a day, or half as much as intensively-raised cows. This means that the costs for the producers are not reflected in the market price. The high quality of the meat is the result of a combination of factors: the genetic properties of the breed, its diet, how and where it is raised (on pastures free of pesticides or other chemical treatmeants) and proper handling of the the slaughter. The meat is lean, low in cholesterol, rich in essential fatty acids (like omega 3 and omega 6). The Podolica Cattle, if raised properly, may represent an important heritage for Southern Italian animal husbandry, in terms of recovery of marginal areas, difficult pastures that would otherwise go unused, and for the production of high-quality meat.

Season

Podolica beef is available year-round

Back to the archive >
The A.Pro.Zoo (a cooperative of animal breeders) is running a project to promote the Podolica cattle. The value chain project involves breeders, butchers, stores and restaurants. The aim of the cooperative is to make sure that the breeders can earn more money, because the costs of raising Podolica cattle are much higher than other, intensively-raised breeds. The breeders follows a rigid disciplinary code that prohibits the use of GMOs in the cows’ diets.


Production area
Sila plateau, Cosenza, Catanzaro and Crotone Provinces

Presidium supported by
Cosenza Provincial Authority, A.Pro.Zoo, Sila National Park
Producers

A.Pro.Zoo.
Via Giuseppe Verdi, 261
Montaldo Uffugo (Cs)
Tel. +39 0984 939613-333 6482301
info@aprozoocalabria.it

The cooperative society A.pro.Zoo. brings together the following breeders Giovanni Basile, Giovanni Pisano, Angelo Ritacco, Mauro D'Acri, Pasquale Manfredi, Riccardo Durante, Angela Basile, Rosario Bevilacqua, Mario Favara, Michele Costabile, Domenico Chiarello, Ferdinando Fabiano, Antonino Fonsi, Luigi Fortino, Biagio Gallicchio, Giuseppe Iaquinta, Gianfranco Iaquinta, Carmine Ionà, Francesco Caputi heirs, Antonio Mancuso, Salvatore Mancuso, Concetta Marescalco, Carmine Mosca, Clara Riccardi, Armando Susanna, Antonio Somario, Giuseppe Tallarico, Matteo Tallarico, Riccardo Tristaino.


The meat can be purchased from affiliated retailers:
Eredi Rasalba Vena
Piazza Zumbini, 45
Cosenza
Tel. +39 0984 393792

Eurocrai
Viale Europa, 113
Amantea (Cs)
Tel.+39 0984 48072

Gvs Supermarkets
Contrada Gaudimare
Paola (Cs)
Tel. +39 0984 613571

SBContrada
Firstborn
Polistena (Rc)
Tel. +39 0966 1958002

Sorinat
Via del Progresso, 374
Lamezia Terme (Cz)
Tel. +39 0968 453943

Trade Erregi
Via Verdi, 40
Rende (Cs)
Tel.+39 0984 846280

Vein and Top
Viale Mancini
Cosenza
Tel. +390984 393792

Slow Food Presidium Producers’ Coordinator
Rosario Scigliano
Tel. +39 333 6482301
rosarioscigliano@montagnaspa.it

Slow Food Presidium Coordinator
Alberto Carpino
Tel. +39 328 7023674
albertocarpino@gmail.com
The A.Pro.Zoo (a cooperative of animal breeders) is running a project to promote the Podolica cattle. The value chain project involves breeders, butchers, stores and restaurants. The aim of the cooperative is to make sure that the breeders can earn more money, because the costs of raising Podolica cattle are much higher than other, intensively-raised breeds. The breeders follows a rigid disciplinary code that prohibits the use of GMOs in the cows’ diets.


Production area
Sila plateau, Cosenza, Catanzaro and Crotone Provinces

Presidium supported by
Cosenza Provincial Authority, A.Pro.Zoo, Sila National Park
Producers

A.Pro.Zoo.
Via Giuseppe Verdi, 261
Montaldo Uffugo (Cs)
Tel. +39 0984 939613-333 6482301
info@aprozoocalabria.it

The cooperative society A.pro.Zoo. brings together the following breeders Giovanni Basile, Giovanni Pisano, Angelo Ritacco, Mauro D'Acri, Pasquale Manfredi, Riccardo Durante, Angela Basile, Rosario Bevilacqua, Mario Favara, Michele Costabile, Domenico Chiarello, Ferdinando Fabiano, Antonino Fonsi, Luigi Fortino, Biagio Gallicchio, Giuseppe Iaquinta, Gianfranco Iaquinta, Carmine Ionà, Francesco Caputi heirs, Antonio Mancuso, Salvatore Mancuso, Concetta Marescalco, Carmine Mosca, Clara Riccardi, Armando Susanna, Antonio Somario, Giuseppe Tallarico, Matteo Tallarico, Riccardo Tristaino.


The meat can be purchased from affiliated retailers:
Eredi Rasalba Vena
Piazza Zumbini, 45
Cosenza
Tel. +39 0984 393792

Eurocrai
Viale Europa, 113
Amantea (Cs)
Tel.+39 0984 48072

Gvs Supermarkets
Contrada Gaudimare
Paola (Cs)
Tel. +39 0984 613571

SBContrada
Firstborn
Polistena (Rc)
Tel. +39 0966 1958002

Sorinat
Via del Progresso, 374
Lamezia Terme (Cz)
Tel. +39 0968 453943

Trade Erregi
Via Verdi, 40
Rende (Cs)
Tel.+39 0984 846280

Vein and Top
Viale Mancini
Cosenza
Tel. +390984 393792

Slow Food Presidium Producers’ Coordinator
Rosario Scigliano
Tel. +39 333 6482301
rosarioscigliano@montagnaspa.it

Slow Food Presidium Coordinator
Alberto Carpino
Tel. +39 328 7023674
albertocarpino@gmail.com

Territory

StateItaly
RegionCalabria

Other info

CategoriesBreeds and animal husbandry