White Poverello Bean

Slow Food Presidium

Italy

Basilicata

Calabria

Legumes

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White Poverello Bean

The white poverello bean has been grown since ancient times on the irrigated lands of some of the mountain villages in western Calabria, in the Pollino National Park. It has large, ovoid seeds and a thin, white, shiny, skin without speckles. It is easy to cook and has a delicate mouth feel, it must be soaked for at least 45 minutes.
Traditionally it is sown in “postarelle” (equally distanced rows) by the first half of June. It is a climbing bean: the seedlings cling to chestnut stakes obtained from the nearby coppice woods. The plants must be irrigated, and weeds must be controlled by hand or, in some cases, by using mechanical means, whereas any kind of chemical weeding is prohibited. The soils can only be enriched through the use of mature manure. They are harvested by hand between October and early November, when the well-dried pods settle on the “cannizzi”, where they are left to dry for a few more days. At this point they are placed in bags, to be beaten, and then they are shelled by hand and cleaned from any foreign objects (pebbles, soil particles, leaves).
The poverello bean is a central element of the agricultural and gastronomic culture of this area. It is an ingredient that can be used in various recipes (purees, soups, croutons, salads), but the most symbolic dish is a particular pasta that is prepared with tubetti (short and smooth pasta), beans, extra virgin olive oil (the ideal oil is obtained from the sweet Rossano cultivar, which is part of the Slow Food Presidium), powdered crunchy red capsicums (the zafarana) and hot chillies. The best way to cook the poverello bean is over a very slow fire in the clay pot.

Season

They are harvested between October and the beginning of November, the dried product is available all year round

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The area of land that was used to cultivate the poverello bean had been drastically reduced, first of all because it was, like many other products, a victim of the abandonment of the land and agricultural activities by young people, and specifically, because its cultivation is very laborious. In the 90s the recovery work done by ARSAC (the Regional Agency for the Development of Agriculture of Calabria) was crucial, in collaboration with research institutions such as the CNR of Bari, the CREA-Research Centre for Horticulture of Pontecagnano (Sa), the Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria and ENEA. During the research, an important fact emerged for the sustainability of this crop: the white poverello ecotype does not suffer from the parasitic attacks that, in the same environments, occur on other types of beans. A few years ago, several farmers decided to keep and relaunch this distinctive product. The objective of the Presidium is to promote both the poverello bean and the rural landscape that is typical of the irrigated areas that are found along the entire production area.

Production Area
The Municipalities of Mormanno, Laino Castello and Laino Borgo, in the province of Cosenza, inside the Pollino National Park

Presidium supported by
Pollino National Park

Technical Partners
Azienda Regionale per lo Sviluppo dell’Agricoltura Calabrese (ARSAC)
Istituto di Bioscienze e Biorisorse del CNR di Bari
CREA-Centro Ricerca per l’Orticoltura di Pontecagnano (SA)
Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria
ENEA
Producers

Basilicata

Az. Agr. Franco Attadia
Contrada Barone, 19
Rotonda (Pz)
Tel. 349 8056424
franco_attadia@libero.it


Az. Agr. Brunobios
di Angela Riccucci
Contrada Cassaneto, 33
Rotonda (Pz)
Tel. +39 347 8417252
brunobios@libero.it
www.brunobios.it


Calabria

Al Verneto
di Vanessa Matus
Contrada Verneto, 1
Laino Borgo (Cs)
Tel. +39 347 5869257
info@alverneto.it

Aria Fina
Contrada Colle di Trodo
Mormanno (Cs)
Tel. +39 348 6531442
agriturismoariafina@libero.it
www.agriturismoariafina.it

Masseria Gioia
di Annamaria Gioia
Contrada Iannello
Laino Borgo (Cs)
Tel. +39 320 6130039
parcoavventuragioia@gmail.com

Sapori e Saperi di un’Arte Antica
di Giovanni Donadio
Contrada Iannello
Laino Borgo (Cs)
Tel. +39 324 6051834
giovanni.donadio1988@gmail.com

Società Cooperativa Pollino Food Experience
Contrada Malinier
iMormanno (Cs)
Tel. +39 349 3301655
info@pollinofoodexperience.com
www.pollinofoodexperience.com

Terrægusto
di Teresa Maradei
Corso Municipale, 110
Mormanno (Cs)
Tel. +39 389 1546321
info@terragusto.it
www.terragusto.it
Slow Food Coordinator
Teresa Maradei
Tel. +39 389 1546321
info@alverneto.it

Presidium producers’ Coordinator
Domenico De Luca
Tel. +39 347 5869257
maradeiteresa@gmail.com

The area of land that was used to cultivate the poverello bean had been drastically reduced, first of all because it was, like many other products, a victim of the abandonment of the land and agricultural activities by young people, and specifically, because its cultivation is very laborious. In the 90s the recovery work done by ARSAC (the Regional Agency for the Development of Agriculture of Calabria) was crucial, in collaboration with research institutions such as the CNR of Bari, the CREA-Research Centre for Horticulture of Pontecagnano (Sa), the Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria and ENEA. During the research, an important fact emerged for the sustainability of this crop: the white poverello ecotype does not suffer from the parasitic attacks that, in the same environments, occur on other types of beans. A few years ago, several farmers decided to keep and relaunch this distinctive product. The objective of the Presidium is to promote both the poverello bean and the rural landscape that is typical of the irrigated areas that are found along the entire production area.

Production Area
The Municipalities of Mormanno, Laino Castello and Laino Borgo, in the province of Cosenza, inside the Pollino National Park

Presidium supported by
Pollino National Park

Technical Partners
Azienda Regionale per lo Sviluppo dell’Agricoltura Calabrese (ARSAC)
Istituto di Bioscienze e Biorisorse del CNR di Bari
CREA-Centro Ricerca per l’Orticoltura di Pontecagnano (SA)
Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria
ENEA
Producers

Basilicata

Az. Agr. Franco Attadia
Contrada Barone, 19
Rotonda (Pz)
Tel. 349 8056424
franco_attadia@libero.it


Az. Agr. Brunobios
di Angela Riccucci
Contrada Cassaneto, 33
Rotonda (Pz)
Tel. +39 347 8417252
brunobios@libero.it
www.brunobios.it


Calabria

Al Verneto
di Vanessa Matus
Contrada Verneto, 1
Laino Borgo (Cs)
Tel. +39 347 5869257
info@alverneto.it

Aria Fina
Contrada Colle di Trodo
Mormanno (Cs)
Tel. +39 348 6531442
agriturismoariafina@libero.it
www.agriturismoariafina.it

Masseria Gioia
di Annamaria Gioia
Contrada Iannello
Laino Borgo (Cs)
Tel. +39 320 6130039
parcoavventuragioia@gmail.com

Sapori e Saperi di un’Arte Antica
di Giovanni Donadio
Contrada Iannello
Laino Borgo (Cs)
Tel. +39 324 6051834
giovanni.donadio1988@gmail.com

Società Cooperativa Pollino Food Experience
Contrada Malinier
iMormanno (Cs)
Tel. +39 349 3301655
info@pollinofoodexperience.com
www.pollinofoodexperience.com

Terrægusto
di Teresa Maradei
Corso Municipale, 110
Mormanno (Cs)
Tel. +39 389 1546321
info@terragusto.it
www.terragusto.it
Slow Food Coordinator
Teresa Maradei
Tel. +39 389 1546321
info@alverneto.it

Presidium producers’ Coordinator
Domenico De Luca
Tel. +39 347 5869257
maradeiteresa@gmail.com

Territory

StateItaly
RegionBasilicataCalabria

Other info

CategoriesLegumes