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The local cuisine is based on
local products: chestnuts, mushrooms and lamb. Zeri’s
cuisine is simple and natural and it is no mere coincidence
if the people of Zeri live, on average, to over 95, making
it one of the Italian localities with the highest longevity
ratio.
The mushrooms that grow in these valleys are famous, in particular
the Porcino mushrooms which grow in the chestnut woods and
which have a dark brown cap and are highly flavoursome.
Another very particular mushroom which grows in Zeri is the
Cavazza, a highly prized mushroom with an intense flavour
which grows on the bark of trees.
The chestnut is the fundamental element of the rural community’s
simple cuisine. Zeri’s chestnuts are small and very
flavoursome and, still using ancient methods, they are turned
into chestnut flour which is the basic element in many unique
recipes like armèlete which are lasagne made with chestnut
flour, moglo, a kind of very thin chestnut cake covered with
ricotta cheese and cooked in a wood oven in the typical testi
which are cast iron recipients that are placed in the embers
of the fire. The local ricotta cheese is also unique and can
only be found in the homes of the local farmers as it is not
on sale in shops.
Zeri’s highly prized and rare lamb can be enjoyed only
in the area! Zeri’s sheep are an authoctonous race and
from their milk many excellent cheeses and other products
are derived.
Then let us recall Zero’s beans and potatoes, two ancient
cultivations which have conserved the traditional production
techniques and for which only natural fertilizers are used.
These crops, which are known throughout Tuscany can thank
the unique mountain climate and particular composition of
the soil for their exceptional qualities.
Zeri’s apples which are known as “ox muzzle”
as they are very small, are highly flavoursome and like many
other local products can be found only in this area.
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