Casarecci di Calabria is a guardian of Calabrian products, which are interpreted, prepared and preserved by this family business according to the ancient traditions of the art of preserving in the best possible way the fruits of the land. So, products in oil, spices, oil, pasta, 'nduja are produced. Casarecci di Calabria chooses and buys only local raw materials, whose production takes place at an altitude of 850 metres, at the foot of the Sila plateau. Andrea Gallo, sales manager of the company, explains: «In our laboratory, we follow the same processing methods of the past, ensuring entirely natural products, with no added colouring agents, in compliance with the procedures based on the principles of HACCP system».
For all the products which boast Casarecci di Calabria brand, a dedicated department designs and develops packaging, made entirely by hand. Gallo says: «Packaging has allowed our brand to become recognizable. By choice and mission, none of the decorative and additional elements of our kits is produced outside our Country, and we give priority to the productions which are carried out in our Region. The choice to use and add to our products a range of accessories and elements results to be excellent. These elements allow the end users to use them in their kitchen, before, during, and after the consumption of our delicacies. For instance, we remind the cutting board with 'nduja: this sausage is proposed in its natural gut, vacuum-packed, ready for the table with both cutting board and tool for spreading 'it in beech wood, as well as a ceramic tool which allows warming 'nduja, so that the product results to be suitable for spreading it on a canapé or on a piece of browned polenta».
So, a culinary journey among the regional gastronomic specialties can begin with ‘bruschetta’ or ‘fresella’, proposed by thes company in a kit consisting of fresella and bruschetta in wheat flour, a seasoning - spicy, with artichokes, olives, porcini mushrooms, ‘nduja calabrese di Spilinga, ground mixture of dried tomatoes, almonds and pistachio - and a cutting board in beech wood. For preparing this dish, it is enough to follow the recipe written on the package.
First courses
Casarecci di Calabria proposes such first courses as ‘Trascinati alla 'nduja’ (a recipe with durum wheat semolina pasta and 'nduja)’, ‘fileja alla calabrese con cipolla rossa di Tropea’ (a shape of pasta, typical of this region, with tomato sauce and seasoning prepared with red onion and spices), ‘fusilli alla strangolata con salsa’ (an ancient recipe of Calabria in which red pepper, combined with tomato sauce, dominates), ‘orecchiette alle cime di rapa’, ‘spaghettata con salsa’, ‘cavatelli al basilico’ (a special shape of pasta with dried basil and tomato sauce for the preparation of this light and tasty recipe), and ‘pici all’aglione’ (with tomato sauce and spices combined with the typical type of durum wheat semolina pasta coming from the Valley ‘Val d’Orcia’, extruded through bronze).
Seasonings and olive oils
Andrea Gallo specifies: «Our company proposes a wide range of sauces and seasonings prepared by using only natural products and without the addition of colouring agents». ‘Ortoboom’ (the addition of this mixture of vegetables, mushrooms, red pepper, and olive oil, raw and in small amounts, on ready dishes enhances the flavours of the recipes, giving them more taste and a spicy touch); ‘Crema di peperoncino piccantissima’; ‘Confettura di cipolla’; ‘Trifolato ai funghi porcini’; ‘Polpa di olive’; ‘Pestato di pomodori secchi e acciughe’, ‘di mandorle e pistachio’… and so on.
And then olive oils: the spicy oil in artistic bottles (olive oil and red pepper from Calabria give life to a spicy seasoning, ready to use for soups and first courses, pizza, meats, and bruschetta); 'Peperoncini in fiasco’, red peppers within the typical flask, a spicy oil obtained from the infusion of whole red peppers from Calabria in olive oil; extra virgin olive oil flavoured in tin or in glass cruet, prepared by infusion with spices and natural dried herbs.
The dessert
Chocolate with red pepper, liquorice, bergamot and citron in which aromas, flavours, essences typical of Calabria blend, giving extra dark chocolate a unique and valuable flavour; and ‘Liquorizia’, a liqueur prepared with liquorice, as its name specifies, born from an ancient recipe of this region, whose production is carried out in a natural way by means of an infusion method.
