CONSORZIO FINOCCHIO IGP
DI ISOLA CAPO RIZZUTO
Piazza Maria Montessori, 19/22
88900 CROTONE – Italy
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Production Specification of the Protected Geographical Indication
Initiative funded by the EAFRD-RDP Calabria 2014/2022 - Measure 3 - Intervention 3.2.1 - CUP: J18H24000520003
Fennel of Isola Capo Rizzuto
The Members
5000
hectares of cultivated land
on the Ionian coast of Calabria
The history of fennel is very ancient: it is believed to have arrived in the territory of Isola di Capo Rizzuto, part of the ancient "Magna Graecia," as early as the 4th century BC, imported from the plain of Marathon, a locality in Greece that was the scene of the famous battle between Athenians and Persians, where it originally grew wild; for this reason, the ancients called it "marathon": it is not unreasonable to believe that, even from then, being the territory of Isola di Capo Rizzuto part of the ancient "Magna Graecia," fennel arrived on the lands in question. In Calabria, it has been present as a cultivated crop for at least 160 years, particularly in those wonderful 5,000 hectares of the Ionian strip that, crossing eight municipal territories, go, starting from the south, from Botricello towards Belcastro, Cutro, Isola di Capo Rizzuto, Mesoraca, Crotone, Rocca di Neto, and Strongoli. Over time, it has spread more and more, but above all, it has become linked to the local culture and its "reputation" in the area, so much so that fennel occupies a privileged place in ancient religious events and reconnects its symbolism to an idea of rebirth, or better yet, spiritual regeneration. It differs from others in three main characteristics: its scent is much stronger and more intoxicating, due to its very low fibrousness, which results in very few filaments inside, and finally for its persistent aroma, which distinguishes it for the scent it leaves in the air. In the kitchen, it is an extremely versatile product. The best way to fully savor its taste is raw at the beginning of a meal as an appetizer or at the end as a digestive (digestive is one of its greatest properties). But it is no less when cooked, for example in creams, fillets, and velvets, or gratinated in the oven, finding great success among various starred chefs. We can say, ultimately, that this is truly a "child" product of our Calabria, as it manages to convey, in a splendid setting of synergy and combination, that breath of breeze from the Ionian Sea with the scent of our land and the warmth of its places.
The Members
The history of fennel is very ancient: it is believed to have arrived in the territory of Isola di Capo Rizzuto, part of the ancient "Magna Graecia," as early as the 4th century BC, imported from the plain of Marathon, a locality in Greece that was the scene of the famous battle between Athenians and Persians, where it originally grew wild; for this reason, the ancients called it "marathon": it is not unreasonable to believe that, even from then, being the territory of Isola di Capo Rizzuto part of the ancient "Magna Graecia," fennel arrived on the lands in question. In Calabria, it has been present as a cultivated crop for at least 160 years, particularly in those wonderful 5,000 hectares of the Ionian strip that, crossing eight municipal territories, go, starting from the south, from Botricello towards Belcastro, Cutro, Isola di Capo Rizzuto, Mesoraca, Crotone, Rocca di Neto, and Strongoli. Over time, it has spread more and more, but above all, it has become linked to the local culture and its "reputation" in the area, so much so that fennel occupies a privileged place in ancient religious events and reconnects its symbolism to an idea of rebirth, or better yet, spiritual regeneration. It differs from others in three main characteristics: its scent is much stronger and more intoxicating, due to its very low fibrousness, which results in very few filaments inside, and finally for its persistent aroma, which distinguishes it for the scent it leaves in the air. In the kitchen, it is an extremely versatile product. The best way to fully savor its taste is raw at the beginning of a meal as an appetizer or at the end as a digestive (digestive is one of its greatest properties). But it is no less when cooked, for example in creams, fillets, and velvets, or gratinated in the oven, finding great success among various starred chefs. We can say, ultimately, that this is truly a "child" product of our Calabria, as it manages to convey, in a splendid setting of synergy and combination, that breath of breeze from the Ionian Sea with the scent of our land and the warmth of its places.
