At the end of summer, in the countryside of the Cilento, you may come across racks full of figs laid out in the sun. We stopped to look at them and realised that here this fruit is much more than a snack. Let us introduce the Fico Bianco del Cilento DOP.
The Dottato fig
The designation applies only to dried figs of the Dottato variety. The name "bianco" (white) comes from the pale colour of the skin: from light yellow to an even yellow, turning amber or brown in oven-baked figs. The flesh is soft and dense, amber yellow in colour, and the flavour is very sweet.
The production area
Fico Bianco del Cilento has been a Protected Designation of Origin since 2006. The area covers 68 municipalities in the province of Salerno, from the coastal hills of Agropoli to the Bussento river, largely within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park.
From the tree to the drying rack
The figs are picked fully ripe and dried in the sun, sometimes with the help of protective tunnels. The product specification allows several presentations: figs with or without their skin, plain or stuffed, oven-baked, coated in chocolate or flavoured with rum. Fillings use ingredients such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, wild fennel seeds and citrus peel, which may not exceed 10% of the product.
A little history
Figs were grown in the Cilento before the 6th century BC, at the time of the Greek colonies, and Latin writers remember them as food for farm workers. In 1486 the "Quaterno doganale delle marine del Cilento", a customs register of the Cilento coast, already records a trade in dried figs towards other Italian markets.
How to enjoy them
We love them with a piece of aged cheese, or simply at the end of a meal. In winter, especially around Christmas, dried figs appear on every table in the Cilento. We recommend trying the ones stuffed with walnuts and lemon peel: a little ready-made dessert.
Where to taste it and what is nearby
Start from Agropoli, the old town and the castle, the gateway to the Cilento, and continue towards Paestum and its temples. For local traditions read Cilento traditions and Pioppi and the Mediterranean diet. Figs go beautifully with Cacioricotta caprino del Cilento, and for a local dressing there is Cilento DOP extra virgin olive oil. All the designations are in Campania's DOP and IGP products, and the area in The Cilento: what to do and what to see.
Sources: Qualigeo – Fico Bianco del Cilento DOP.
Photo at top (Agropoli): Carlo IannuzziThe original uploader was Mujaidin at Italian Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
