In the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese we are used to thinking of tomatoes, spring onions and vegetables. Yet between Pagani and the nearby hills we discovered a fruit with a story all its own: Pagani oranges, blond and late-ripening. Here is what makes them special.
A blond, late-ripening orange
The Pagani orange is listed among the traditional agri-food products (PAT) of the Campania Region, in the plant products category. It is a blond orange, with a peel ranging from bright orange to a yellow verging on ochre. Its key feature is its late ripening: it is harvested in late spring, when the area's other varieties are already over.
Where it grows
The growing area is the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese, in the province of Salerno, with the municipalities of Pagani and Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino at the heart of production. Here the trees find two favourable conditions: very fertile volcanic or alluvial soils, and a climate particularly well suited to citrus fruit. It is the same generous land that produces Pomodoro San Marzano dell'Agro Sarnese-nocerino DOP and Cipollotto Nocerino DOP.
From the "portualle" to the nineteenth-century orchards
The story of the sweet orange in Europe is linked to the Portuguese, who according to the regional listing brought it from the East in the 16th century; the fruit probably originated in China. The local dialect reminds us of this too: in the area oranges are called "portualle", a name that preserves the memory of that trade.
For Pagani, the Region cites historical documents according to which the first specialised orchards were planted as early as 1845. Since then the orange has been part of the farming landscape of the plain, alongside the vegetable plots and tomato fields. We like to think that, in a land famous above all for its vegetables, these citrus fruits tell another side of its rural history.
How to enjoy it
As a late orange, it is a pleasant surprise to come across when the citrus season seems to be over. We suggest eating it fresh or as freshly squeezed juice; we also find it excellent in citrus salads with a drizzle of local extra virgin olive oil: see our guide to Olio extravergine di Oliva DOP delle Colline Salernitane.
Where to taste it and what is nearby
Look for it at the markets of Pagani, Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino and Nocera Inferiore. From here you can quickly reach Cava de' Tirreni and The Badia di Cava, the Abbey of the Holy Trinity. For another Campanian orange read Sorrento oranges; for all the protected products there is our guide to Campania's DOP and IGP products, and for the province Salerno and its surroundings.
Sources: Campania Region, PAT entry “Arancia di Pagani”; Campania Region, PAT list of plant products.
Top photo (Pagani): Pagawiki at Italian Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
