Among the crates at Campanian greengrocers, between late summer and early autumn, there is a grape you recognise at first glance: long, curved berries, like little horns. This is uva cornicella, a traditional regional table grape. We look for it whenever the season allows: here is why.
What it is
Uva cornicella is included in the list of Traditional Agri-food Products (PAT) of the Campania Region, in the category of plant products, natural or processed. It is a table grape, meaning it is grown mainly to be eaten fresh, and according to the regional listing it is cultivated chiefly in the region's lowland and hill areas.
How to recognise it
Its hallmark is the berries: markedly elongated and curved, so much so that they look like little horns (cornetti), hence the name. The skin is pale, tending towards golden with almost russet tones on the parts most exposed to the sun. The flesh, as the Region describes it, is sweet, very crisp and full of pips, the grape's seeds.
The first time we tasted it, it was the texture that struck us: you bite into it almost like an apple, with a full sweetness that is never cloying. The skin is thin but clings firmly to the flesh, so you eat the whole berry.
A grape that keeps
An important quality of cornicella is its keeping quality, meaning its ability to last a long time after harvest. According to the regional listing, it is precisely this feature that made it, and still makes it, a very common grape on the regional market. In the past, before cold stores existed, a grape that could last was no small advantage for families and sellers.
The horn and good luck
In Campania it is hard to see anything horn-shaped without thinking of the lucky horn charm (cornetto). So it is no surprise that, in popular stories, cornicella is jokingly associated with charms against bad luck. It is more of a curiosity than a documented tradition, but we like to mention it: it makes this unusually shaped bunch all the more endearing.
When and how to enjoy it
The season runs from late summer to early autumn. We suggest eating it just as it is, fresh, perhaps at the end of a meal or as a snack. It also works well in a fruit salad or alongside a fresh cheese, where its crunch provides a contrast.
Where to taste it and what is nearby
Look for it at the neighbourhood markets of Naples and at farmers' markets across the Campanian provinces during the grape harvest. For a late-summer itinerary, read about autumn in Campania, with its grape harvest and chestnut festivals, our guide to The native grape varieties of Campania and the one on Melannurca Campana IGP, another of the region's emblematic fruits. The overview of certified products is in our guide to Campania's DOP and IGP products.
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Read also: A vattut' e ll'astreche
