La almond is the fruit of the almond tree (Amygdalus communis L. or Prunus amygdalus o Prunus dulcis), more precisely it represents its edible seed. The almond tree is a plant belonging to the large family of the Rosaceae, the same to which very common fruit plants such as the apricot, raspberry, apple, loquat, pear, peach and plum belong. It is native to the Asian continent and is now widespread throughout the Mediterranean basin. It was the Phoenicians who introduced the almond tree to our country, in Sicily to be precise. The almond tree is a long-lived plant that can reach up to 10 metres in height. It has brown or greyish-brown branches, serrated leaves and white or slightly pinkish flowers.
The almond is an ovoid drupe that in some ways resembles the walnut (the Romans called the almond, the Greek walnut) with a green surface, sometimes covered with down; the shell, woody and porous, contains inside one or two seeds covered with a thin, sometimes smooth, sometimes wrinkled film. Almonds can be harvested fresh in April and May before the shell is lignified or, semi-fresh, in July and August. Fresh almonds are available throughout the year.
After the almonds have been harvested, they are subjected to several processes before they can be marketed: smalling, drying, shelling, peeling, sorting and sizing. In the past, many of these operations were carried out manually, but today there are special machines that allow much faster and more accurate processing.

The Muscat of Saracena is a wine made from Moscatello di Saracena, which is an indigenous grape variety and a typical and exclusive cultivation of the municipality of Saracen(Wine Cities) in the area of the Pollino in the Province of Cosenza.

Moscato di Saracena is a raisin wine for meditation. It is produced using a very ancient process that involves the separate vinification of the Moscatello grape, obtained from the indigenous variety and other grapes. The must obtained from the vinification of the Malvasia, Odoacra and Guarnaccia grapes is concentrated - through a skilful and peculiar boiling process - to obtain a reduction of about one third of the total: this process results in an increase in the sugar content and thus in the alcohol content. The special aroma and taste come from the moscatello grapes, which are harvested and dried a few weeks before the harvest. The dehydrated muscatel grapes, selected and crushed by hand, are then added - in the right proportions - to the concentrated must. After a long, slow fermentation, an amber-coloured raisin wine with an intense aroma and flavour of honey, dried figs and exotic fruit is obtained. Remarkable recognitions and awards on an international scale.

The Moscato al governo di Saracena is a slowfood presidium.

SOURCE: Wikipedia

La Denominazione di Origine Protetta “Salsiccia di Calabria” è riservata al prodotto di salumeria che deve avvenire nel territorio regionale, che ha una tradizione norcina risalente addirittura alla Magna Grecia. I Salumi rappresentano un alimento dominante e fondamentale per la gastronomia calabrese e la Salsiccia è la più conosciuta e diffusa tra i salumi calabresi certificati ed è ricavata dall’impasto, ben amalgamato, delle carni della spalla del suino, della coscia e/o del sottocostola, con lardo e ingredienti aromatici naturali come il pepe nero, pepe rosso dolce o piccante e semi di finocchio. Si distingue in base al territorio e alle tradizioni famigliari e non manca mai sulle tavole con delle ricette di prodotti tipici di stagione che l’abbinano ai peperoni cruschi o fresci, funghi, fagioli, melanzane, formaggi, verdure sott’olio, pane casareccio, castagne, e tanto altro, fino allo squisito piatto tipico e identitario di peperoni con patate e salsiccia.

Calabria has among its typical products various cold cuts and the Protected Designation of Origin 'Soppressata di Calabria' is reserved for the charcuterie product that must be obtained from the processing of meat from pigs bred in the Calabrian territory. Various historical sources - from Greek colonisation to the Renaissance - mention 'Soppressata' as a product prepared with the mixture of meat, chopped into medium-sized pieces, obtained from the ham, shoulder and/or fillet of pigs, with well-chosen fat obtained from the lard of the front part of the loin, close to the 'capocollo', and natural aromatic ingredients - black pepper in grains and powder, hot red pepper/pepper (genus Capsicum L.), sweet red pepper/pepper, in powder and/or cream, wine and spices -. Among Italian soppressate, it is certainly the most recognised, also due to its PDO certification, and is mainly eaten raw and accompanied by a good Calabrian wine, either full-bodied red or intense white, with homemade bread and vegetables. This typical sausage is delicious for adding an extra touch and enhancing first or second courses, making tasty sauces and fillings or side dishes.