Calabrian Bread: As Good As It Gets

Calabrian bread: food diversity
Calabria is a land of numerous types of bread, which differ form one another by type of flour, production process and baking time. The bread of Calabria is a perfect example of food diversity, strictly connected to vegetable diversity. Some of the cereals utilised are ancient and very rare varieties. The results in the most diverse shapes, consistencies, textures, fragrances, colours and organoleptic properties.

Different types of bread
In Calabria, pane di grano (“wheat bread”) is the name for wholemeal, dark-coloured bread. In the mountains, pane brundu comes in small loaves, which acquire the fragrance of the chestnut, cabbage, fig or orange leaves in which they are wrapped. The province of Reggio Calabria is known for harder, biscuit-like bread, coming in the form of biscotto di grano, fresa and frisella, usually soaked in water or oil and flavoured with tomatoes and herbs. Pane a cuddhùra is a sort of doughnuts prepared at Christmas in the Reggio Calabria neighbourhood. In the Vibo-Valentia, buccellato, a doughnut-shaped type of bread, which the faithful wear as a bracelet in the Corpus Domini procession. In the Catanzaro area, bread takes the shape of Nardodipace’s pizzata, made with maize flour and flavoured with chilli pepper, Umbriatico’s pitta collura, also doughnut-shaped, and pane di patate, made with soft wheat and mashed potatoes.

Bread diversity in Calabria
One of the specialities of the Crotone area is pane di Cutro, made with durum wheat semolina and a quarter of soft wheat flour. Cosenza is the land of pane di castagne, made with 2/3 wheat flour and 1/3 boiled chestnut flour. Pane di Cuti di Rogliano can be recognised by its fragrant inside, its crunchy crust and its softness, which last for several days. Pane di Tessano is large in volume. Pane di Cerzeto is sweetened with honey and can be stored for as long as a month. Pane di Altomonte, made with different indigenous flours, is fragrant and durable. Pane di Cerchiara comes in heavy loaves of 3-4kg and has a distinctive groove in the middle, called resella. Common to the whole region, pitta is a doughnut with holes, sometimes filled with sardines, courgettes, peppers, tomatoes and olives. Taralli are also common in a wide array of flavours: chilli pepper, fennel, honey, mosto cotto (concentrated grape must) and sweet spices.