Ten fun activities for food lovers in one of Italy’s most southern regions
1. Laze at a Locanda
The prize-winning Locanda di Alia in Castrovillari Cosenza has long been impressing locals and visitors alike with its simple but refined, territorial cuisine and charming, family-style hotel.
After a divine dinner, retire to your room and build up your strength for the morning’s breakfast spread. www.alia.it
2. Make for Santa Maria del Cedro
One of Calabria’s typical products is the citron, a citrus fruit not found much outside this region. At Bar Egidio in the historic centre, you can sample the Romito family’s citron biscuits, syrups, cakes, granita and liqueurs, and grab a few bottles of citron grappa to take away besides! www.cedrocalabria.it
3. Feel a Burn
Lovers of the red hot chilli shouldn’t miss a visit to the small town of Diamante with its chilli pepper museum and local bars and trattorie that serve everything from fried chilli peppers and red hot pasta to chocolates, liqueurs and even ice cream flavoured with chilli!
4. Cook up a Calabrian Feast
Mary A Palmer’s book Cucina di Calabria is full of delicious regional recipes like red mullet and black olives, and macaroon-stuffed peaches that are sure to bring a touch of the region’s unique spirit to your kitchen wherever you are. www.hippocrenebooks.com
5. Drink!
The winemakers Librandi produce some great quality Calabrian wines. Try their gutsy reds like Gravelloor Magno Megonio to accompany red meats, game and mature cheeses or sip a glass of chilled Efesoas an aperitif in the summertime. Bottoms up! www.librandi.it
6. Live Simply
Agriturismo Trapesimi is a pretty little farm surrounded by ancient olive trees that offers views over the plains and gulf of Sibari. The Ioele family are warm hosts eager to treat you to a taste of their corner of Calabria with simple fare that highlights delicious local ingredients and traditions. Rossano Scalo www.agriturismotrapesimi.it
7. Stop off at Vibo Valentia Marina
A meal at L’Approdo is as memorable for its serviceas it is for its (very good) food. Enjoy a delicate carpaccio of local fish, homemade pasta with ragù of mullet, fillet of sea bream with Tropea onions and some of the warmest hospitality in Calabria. www.lapprodo.com
8. Say Cheese
No trip to Calabria is complete without sampling some of the region’s exceptional pecorino
and goat’s cheese. Pecorino del Monte Porro, one of the best and made with unpasteurised milk, is wonderfully rich with captivating overtones of grass and herbs.
9. Pop off to paradise
Imagine a secluded hotel, hidden among umbrella pines on a rocky stretch of coastline, where discreet luxury blends with traditional simplicity, lunch can be eaten beside the pool, and delicious dinners are served a stone’s throw from a turquoise sea, and you’re thinking of Hotel Panta Rei. Località Marina di San Nicola www.hotelpantarei.com
10. Lick at some liquorice
Calabria is one of the world’s foremost liquorice producers and the Amarelli family from Rossano started to harvest and sell liquorice root from their estate in 1499! Their award-winning liquorice is wholly natural and all their pure liquorice products are sugar-free. www.amarelli.it
