Fruit, vegetables and pulses

Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto (fennel)

Finocchio di Isola Capo Rizzuto PGI: sweet, crisp fennel from the Ionian shore

Across eight towns between Botricello and Strongoli, loose sandy soil over a very shallow water table produces tight, crunchy, juicy bulbs. There are two seasons: early fennel from October to February and late fennel from the end of March into June. Its trade is on record from the early twentieth century.

• A dense white bulb veined pale green, flatter in the early crop, rounder in the late one
• Markedly sweet and refreshing, with hardly any stringiness
• A strong scent, real crunch, and strands that come away cleanly

How to enjoy it. Eat it raw in wedges like fruit, or as a salad with olive oil and salt; cooked, bake it or gratinate it. Keep the green fronds for soups and pasta with anchovies.

Production areas

Calabria

Season

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