Fruit, vegetables and pulses

Vairano giant lupin

Vairano giant lupin: big seeds from the volcanic soils near Caserta

Lupinone, lupinaccio, giant: in the upper Caserta area every name for this legume points to its size. It grows on the acid volcanic soils around Vairano Patenora and is threshed at first light, before the heat can split the pods. It is a Slow Food Presidium and on Campania's list of traditional products.

• Round, beige seeds that reach a centimetre and a half across
• Long, flat pods, each with no more than six seeds inside
• Bitter when raw: soaking, a quick boil and a few days in brine make it sweet

How to enjoy it. Once sweetened in brine it is a snack to nibble, or part of a starter with olives and pumpkin seeds. Around Vairano it is a fixture on the stalls at patron-saint festivals.

Production areas

Campania

Season

[object Object]

The full story, sources and places on apulica.com →