Its unique and special characteristics, very much appreciated even abroad, gives the name to "Fico Bianco del Cilento": once dried, the sweet peel gets light yellow coloured rather than chestnut brown if oven-cooked.
Its origins date back to to the VI century BC, due to the Greek colonists that here founded several cities.
This simple product has always been source of income as well as basic aliment for the local population specially during difficulties. Also in hard times, thanks to the abundance and the possibility to preserve them for long times through the drying process, the figs have fed hundreds of people. The fig plants along with the olive trees have strongly contributed to characterize the rural landscape of Cilento throughout the centuries.
Area of Production
The White Fig of Cilento DOP is produced in a large area including 68 communes, located to the south of Salerno, form the coastal hills of Agropoli until the river Bussento, within the Cilento National Park and the lovely Diano Valley.
The pulp is particularly soft, very sweet, amber-coloured, with prevalently empty achenes and a full internal receptacle. These could be considered the most outstanding features of this lovely product on the market.
Wrapped up uncooked in different shapes the Figs of Cilento are commercialized even according to the traditional way: placed in bulk into handmade baskets that could weight even more than 20 Kilos! You can find them also "staccati": pierced through wooden sticks to make the so-called "spatole" or "mustaccioli".
The white fig is delicious even stuffed with almonds, nuts, walnuts, fennel seeds, citrus skins rather than iced with chocolate, or soaked in rum, in order to enlarge the offer's range, most of all during Christmas.
A taste of history...
Geographically Protected and Identified denomination that refers to the dried product belonging to the so-called "dottato": precious fig's variety, particularly present all around the South of Italy.
The villages scattered all around the Cilento coast maintain a very ancient fishing technique, but non so closely tied to it than the pretty town of Pisciotta.
If you have searched the web looking for activities to do while vacationing on the Amalfi Coast, there is no doubt that you have already read about Mamma Agata and her incredible cooking school in Ravello.
Once you have peeled your eyes away from the stupendous scenery of the Amalfi Coast, one of the first things you’re bound to notice is the large lemons hanging from the trees.
The hills that surround the city of Salerno and stretch from the Amalfi Coast to the Cilento National Park give an extra-virgin olive oil with an intense colour and a unique fruity taste.
Agerola is known as "Città del Pane" - city of bread – nationwide popular brand that recognizes some Italian towns where this product assumes a special value due to the peculiar characteristics.
At Summer in Italy we do care about our guests, and this is why, in order to help you making your food shopping in Italy just perfect, we would like to share a few tips about high-quality local products.
Amalfi Coast
Sorrento Coast
Tuscany
Cilento National Park
Lake Como
Rome and Latium
Umbria
Capri and Ischia
Venice
Puglia (Apulia)
Liguria
Sicily
Lake Maggiore
Lombardy
Sardinia
Lake Garda
Abruzzo and Marche
Calabria
