Controne Bean: Slow Food Presidium and White Pearl of Cilento

A historic bean from the Cilento National Park, quickly cooked and with a very thin skin, which gives it an unmistakable taste. It was disappearing and was recovered as a Slow Food Presidium

In the heart of Cilento, in a land thriving for agriculture, surrounded by mountain ranges, rivers and pristine springs, an extraordinary legume is grown: the Controne bean. The soils of the area, rich in carbonates and very fertile, with the mountain waters of the Alburni that quench their thirst, give this quality of beans its peculiar characteristics, a thin skin and extreme ease of cooking, as well as a truly delicious flavor .

The cultivation of the Controne bean has been handed down for centuries, but over time there was a risk of losing this peasant tradition, which has now fortunately been recovered as a Slow Food Presidium.

Legumes from Cilento: the Controne bean

The thin skin of the Controne bean is its greatest advantage, first of all it is extremely digestible and despite being almost impalpable, it does not tend to become mushy during cooking. Furthermore, it requires very quick preparation compared to other types of beans. In fact, the Controne bean does not require soaking. The types of cultivation of the Controne bean are numerous, such as the fauciariello, the lardariello, the suscella and the minichella, all varieties of earthy-brown color and slightly speckled. But the most renowned of these is the white ecotype. Small in size and with a rounded shape, with its white color without spots or streaks it really resembles a small pearl. The pods that contain it are also white. It is a late bean, it is sown between the first and second ten days of July and you have to wait until November for harvesting, dried it can be kept all year round.

The cultivation of the Controne bean

In the Controne bean production area, the slope of the land does not allow cultivation on very large plots of land. For this reason, the gardens that produce this delicious Cilento legume are all characterized by limited surfaces. With their crops scattered across the Controne countryside, there are 17 producers who join the Slow Food Presidium and adopt eco-compatible agricultural practices, perfectly inserted within an environmental context of great naturalistic value such as the Cilento and Vallo di Diano Park . The Grande Bottega Italiana could not miss out on gastronomic excellence, in fact, among the suppliers we have chosen for our Sapori e Saperi boxes, there is also one of the 17 Controne bean specialists: this is the "Ferrante" agricultural company In addition to this extraordinary legume, the owner Michele also masterfully cultivates other products, such as beans, chickpeas and chillies. All his plants are born, grow and mature following natural rhythms, those marked by the seasonality of the weather, without undergoing stress, for respect nature and its biodiversity. The result? High quality products with a unique flavour.

Land of beans and oil: between festivals and typical dishes

The village of Controne, nestled between fields and olive groves, is a land of oil and beans, for a perfect combination with the legume, in fact, the ideal is to choose as a condiment an extra virgin olive oil obtained from native cultivars, such as Rotondella and Carpellese. For example, the fine oils produced by the Madonna dell'Olivo company are perfect. The best time to taste the typical local products is when the traditional festival is held, which always attracts many tourists curious to taste the famous Controne bean, an excellence among the typical products of Cilento appreciated throughout Italy. Thanks to its characteristics, the Controne bean can be combined with any dish and various types of wine, both red and white. It can be enjoyed in many ways, for example with tozzetto (a fresella seasoned with extra virgin olive oil and boiled beans) or with escarole, in pasta and beans, or even as a condiment for lagane (a typical fresh homemade pasta).