In Trebisacce, in the province of Cosenza, freshly squeezed orange juice is enjoyed even in the summer. This is because the variety grown in the fields of the Calabrian town ripens later than those normally found commercially. Hence the self-explanatory name: Late-ripening orange of Trebisacce.
The plant, which everyone around here simply calls "the blond," has found an ideal microclimate to thrive in this stretch of Calabrian coastline overlooking the Ionian Sea: thanks in part to the mountains of the Pollino National Park, which protect it from cold winds. Another unique feature: the land on which the orange trees grow is called "vigne" (vineyards), because, once upon a time, all the land here was vineyards. Long a key economic resource, the Biondo orange was shipped to national markets when other oranges were scarce. Harvesting took place directly from the tree at the time of consumption, preserving its sweetness and fragrance, a privilege of this land.
But, as happened with so many products that are heirs and witnesses to Italy's great biodiversity, in the 19th century, with the arrival of phylloxera, the vines were uprooted and orange trees planted. And new species and far more profitable crops arrived. Yet, at a national exhibition held in Palermo in the 1930s, the Trebisacce citrus fruit won a prestigious vermeil medal.
Thus the cultivation was abandoned and today we would be talking about it as a blurry black and white image of a disappeared Sicily if eight producers had not been stubborn in wanting to preserve the history and the present of this extraordinary fruit by offering it the possibility of redemption on the markets.
The eight producers have thus joined the Slow Food Presidium for the Trebisacce Late Blonde Orange, cultivating an area of approximately four hectares. "Today, most of the vineyards are abandoned," explains Nicola Perrone, coordinator of the eight producers who belong to the Slow Food Presidium for the Trebisacce Late Blonde Orange, "but here and there, it's easy to spot plants that, despite not being pruned, continue to bear fruit." These are testimonies of a not-so-distant past: "After all, for the people of Trebisacce, the blonde orange isn't just a fruit: it's a symbol of the land and our traditions. I myself remember when I was just two or three years old and my dad took me to see how the fields were irrigated." It was a moving moment, which used the submersion technique, while today drip irrigation is preferred, as it is more respectful of water resources.
The late-ripening orange remains on the trees until May or June. The fruit is very sweet, particularly juicy, and has a thin skin: "And just one orange makes a glass of juice," assures Caterina Diana, Slow Food coordinator for the Presidium. "Unlike other oranges, the fruit ripens on the tree, not in refrigerators," emphasizes Alberto Carpino, head of the Slow Food Presidia in Calabria. "But beyond the characteristics of the product itself, the fact that a group of people is working to promote another piece of Calabrian biodiversity is valuable: when a new community of producers, chefs, and consumers forms around a product, it's always good news."
"Recognition as a Slow Food Presidium is gratifying and encouraging," concludes Caterina Diana. "We are aware that, if nothing had been done, the late-ripening Trebisacce blond orange could have been lost within a few years. Now that the Slow Food Presidium has been achieved, it's time to redevelop a beautiful area, sadly now facing abandonment, and relaunch a production that finds excellent uses not only in juices: it lends itself to jams, tarts, puddings, sorbets, and liqueurs, but also in savory preparations, such as in taralli and frese dough, or as an accompaniment to risottos and pasta dishes. Not to mention the potential applications in cosmetics."
