When it comes to quality cured meats, one immediately thinks of the north or even central Italy. But there are the exceptions. And one of these is called Capocollo di Martina Franca, a sausage with a unique flavour, delicately scented, with savory and sweet meat at the same time, which is produced exclusively in the areas between Martina Franca, Locorotondo and Cisternino in Puglia.
To understand how the peculiarity (and goodness) of this cured meat developed, you need to take a step back in time. To the glaciation that separated Puglia from the Balkan area. A particular oak, whose scientific name is "Quercus trojana" because it originated in the area in which the city celebrated by Homer gravitates on the Aegean coast of Turkey, survived on the Murgese plateau in the area around Martina Franca. The city, in fact, is located 400 meters above sea level, with a singular characteristic it is like an island between two seas, the Ionian 30 km away as the crow flies, and the Adriatic 25 km away. For this reason it is ventilated for 300 days a year, furthermore it is characterized by cold and dry winters, often whitened by snowfalls. A very special microclimate in which the Fragno, or the quercus trojana has developed with its particularly sweet acorns which recall the flavor of the Iberian acorns which the pigs feed on which give life to the most famous (and most expensive) of hams, the Patanegra.
And this is the first point. Let's talk about the second: going a little less back in time we must then go back to the foundation of Martina Franca, around 1300. At the time there was a huge forest in the area, still today the city is surrounded by 18.000 hectares of forest, formed mainly from Fragno trees, which is found only in this area in Italy, downy oaks, holm oaks, thorny oaks, Cerro and a variegated and fragrant Mediterranean scrub where donkeys grazed freely, the famous one from Martina Franca, the largest there is in Italy and horses from which the Murgese breed is derived which from this inhospitable territory, derived a great rusticity and frugality horses of imposing size which, due to their elegance of bearing, became part of the stables of the Quirinal cuirassiers.
Martina Franca was born for a strategic reason, it was placed halfway between the Angevins who were Princes of Taranto and the Aragonese who had just arrived and needed to expand. For which the need for a common buffer was prudently felt. There was the problem of enticing the populations of the surrounding Apulian areas to move to Martina Franca. In reality, the city at the time, essentially inhabited by refugees from Taranto who had taken refuge on Mount San Martino to escape the constant invasions and devastation by the Saracens, was only called Martina. But precisely to attract new vital forces, in the deed of constitution of the city, it was foreseen to free the inhabitants, hence the word "Franca" which entered the name, from any gabelle to be free to collect timber, bring the animals to pasture , and to acorn, that is, to collect acorns for the animals to eat.
And we come to point three. The Longobards who had dominated Italy up to the sixth century had long since withdrew from southern Italy, but some rather numerically large nuclei had preferred the mild temperatures of Puglia to the harsh climates of the north and had remained in these areas. The Lombards were skilled breeders. At the time of their invasion, among other things, they had brought buffaloes, which then acclimatised in Campania and Lazio, and pigs. They were above all experts in the methods of preserving meat (and the legacy of sausage packaging is owed to their dominion in the Emilia-Padano-Veneto plain) and therefore they devoted themselves to breeding.
For this reason Martina Franca specialized in meat processing and its fame grew to such an extent that in the Taranto or Salento areas, at the time of pig slaughtering, labor from Martina Franca was used.
The processing of Capocollo involves a complex ritual. The meat – the name suggests which part of the pig is used – after being shaped and massaged is put in brine for about 10-12 days. Subsequently the Capocollo is washed and marinated and immersed for a few hours in vincotto according to the ancient local custom together with aromatic herbs from the Murgia dei Trulli. At this point it is stuffed into natural casings and wrapped with natural cloth or equivalent for a gradual drying of about 10-15 days in well-ventilated stone rooms. Important to give Capocollo that unmistakable aroma that distinguishes it is the phase ofsmoking which is carried out with fragno bark, almond peels and shrubs of the Mediterranean scrub. The traditional technique involved covering the floor with sprigs of thyme, myrtle, laurel (plants that are very common in the approximately 15 hectares of forest and Mediterranean scrub in the area) which were set on fire, making sure that they burned without a flame.
Today we proceed by burning the essences and bark of trees and shrubs in special fireplaces. Once this operation is completed, the Capocollo is left to mature for at least 120 days in cool, dry rooms. Some producers prolong the seasoning beyond this time but normally it does not exceed one year. Capocollo is distinguished to the eye by a beautiful vinous color, and to the nose by slightly mineral hints. Tasting it you immediately feel the strong impact of the fumigation but the sweetness of the meat wins over everything. For the record, the production of Capocollo di Martina Franca is still carried out today in the small artisan workshops of the butchers in the area. Currently the associated producers produce about 500 quintals of product a year for a value of around 1.000.000 euros.
The Capocollo of Martina Franca has become part of the SLOW FOOD Presidia which provides for a strict production disciplinary. An important work for the present and the future of Capocollo production is carried out by the Consortium of producers, which under the passionate and tireless guidance of Angelo Costantini carries out an incisive and meritorious action in protecting the uniqueness of a cured meat, already known and appreciated in the 18th century and in keeping alive the ancient butcher's tradition of the area. But the function that the consortium has given itself is also to develop an eco-compatible agricultural practice, respectful of animal welfare, biodiversity and the environmental characteristics of the production area, while protecting the consumer and promoting a series of initiatives for dissemination of product knowledge not only in Italy but also abroad.
First&Food's suggestion
Masseria "Le Pianelle"
by Martino Cisternino
Via Massafra, zone E 268
74015 MARTINA FRANCA (TA)
Tel. 080 4400948
info@masserialepianelle.it
Masseria Le Pianelle was founded 40 years ago out of love for the countryside by Martino Cisternino, son of a farming family from Alberobello who at the age of sixteen began working in construction until he himself became a small businessman. Fatal for his future was the meeting with Maria, the woman who was to become his wife who came from a family that owned a livestock farm. The two talk for a long time, the call to life outdoors in the countryside is strong. And in the end, partly out of love and partly to change his life at a less frenetic pace, he decides to throw away mixers, scaffolding, compressors and devote himself to cultivation and breeding.
In 1987, Martino bought an old 800th century company in the hinterland of the city of Martina Franca, the ''Masseria le Pianelle" which extends over a surface area of 125 hectares of which 97 are arable land and 28 are pasture and woodland which is part of a beautiful nature reserve called '' Bosco delle Pianelle ". Here Martino with his wife – and now helped by their children, Antonella who has somewhat taken over the administrative and commercial reins of the company, and by Giuseppe and Gianni – has started a thriving business of farming and the production of dairy products and beef and pork. The company with its 20 hectares of arable land with hay, corn, barley, soy, bran is able to cover 0% of the food needs of the animals at km80 and this means control of authenticity. And in April and September, fresh grass is added to the diet.
Today at Le Pianelle there are 100 lactating animals with 45 heifers for reproduction, 50 calves a year for fattening, 120/130 pigs destined for slaughter for fresh meat and cured meats (Capocollo, salami, soppressata, bacon, smoked bacon , tear-off sausages frankfurters etc.)
The transition from the breeding phase to the production phase dates back to about ten years ago thanks to a national project of the short supply chain, married to the philosophy ''from producer to consumer''. The direct sale at km0 started first with the transformation of the milk, which became the basis of quality aged cheeses (caciocavalli, cheeses, caciotte, cacioricotta, etc.) and, obviously, Martino and Maria subsequently also started the laboratory for slaughtering and transformation of the bovine and suine meats of their breeding.
In order to make a good capocollo it is primarily necessary that the animal lives in the wild. And certainly with all the hectares of oak forest, wild herbs and Mediterranean scrub at their disposal, it can be said that the pigs raised at Le Pianelle live in an ideal habitat and feed on intense flavours. Furthermore cereals, barley and seasoned barley that make up the supplementary food of their diet are always produced by Martino Cisternino's company.
The animals for the Capocollo, of the Large White Breed are grown up to 1-2 years and weigh 150-160 kg to be slaughtered at the moment of maximum yield of the flavor of the meat. And with these premises together with the passion that Martino, Maria and their children put into their work, it is no wonder that his Capocollo is one of the finest that can be found on the market
Over time the company has made itself known far beyond the Apulian borders for the excellence of its products. And to meet the numerous requests, Masseria Le Pianelle has also launched training and educational projects with guided tours for schools and tourist groups, bringing them closer and fascinating them to the values of the ancient peasant art which is attracting more and more converts.
Visitors are offered the possibility of taking walks in the woods to discover the real scents of the countryside, walks in the stable with technical explanations, and then a visit to the annexed farm dairy. The visit can end with tastings and the purchase of locally produced food.
