L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano A fter the second, d e a d l y e a r t h - quake of 2016, the one that hit U m b r i a a t t h e end of October, speaking of Castelluccio di Nor- c i a d o e s b r i n g a l u m p t o o n e ' s t h r o a t . T h i s s m a l l , quaint hamlet high up in the A p e n n i n e s , s o m e 2 8 k m from Norcia, once counted about 150 residents and was k n o w n f o r t h e a m a z i n g views it gifted on the valley a n d m o u n t a i n s a r o u n d . Winding little streets and stone houses, Castelluccio was a little corner of old- fashioned, central-Italian beauty. But since that day, since the 30th of October 2 0 1 6 , a l m o s t n o t h i n g o f Castelluccio remains, as the earthquake almost wiped the village off the face of the Earth. There are plans for reconstruction, but so far it's been a hard and long path. Yet, there is still a com- munity that proudly wants its hometown to raise from its ashes and we can help, somehow. We can help by v i s i t i n g t h e a r e a a n d b y investing in good food. Yes, it's that simple! Gourmet and Italophiles around the world know why. Castelluc- cio is a well-known name for them: the first swear by its I G P l e n t i l s ; t h e s e c o n d dream of witnessing in first person the famous fioritu- r a o f t h e P i a n G r a n d e (Perugia province), the Pian Piccolo (Perugia province), and the Pian Perduto (Mac- e r a t a p r o v i n c e ) . T h e t h r e e p i a n i , k n o w n a s the Piani di Castelluccio, are an alluvial-karstic plateau, located on the Appennino U m b r o - M a r c h i g i a n o , a t 4,500 ft of altitude (Castel- luccio is perched some 700 ft above them). The fioritura, which is, literally, the blossoming of plants and flowers, made this part of Italy renowned a n d , e s p e c i a l l y a f t e r t h e earthquake, it has become a beloved destination, because visiting also means bringing support to an area that still needs our help. Between the end of May a n d t h e m o n t h o f J u l y , n a t u r e t u r n s t h e P i a n G r a n d e a n d t h e P i a n Piccolo into a breathtaking p a i n t e r ' s p a l e t t e . A n d i f someone thinks that Man is t h e b e s t a r t i s t , t h e n t h e y should look around better: h e r e , f o r e x a m p l e , t h e orangey-red of poppies and the deep violet-blue of corn- flowers mix with the white and yellow of daisies and, of c o u r s e , w i t h t h e d e l i c a t e w h i t e a n d l i l a c o f l e n t i l flowers. First, the plateau g e t s t h e c o l o r s o f a l l i t s spontaneous flora, then, a tad later, it's time for man- sowed fields to bloom, dur- ing the so-called fioritura del colle. If we move from Castel- luccio to Visso, we'll enjoy the fioritura of the Pian Per- duto, which is perhaps the one we can appreciate bet- t e r , t h a n k s t o t h e m a n y c o u n t r y p a t h s r u n n i n g through the fields. If you want to visit the plateau, it's definitely better to do so during the week to a v o i d t h e u s u a l w e e k e n d crowds; you should also con- sider taking public trans- port, instead of using your own car: there are shuttle buses every day of the week and on Saturdays from Nor- cia, with four daily runs. Y o u c a n g e t m o r e i n f o at www.fsbusitalia.it. After a day spent trekking and taking in so much nat- ural beauty, what'd be better than a hearty lentils stew? Well, in and around Castel- luccio, lentils are gold, so you'll find plenty of delicious o p t i o n s t o t r y . Y o u s e e , the lenticchie di Castelluc- cio, are not your traditional lentils: they are smaller and t h e i r o u t e r s k i n i s m u c h thinner, so you don't need to soak them or cook them for h o u r s . T h e i r p l a n t s a r e smaller than those of regular lentils and have a yearly life cycle. Their flowers, which b l o o m b e t w e e n M a y a n d August, are small and white, with gentle hints of blue and lilac. Each little pod contains b e t w e e n o n e a n d t h r e e seeds. Their shape is differ- ent from that of common lentils, too: they are not only smaller, but also rounder. They are grown following old-fashioned traditional agricultural methods, reason for which Castelluccio lentils are not as common as our mainstream varieties; they h a v e b e e n c u l t i v a t e d i n Umbria since antiquity and very little has changed in the way they are grown. Because they grow at high altitudes and, therefore, in a colder climate, these lentils don't g e t w e e v i l i n f e s t a t i o n s , which means they do not need to undergo any chemi- cal treatment. Just like other lentils, lenticchie di Castel- luccio are not only delicious b u t a l s o g o o d f o r y o u , packed as they are with pro- teins, fibers, iron, vitamins, a n d p o t a s s i u m . T h e y a r e protected by an IGP denom- i n a t i o n ( i n d i c a z i o n e g e o g r a f i c a p r o t e t t a ) , a scheme of geographical indi- c a t i o n p r o m o t e d b y t h e European Union that wants the produce and products marked with it to be grown or processed in the indicated area. In other words, your Castelluccio lentils are not Castelluccio lentils, unless they grow there! B e t w e e n f i o r i t u r a a n d good food, a trip to Castel- luccio and beautiful Umbria seems necessary this year. A n d l e t ' s n o t f o r g e t t h e region has plenty to offer a n d a l l a t a s l o w e r p a c e . What a blessing, in times like these, taking things one day at a time and just find- ing joy in the beauty of the simplest things… just like flowers, or good lentils with a glass of red. Cereals and lentils at a market in Castelluccio (Photo: Marco Ramerini/Dreamstime) Castelluccio di Norcia: good food and a thousand color LUCA SIGNORINI A view of Castelluccio before the 2016 earthquake (Photo: Rinofelino/ Dreamstime) LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE TRADITIONS

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