The Limoncella apple of Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi is an ancient fruit, small, fragrant, and with an unmistakable flavor.
It expresses its best characteristics precisely in the area of this village in the Lattari Mountains, thanks to a unique habitat suspended between the mountains and the sea of the Sorrento Coast. Its yellow-green skin, dotted with brown and irregularly shaped, speaks of its ancient origins and its close connection to the identity of Sant’Agata, where it is an integral part of the community's historical memory.
Traditionally harvested in late September, the Limoncella captivates with its delicate lemony scent. In ancient times, it was stored for long periods in natural caves or attics and, until the last century, represented an important economic resource for the villagers. Over time, its cultivation has declined, but today a new light has been shone on it, saving it from oblivion.
Mimmo De Gregorio, owner of the "Lo Stuzzichino" restaurant in the heart of Sant'Agata, has been personally committed to preserving this fruit. In one of the districts branching out from the center, he took over an ancient apple orchard belonging to the Ciardella family, located 400 meters above sea level. The owners' advanced age no longer allowed them to cultivate it, so Mimmo chose to keep it alive and productive, adhering to traditional principles and techniques passed down from generation to generation.
This small apple is captivating for its balance of acidity and sweetness and its distinctive citrus aroma. The women of Sant'Agata have always used it in tarts, baked with honey, or in jams. Some still sun-dry it to create passatielli, a way to preserve the fruit year-round, including at Christmas.
The partnership with Catello di Maio: a new artisanal panettone that exudes respect
Mimmo De Gregorio wanted the Limoncella apple to return to the spotlight at Christmas, in candied form, to flavor an artisanal panettone. For this creation, he relied on Catello Di Maio, owner of Cesto Bakery in Torre del Greco. Slow candying and a long leavening process with sourdough combine to create a cake that, when cut, releases the scent of the small apple: a treasure trove of memories, identity, and sustainability. A simple gesture, yet charged with meaning: bringing an ancient fruit back to life to safeguard the future of a community and its land.
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