Distinguished by their spiral, tall horns and long hair, this rare breed of goat, called capra girgentana, is valuable for its milk that possesses an equal amount of fat to protein. The name girgentana recalls the old Sicilian name of the city of Agrigento, Girgenti. During the mid-twentieth century, throughout southwestern Sicily, girgentana goats numbered…
Tag: slow food
Here’s Looking At You, Kid!
Here’s looking at you, kid! Agrigento is host to a rare breed of goat called capra girgentana. Distinguished by their spiral, tall horns and long hair, this domesticated animal is valuable for its milk that possesses an equal amount of fat to protein. The name girgentana recalls the old Sicilian name of the city of…
Sicily’s Rare Goat, the Capra Girgentana
Distinguished by their spiral, tall horns and long hair, this rare breed of goat, called capra girgentana, is valuable for its milk that possesses an equal amount of fat to protein. The name girgentana recalls the old Sicilian name of the city of Agrigento, Girgenti. During the mid-twentieth century, throughout southwestern Sicily, girgentana goats numbered…
Tumminia, Sicily’s Ancient Grain
Tumminia (pictured at Molini del Ponte in Castelvetrano), also called Timilia, is an ancient grain variety cultivated in only a few locations in the Belice Valley in western Sicily. Once milled, it plays the role of principal ingredient in Castelvetrano’s Slow Food designated pane nero (black bread). Filippo Drago, owner of Molini del Ponte in Castelvetrano, makes…
He’s So Horny
Agrigento is host to a rare breed of goat called capra girgentana. Distinguished by their spiral, tall horns and long hair, this domesticated animal is valuable for its milk that possesses an equal amount of fat to protein. The name girgentana recalls the old Sicilian name of the city of Agrigento, Girgenti. During the mid-twentieth…
A Slow Taste of Sicily
Busiate pasta is particular to western Sicily, specifically Trapani province. It’s special because it’s made to look like ringlets and when it is made by hand, it is created by wrapping the dough around knitting needles. It’s traditionally served with Trapanese style pesto; that is, a pesto made with garlic, some basil, some tomatoes, olive…
Olive Oil Tasting: Enchanting Sicily, Day 3
The best olives are ready to be picked in October each year. The best purveyors of olive oil harvest the fruit by hand and cold press it within two hours. Sicily’s soil and pervasive sunlight make for some of the world’s most delectable olive oil. On Day 3 of this September’s Enchanting Sicily tour, we’ll…
Castelvetrano’s Black Bread
With a dark, hard crust and dark, gold dough, Castelvetrano’s traditional “Black Bread” is something special. So much so, that it’s registered by Slow Food as a protected recipe. What makes it “black” is the special mixture of Sicilian durum wheat flour and tumminìa or timilia flour. Tumminìa flour is milled from a rare, ancient…
The Color of Birds, Cars, and…
This canary yellow melon is called a Melone Cartucciaru. Other than in Sicily and parts of Italy, it is not common. In fact, one variety from Paceco in Trapani province is recognized by Slow Food as being very special because of its pure breed and traditional and careful method of cultivation and preservation. Americans might…