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Hortifruit |
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In the sharecropping, an independent business culture, the job of greengrocer was carried out from women. The regional hortifruit growing was born from their activity. The feminine touch was transparent from thousand particulars: the precision in thatching the tomatoes, interpose the rows with flowers....
Traditions that, thanks to the microclimate, develop in
particular, in two agricultural natural gardens : the valleys of the Aso and the Tronto, where nearly
all the varieties grow . The most famous products are the broccoli , the
cauliflowers of Fano (late) and Jesi (early). The cauliflower has had its natural cradle in the
Marches, from
which it left for many European countries. Today it is the most interesting product and it is
taking off again. Late artichoke of Jesi (or
violet) and the Ascoli one.
It seems that Caterina of Medici was a connoisseur of it. It is cultivated for the production of
capitula and the extraction
of
druggist
principles. The early of Jesi, collected at the first days of March,
differs for the absence of phitomedicines, the fragrance, the tenderness and the greater number of eatable
leaves.
Also the Loreto fennels are valuable, cos lettuce and the thistles of the
Macerata zone.
The (broad) beans (in particular that of Ostra) and the
cickling vetch always represent a food
either for animal or for man. After years of absence they are appearing again in the best
restaurants menůs.
And also the red potato of the maceratese highland of
Colfiorito, undamaged from parasites, and
the white beans of the Tronto.
The maceratesi hills, in competition with Sassoferrato, are the territory of the best
apricot , while the Angelic
pear
comes from Serrugarina .
In the Ascoli zone the peaches of the Val
D'Aso are well known, zone where the
peach tree, of Chinese origin, finds ideal land and miteness in temperatures
and rainfall. But also the small but very tasty rose apples of Amandola,
unfindable (as defined from Orazio), and the pears at cucuccetta of S.Emidio .
Both they risk the extinction.
The peasant trees of the all hilly marchigiana zone give life to a great amount of
visciole and sour blackcherries
of Cantiano, sloes and quince apples . Fruits used above all for very
delicious typical marmelades and sweets.
The same fate for the fruit of blackberry bush: the mulberries as an
example, or the strawberry-tree,
that today is a protected variety. The official plants, already described in the '500
by the
marches naturalists, have an interesting role
like a niche market.
The Marches are between the first three Italian manufacturers regions, to which the druggist
industries, the perfume and alimentary ones draw plentifully. They are spontaneous
plants in origin; the main ones cultivated in the mountaineous
and hilly territory , are the coriander, the passion-flower and levantine or
the green anise, hyssop, lavender, mint, sage...
For more information
Regione Marche
