APULICA / FRUIT, VEGETABLES AND PULSES
Sarconi bean
PGI · Fruit, vegetables and pulses · Basilicata
In brief
- Fresh or dried beans of the Cannellino and Borlotto varieties and twenty local types, from Tabacchino to San Michele rosso. (Qualigeo (Fondazione Qualivita) — Fagiolo di Sarconi IGP)
- They are grown in several towns in the province of Potenza, on land above 600 metres. (Qualigeo (Fondazione Qualivita) — Fagiolo di Sarconi IGP)
- Sowing runs from late May to mid-July, and picking, by hand, takes place in summer. (Qualigeo (Fondazione Qualivita) — Fagiolo di Sarconi IGP)
History and origin
In Sarconi, in the upper Val d'Agri, the bean was for a long time the main crop and a source of livelihood for farming families. The quality of the irrigation water gave the harvest a reputation that, for many years, stayed within the municipality.
The turning point came when growers, after some initial reluctance, moved from traditional flood irrigation to more modern and efficient sprinkler systems. From then on a larger and better-defined production became possible.
The Protected Geographical Indication was recognised by the European Union in 1996. It covers the Cannellino and Borlotto varieties and twenty local ecotypes derived from them, and is looked after by a consortium based in Sarconi.
Sources: Qualigeo (Fondazione Qualivita) — Fagiolo di Sarconi IGP · eAmbrosia — Fagiolo di Sarconi (PGI-IT-1531)
Area and method of production
The production area covers some municipalities in the province of Potenza, on land that must lie above 600 metres. The soils are alluvial, sandy, rich in nitrogen and free of lime, watered with light, low-alkaline water: a combination the specification names as the basis of the flavour.
Sowing, by hand or with a seed drill and using selected seed, runs from the last ten days of May to mid-July. Harvesting is by hand in summer, at different stages depending on use: «green» pods are picked stringless with the seeds still forming; «waxy» ones when colours and streaks are clearly marked; «dry» ones once plant and pod have dried out.
The ecotypes carry names that speak of the land: Tabacchino, Tuvagliedda, Munachedda, Nasieddo, Maruchedda, San Michele and many more.
Sources: Qualigeo (Fondazione Qualivita) — Fagiolo di Sarconi IGP
How to recognise it
The Sarconi bean is not one bean but a small collection. The shape ranges from oval to round to long and cylindrical, and the colours vary widely: the white of the classic Cannellino, the light brown of the Tabacchino, the beige with dark red streaks of the traditional Borlotto, the ruby red of the San Michele Rosso.
What they share is tender flesh, a delicate flavour and quick cooking, which also makes them very digestible. They are sold fresh, as pods to shell in wooden crates, or dried in fabric, paper or plastic packs, always labelled Fagiolo di Sarconi IGP with the ecotype.
Fresh pods keep in the fridge for four or five days.
Sources: Qualigeo (Fondazione Qualivita) — Fagiolo di Sarconi IGP
In the kitchen
For a long time the bean was Sarconi's «poor» food, standing in for meat; today it is part of a balanced diet and appears in many dishes. It is valued because it cooks «a prima acqua», that is quickly, giving a soft, smooth texture and a pleasant taste.
It goes into pasta and beans and risottos, soups and broths, or is served as a side dish, both in Lucanian traditional recipes and in the great classics of Italian cooking. The range of ecotypes lets cooks choose the right bean for each dish: from the white Cannellino to the streaked Borlotto and the red San Michele, each bean brings its own colour and texture to the table.
Sources: Qualigeo (Fondazione Qualivita) — Fagiolo di Sarconi IGP
Where to taste it
The emblematic place is Sarconi, a small municipality in the province of Potenza in the Val d'Agri, a valley of history, culture and nature in the heart of Basilicata. In summer, when fresh pods are harvested, the bean is at its best in the villages of the production area.
Every year Sarconi holds the Sagra del fagiolo, a summer event that draws thousands of visitors. Qualivita describes it as an example of how a small community has turned a simple product into a strong draw for its area: a chance to taste the different ecotypes and discover the valley.
Anyone travelling through the Val d'Agri can combine a visit to Sarconi with the nearby villages, following the irrigated fields that made this bean famous.
Sources: Qualigeo (Fondazione Qualivita) — Fagiolo di Sarconi IGP · Qualivita — Sagra del Fagiolo di Sarconi
Protection
- Protected geographical indication (PGI) — PGI-IT-1531 (eAmbrosia — Fagiolo di Sarconi (PGI-IT-1531))
When
- The sources consulted give no months.
Where
Read more
Fagiolo di Sarconi PGI
A PGI since 1996 in eleven towns of the upper Agri Valley: cannellini and borlotti in twenty ecotypes, hand-picked and quick to cook, Grumentum and the August festival.
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