Why friarielli are only found in Campania

When they sell you the friarielli Outside of Campania, you're very likely wasting your money. In reality, this is a vegetable found, in its authentic form, only in Campania, and for very specific reasons.

Friarielli are nothing more than turnip greens, in their Neapolitan variety, characterized by a more bitter and more aromatic flavor than the turnip tops that grow in other Italian regions, and by the fact that they are very tender.

But why is it an exclusively Campanian product? For the simple fact that it is a variety that grows well in the presence of a double combination: volcanic soils (especially in the provinces of Naples and Caserta), rich in sulphur and Potassium, and the temperate climate even in winter (typical of much of Campania), with temperature variations particularly suited to this cultivation.

The combination of these two factors makes Campanian friarielli unique, and the composition of both elements is not replicable in other Italian regions. But can they be purchased elsewhere? Here another problem arises, confirming the uniqueness of Campanian friarielli: to be truly delicious, with the right balance of flavors, they must be picked young, with the flower still unformed (which makes them tender and have a pleasant bitter taste), and consumed within 12-24 hours of harvest, otherwise they quickly lose their quality. They become softer, less fragrant, and bitter, with a vegetal note that is unpleasant to the taste.

This extreme speed of time from harvest to consumption makes Campanian friarielli difficult to export, even in other Italian regions. And so if we think of buying broccoli rabe, we are wasting money, as they are other varieties of turnip tops or broccoliAs tasty as you like, but certainly not comparable to the Campanian friarielli.

Cover image source: Wikipedia

Why are friarielli only found in Campania?

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