If there is a dish that best showcases the essence of Cilento it’s the Ciauredda. It’s practically impossible to find it made in the same way from one house to another, because everyone has their own way of preparing it (and indeed to call it). It’s basically a dish always based on seasonal flavorsome vegetables, usually from their own garden.
The origin according to Renato De Falco
Renato De Falco was the person to have reconstructed in an exemplary way the origin and history of ciauredda as well as many other culinary traditions of Campania. A great Neapolitan writer and philologist, he is the author of numerous texts, including Cu' Na Bona Salute. 10 intriguing designations of Neapolitan dishes, in which he speaks about this dish. La cianfotta, he writes, is a delicious rustic dish, rooted in the south, based on peppers, eggplants, potatoes and tomatoes (and even impromptu also carrots and zucchini), flavored with garlic, onion, oregano, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. There is cianfotta of Faicchio and Morcone; one in Procida, where it’s called bobba and then the Cilento one. However, it shouldn’t be forgotten, he says, that the home of cyanfotta is southern France, in particular Provence where it is called ratatouille, or potage aux légumes. Today it’s also called ciambotta, confirming that its exact origin is champ potage (garden soup), as endorsed by Modern Etymological Neapolitan Vocabulary compiled in 2009 by Dale Erwin and Pierino Bello. Moreover, adds De Falco, it is regrettable that none of the last thirty-five compilers of Neapolitan dictionaries has reported this word. Only eleven southern gastronomic manuals out of about 200 compiled by qualified people from 1976 to 2003, speak about cianfotta, ciambotta or ciauredda.
So what is ciauredda?
Ciauredda is a dish based on vegetables, in particular those available in the garden. Let's not forget that Cilento still reigns a subsistence economy where much of what is eaten comes from their land or the animals that are raised during the year there. This is precisely what makes it the undisputed home of the Mediterranean diet. When the garden is plentiful with all its seasonal fruits, such as tomatoes, peppers or eggplants, ciauredda is prepared. It can be made in many different ways, so much so that it’s difficult to eat the exact same dish in two houses, even in the same village. Even the name changes in just a few kilometers: at the gates of Cilento between Eboli and Battaglia for example, it’s called ciauliello, while from Agropoli to Casalvelino and Ascea it’s referred to as ciambotta. Further east, in towns like Sapri or Vibonati we find ourselves in front of the ciaurella, then moving inland, in Torre Orsaia, it’s termed ciamardola. Even further north inland, between Campora, Felitto, Roscigno and Bellosguardo, the ciambotta returns, while in Caselle in Pittari, where our recipe comes from, it’s called ciauredda. What never changes however is the way it’s traditionally eaten: perfectly placed between two slices of bread in the countryside.
The recipe for Filomena Marcieddu by Caselle in Pittari
As you will have understood by now there are countless versions of this dish as well as depending on the vegetables available. There are basically almost always eggplants, peppers and tomatoes, but then there are those who add potatoes, green beans, zucchini, friggitelli, and garlic or onion. The one that Mrs. Filomena Marcieddu from Caselle in Pittari prepares remains one of the best ever tried, that's why we asked her for her precious recipe.
Ingredients
2 eggplants
5 peppers
1 lb tomatoes
qb basil and salt
qb extra virgin olive oil
Method
Cut eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes into the desired shape, whether cubes, rings or strips.
Heat some oil in a pan (in Cilento the amount is abundant, but you can opt for a lighter version) and start cooking the vegetables, better if separately. Alternatively, better if cooked in this order: first the eggplants, then the peppers and finally the tomatoes. Then add them together and fry everything in a pan for a few minutes.
Add a few basil leaves for that additional touch, stir and serve warm or even cold.
Alternatively put the ciauredda between two slices of bread and enjoy! The longer you wait, the better it will taste because it will have absorbed all the flavor of the vegetables. In Cilento just ask any local Cilento farmer if they know how to make the bread: comi sapi u pani ‘onda ciauredda!