The Mediterranean Diet is not a specific dietary program but a compendium of the eating habits traditionally followed by those that live in this part of the world. So, let`s see what it consists of and how it`s beneficial effects on its users.
There are 16 nations along the shores of the Mediterranean sea and the eating habits vary depending on culture, ethnic traditions and religion. There are, however, some characteristics that are similar to all: High consumption of fruits, vegetables, potatoes, beans, nuts, bread and cereals, use of olive oil to cook and as a condiment, moderate quantities of fish, little meat, small/moderate quantities of rich cheese and whole yogurt, moderate wine consumption, usually with meals, use of local, seasonal and fresh products, active lifestyle
Protection from Chronic Illness A recent study followed the dietary habits of 22 thousand persons in Greece to classify the rigor with which they followed the precepts of the Mediterranean Diet. The 4 year study determined that, the more a person followed the diet, the lower the incidence of heart disease or cancer, especially the former.
The ingredientsSince prior studies indicated longer life for the Mediterranean populations, compared to other Europeans, scientists have sought to identify which components of the diet are more beneficial; they include:
Olive Oil is especially important as an alternative to butter, margarine and other fats. It is a valuable source of mono unsaturated fats that protect against heart disease, as well as source of antioxidants such as Vitamin E. It is used to prepare vegetables, tomato sauce, salads and to fried fish.
Fruits and Vegetables A high consumption of fruits and vegetables leads to protective action to prevent cancer and heart disease, probably because of the antioxidants present in these food items. This is especially true of tomatoes, an important source of antioxidants particularly when heated to make a tomato sauce as it results in increased availability of licopene, one of the major antioxidants present in this vegetable.
Fish It has also been ascertained that fish such as sardines with its fat content is healthy with its omega 3 polyunsaturated fats. Fish consumption is also important for its anti inflammatory properties in preventing heart disease and regulating blood circulation.
Wine in moderation In all Mediterranean countries wine is consumed in moderation, usually with meals. For men this implies two glasses a day and one for women. Red wine contains a number of vegetable components with beneficial properties known as fito nutrients. Also, powerful antioxidants such as the polyphenols protect against oxidation of LDL – low density lipoprotein.
Cilentano Typical Products
Olive Oil The Phoenicians planted the first olive trees around the XVI century b.c., first on the island of Cyprus then in Asia Minor. Its greatest success was achieved in Greece where the myth was that the goddess Athena, in competition with the other gods, was declared the winner of a contest by Zeus by creating the olive tree. Historians have determined that the first olive tree “Plato`s Olive Tree” was planted near Athens some 2500 years ago. The species was prevalent in Italy since the days of the Roman Republic, especially in the southern part of the country. Today, it is cultivated everywhere in the country with 23 DOP and 1 IGP denomination. In Cilento, it is cultivated on the hills and by the sea, blending harmoniously with other species in the territory. As one of the pillars of the Mediterranean Diet, extra-virgin olive oil is present in virtually all of the dishes of this area. Among its benefits is the lack of physical and chemical manipulations as it is simply extracted by pressing the olives. It is the only oil produced by a fruit as opposed to a seed.
Olive oil should be the only fat in cooking as it is the only one that is not subject to degrading when exposed to heat. Culturally speaking, olive oil represent the Southern crudeness as opposed to butter cooked foods prevalent in Northern foods.
Extra-virgin olive oil and its therapeutic aspects
What Homer called “liquid gold” has over time had a therapeutic function confirmed only in 12 th century by the Salerno Medical School. Olive oil is the only one to reduce the impact of heat while at the same time acting as a blood “cleanser”. It is both a nutrient and a medicine. Dishes containing olive oil are more digestable, with an excellent gastric and intestinal tolerance as well as having a protecting effect on arteries, stomach and liver.
Legumes During the Middle Ages, all of Europe risked high mortality rates due to a series of epidemics. Unable to procure high protein foods such as meat, the poorer classes were especially malnourished.
Legumes were introduced only from the 10th Century, thereby making a gradual contribution to the welfare of the population, increasing resistance to disease and thereby aiding in the repopulation of the continent. Later, with the discovery of the Americas and the importation of agricultural products, beans emerged as a basic staple without which the population could not have doubled in size in just a few centuries. Legumes are the richest in protein, and protein quality, among vegetables. They may be consumed fresh or dry, with the former having a higher water content (60-90% versus 10-13%) hence, given the same weight, a lower caloric, protein and glycin content. In Italy, beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas and fava beans are the most common staples. Some are canned and are therefore available off season and in areas where they are not cultivated. Both fresh and dry, they are a key component of Italian cuisine in general and the “cucina povera” in particular. Italian farmers have lived on legumes, especially as soups, till the mid fifties. Studies confirm a high energy content, a high vitamin B content, as well as iron and calcium. The protein value is 6- 7% in fresh and 20-25% in dry legumes. Especially in dry form, legume seeds contain a respectable quantity of phosphorus, calcium and iron. They should be cooked at length as they contain anti digestive elements in its crude form. The heat from cooking eliminates these negative characteristics. Dry legumes should be left over night in water before cooking. Lentils do not require this treatment.
Beans Have been know since antiquity. Originally from the Americas, they have been found in pre-Inca Perù and were also a favorite with the Romans (as reported in Apicio`s Recipes «de re coquinaria»). Know as the “poor man`s meat”, there are over 300 varieties of beans; of these, 60 are edible. There are red, black, multicolor, small, large, round and flat ones. They range from the Mexican bean (small, black and round) to the Spanish one (large, white and flat). Given the large qualities available, beans are cooked in a variety of ways (soups, minestrone, salads and condiments). They are digested slowly and are therefore rather filling.
Lentils were among the first foods to be cultivated and consumed by man; traces have been found in Turkey in ruins dating back to 5500 b.c. as well as in Egyptian tombs from 2500 b.c. There are large seeds (6-9 mm), yellow or green, cultivated mostly in the Americas, and a smaller variety (2-6 mm), orange, red or brown in the Mediterranean, the Middle East and India. They are cooked as soup and as a side dish to meat and other dishes. It is a well wisher during the New Year`s celebrations all over the world.
Peas Along with lentils, peas are the legumes of which we have the most information from antiquity. Probably originating in Asia, they may date back to the stone age. Modern techniques allow for availability year round, canned or frozen, fresh or dry.
Cickpeas Originally from the Orient, the name derives from the Latin word “aries” which refers to the shape of the seed. A major staple in the Middle East and in India, they are cooked with pasta, as soup and as a side dish.
Fava Beans This ancient plant, originating from Persia and Northern Africa, it may have been know in the bronze and iron ages. They may have been the first legume to be consumed by man as they do not require cooking before eating. In some parts of Southern Italy, they are eaten as a fruit or in dry form with pasta or greens. Heavy consumption of fresh fava beans may cause anemia in genetically predisposed populations in the Mediterranean basin and especially on the island of Sardinia.
Truffles The black truffle has found a perfect habitat in the beech woods in harmony with oak trees, birch, hazel trees and black pine. It can be found in different areas of central and southern Italy, including the Picentini mountains that cut across Avellino and Salerno provinces. It has had its place for nearly two thousand years in the more culturally sophisticated gastronomy, appreciated for its unique aroma. It has been found in sizes approaching that of a grapefruit and acts as an environmental guard as it refuses to grow in polluted terrain. It is composed of water, fibers and minerals and its function is uniquely “aromatic” in this type of cuisine; the small quantities utilized lead to limited nutritional value. Nevertheless, it has its place in a variety of preparations associated with appetizers, first and second dishes especially if accompanied by a good olive oil.
Artichokes The Paestum plain is famous for its abundant and high quality production of fruits and vegetables. Aside from tomatoes, lettuce, fennel and zucchini, artichokes are very important. Originally a plant of the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, artichokes have become economically important in the Cilento region from the 1920s following major land reclamation.The Paestum artichoke has important health and therapeutic values, including: calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium. As a tonic, it stimulates the liver, reduces coughing, purifies the blood and strengthens the heart.
The S. Marzano Tomato The tomato is originally from the Americas and was introduced in the Campania region during the 16thth century. Initially it was used as medicine and was made part of the culinary repertoire only towards the end of the 18 th century. Also known as “red gold”, the S. Marzano tomato is world renowned as the key ingredient in pizza, pasta and mozzarella dishes. A key characteristic of the S. Marzano tomato is it`s vertical cultivation on wood platforms. There is no contact with the ground and the tomatoes are hand-picked.
Pasta The Romans where among the first to mention lagane (from which lasagne derive) as shown in Apicio`s, "De re coquinaria libri", the oldest Roman recipe book. Previously, Horatio and Cicero consumed this light pasta made with flour and water. However there is no further historical data on pasta from 200 a.d. It is believed that maccheroni originated in Sicily. The term is from the Greek “macar” which means happy or food of the blessed ones. Pasta was season with sugar and honey besides cheese and butter. The first recipe with tomatoes dates to the year 1839. And the first apparition of the word spaghetti appears in a Neapolitan cook book from 1824.
The White Fig of Cilento The Cilentano origins of the white fig precede the 6 th Century b.c. But its roots are from Souther Arabia. 90 percent of fig production in Campania is from Cilento. This fruit started as the “poor man`s bread” but today it is also considered a delicacy.
The white fig is excellent dry and as a syrup with the production techniques nearly identical to those practiced in ancient Greece. Dry figs are also stuffed with chocolate, fennel seeds, almonds, chestnuts and other ingredients available in Cilento. Given its high sugar and caloric content, white figs should be consumed in limited quantities, especially following a large meal.
Bread The history of bread begins with that of man with barley and millet the preferred ingredients as they were ideal from a nutritional standpoint; they were eventually replaced by cereal.
The invention of bread can be attributed to the Egyptians nearly 3000 years ago. They also developed the first ovens and, it is believed that the workers of the pyramids were paid in bread. Thereafter the Greeks developed at least 72 varieties of bread whereas the Romans improved on certain technical features such as windwills. There were at least 400 ovens in Imperial Rome with the first public oven dating back to 168 b.c. Only with the start of the 20 th Century bread production reaches an industrial scale.
Wine First a clarification: there is no such thing as biological wine, only biological grapes. By its very nature, wine is the opposite of an industrial product that never varies; the former will vary from are to area and be subject to climactic conditions. It also evolves, it matures and then declines over time.
Mozzarella The domestic water buffalo originates from India and was also found in Persia, brought over by migrant workers or armies. Later, Islamic soldiers brought it to Syria and Egypt. It arrived in Italy in the year 596 during the reign of the Longobard king Aginulfo.
It thrives in warm, swampy areas rich in water such as the Nile Delta. In Europe it has found fertile ground in Puglia, Campania and the low lands along the Danube river. In the Cilento region, mozzarella was offered and received with great pleasure by the nobility passing through while on the Grand Tour to Pompeii and Paestum. They were actually served the “provatura” of the buffalo cheese which was actually a test to verify the salt content. The word mozzarella comes from “mozzata” or cutting. The denomination “Mozzarella di Bufala” was nationally recognized in 1993 with a D.O.C. label and a D.O.P. label at the Europe level in 1996.
Mozzarella is produced exclusively with buffalo milk, mostly in Campania and Southern Lazio. It is produced in four distinct phases: acidification of the milk; maturation; preparation and conservation.
