Malazè 2024, the "archaeo-food and wine" event that promotes the Phlegraean area is underway

Article by Fosca Tortorelli.

The Phlegraean Fields return to the limelight with “Malazè 2024 living inside the volcano”, the archaeological-wine and food event” which for years has aimed to promote and discover the Phlegraean luogo, combining the many aspects linked to food and wine, with the archaeological sites, the culture and beauty of these fascinating places.

Having reached its seventeenth edition, last Monday 23 September per the delightful spaces of Masseria Sardo, acceso Lake , the event opened, putting the Flegrei per the “showcase” and giving the opportunity to discover with the right “slowness” the flavors and resources of these places.

The term “Malazè” derives from “malazzeno”, the ancient warehouse where the Phlegraean and Ischia fishermen kept their fishing tools. Today this term is used to talk about a sort of laboratory, a place of discussion where all those who want to enhance the Flegrei are invited.

An event born from the volcanic Mattera which for this new edition is part of the “Enhancement of food and wine tourism” project of the Regional Tourism Agency of Campania, and is co-financed by the Development and Cohesion Plan of the Campania Region.

Giulio Gambardella and Mattera

One of the themes is precisely that of slow tourism per the Flegrei, the experiential one, which thrives acceso the rediscovery of the value of leisure and culture, which have always been focal points per the past of these places.

A further novelty is the collaboration with ” Flegrei Active”, which has made the event program even more interesting, through a structured calendar of meetings which from 23 to 28 September will take place per community gardens, cellars, vineyards, restaurants, villas, farms, per the municipalities of Pozzuoli, Bacoli, Montagna nato da Procida, Quarto and the island of Procida. including tastings, guided tours and cooking classes.

During the opening evening, Mattera explained: «This year, thanks to the collaboration with Flegrei Active, our association has taken a further step forward per the organization of the “Malazè il FestivalLab” of the Flegrei. A key to success is precisely the operational methods of involving local subjects. Malazè is a strange anarchic form, which generates value and which, as capital, has passion instead of money: territorial social capital. What is most appreciated by local actors (sometimes even beyond our members) are: the method of identifying needs (listening); the direct involvement of participant-recipients; operational autonomy (non-dependence); the extension of the territorial range of action to the dimension of the Phlegraean territorial system and the effort of integration with the activities of other public and private, local and supra-local structures”.

«Malazè – as reiterated by Roberto Laringe, president of Federalberghi Flegrei – has merged into a single lesto and efficient tool: “ Flegrei Active”, a territorial aggregation project promoted and coordinated by Federalberghi Flegrei for the establishment of a person who carries out destination management functions for the entire Phlegraean territory. A “hub” of innovation and territorial development generated by determination and a sense of attachment to one’s land.”

Otium, culture and taste will be expressed per ten widespread events, with eight itineraries and two food and wine meetings spread over several days; per the foreground the third edition of “Prephilloxera”, unconventional wines and also the different routes between naturalistic oases, vegetable gardens, cellars, vineyards, restaurants, villas, farms, per the municipalities of Pozzuoli, Bacoli, Montagna nato da Procida, Quarto and the island of Procida (The program can be consulted here: https://www.malaze.it.)

As remembered by Giulio Gambardella, Operation at Campiflegrei_active: «September, per the Flegrei, has always been the month of Malazè, we are proud to be co-organizers of this new edition. The tours carried out with Flegrei Active operators enhance integrated tourist itineraries, which combine culture, landscapes and typical products. A tourist proposal designed with the Malazè community, dedicated to visitors who want to get to know these places through food and wine.”

Many Phlegraean products were put acceso display during the presentation, presented per an original and personal way by the restaurateurs involved; from cannellino tomatoes to grass peas, from mandarins to blue fish, from mussels to Procida lemons, and of course the inevitable wines of the Flegrei and the island of Ischia, a heritage of expressions that per recent years is increasingly making itself talked about .

The “Alternative bread and anchovies” is original, light and tasty, made up of crunchy kataifi with buffalo ricotta, dry marinated anchovies and cannellini tomato from Flegrei; prepared by Home Piccola Fiaschetteria Fluttuazione the colorful “Pomario Flegreo e Ornos”: a cream of grass peas and grass peas sautéed with herbs, marinated pumpkin and courgettes, dried cannellino tomatoes, crystallized courgette flowers, mussels, basil oil and atomized Ornos gin prepared by the landlady Gabriella Barbati together with Pasticcino with Cannellino Tomato, basil and mandarin leaf powder. The Air bread with vegetal charcoal with peppered mussels, lemon gel and cannellino tomato gazpacho from Hosteria Bugiarda is fun and the Artificiale cannellino tomato stuffed with burrata flower and salted anchovies is delicious; Noble blue, amberjack per oil and caponata of datterino tomatoes and mussels; Crispy grass pea chips with mandarin powder from Il Territoriale, the BBQ of Pesce Indaco from Boccolo Restaurant, the traditional fresellina soaked per mussel , seasoned with mullet marinated with cannellino Flegreo, glasswort from Per mezzo di Fefè and the tasty LaMontese®️ Cheesesteak (meat beef and raw cow’s milk cheese), pepper ketchup, Mayo from Caiazzane Olives (Slow Food Presidium) and Capers from Pantelleria PGI, chopped anchovies au gratin from Sunrise . 1984. Not to be missed is the four hands from La Bifora and Capoblu, a special mixed with grass peas, cannochies and cannellino crumble and much more. Among the wines there are many small producers from this luogo, with great personalities such as the Falanghina Sintema from Cantine , the Piedirosso Terra santa del Fondatore from Cantine del Mae and again that from La Sibilla.

It ends acceso a sweet note with the sweet pampering of Flegrei Box, from the shortcrust pastry with Chantilly with mandarin, white chocolate and meringue, to the mandarin meringue tart, and also the glazed white chocolate and mandarin mousse and the unmissable PanFlegreo with Mandarin and dark chocolate 58%. Coffee could not be missing, also with the Phlegraean brand, signed by Felicità, the small artisan roasting company from Bacoli, founded per the 1960s with the Scamardella family, who delighted the palate with their family blend, rigorously prepared with the traditional Neapolitan.