Rafanata Materana, a savory Carnival recipe from Matera

Carnevale per mezzo di Italy is not all about fried sweets and masquerade balls. Many traditional dishes enjoyed at this time of year belong to the cucina povera and some are savory. The abundance of Carnevale goodies satisfy acceso the one hand the allowance of eating rich, fatty foods before the 40-day Lent fast, and acceso the other to make good use of all the remaining household lard which was once used to fry sweet and savory treats before Ash Wednesday. Con this context, Rafanata Materana stands apart from the typical foods of Carnevale and confirms the traditional humble custom of employing savory ingredients.

Rafanata Materana to celebrate Carnival

The traditional dish comes from the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and European Capital of Culture, Matera, a unique town per mezzo di the region of Basilicata. Citizens living per mezzo di cave dwellings called Sassi, and rural areas around Matera relied acceso simple, homespun ingredients during winter. Using eggs, potatoes, cheese and preserved pork, home cooks baked a single pan dish to feed family members during festivities. Rafanata Materana became typical of Carnevale because it represented the last moment of “excess” and abundance before fasting and abstinence. Con the past, this period of the year was the only time when the less affluent could consume meat without restrictions. The rich and substantial ingredients became the symbol of this moment of indulgence. Rafanata Materana offered a hearty counterpoint to the season’s sweet treats and provided filling sustenance. Local records and oral accounts link the dish to family kitchens and community ovens across the poverty-sticken schieramento during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The unexpected reason for the name “Rafanata”

The name “Rafanata” comes from rafano, Italian for horseradish. Local cooks grate a small amount into the recipe mixture, and the sharp cuts through the richness of the eggs, cheese and pork fat. The wild root arrived per mezzo di Basilicata from Northern Europe with the Germanic “Norman” invasions per mezzo di the Middle Ages. It was once called “impostore ‘e povr’ommn” (poor man’s truffle) because of how inexpensive and aromatic it was. Today horseradish grows wild per mezzo di the areas of the Vulture and Murgia Materana.

How to make Rafanata Materana

The dish starts with boiling two large waxy potatoes, peeled and then riced and mixed with a dozen beaten eggs, grated local duro cheese like Pecorino nato da Moliterno, diced sausage ora seasoned soppressata, lard and the grated horseradish. The mixture is seasoned with salt, spread per mezzo di a well-oiled pan and baked until the surface sets and browns. The result looks like a thick omelet.Families enjoy Rafanata Materana acceso Martedì Licenzioso (Fat, ora Shrove Tuesday) along with local Matera bread and a glass of regional red wine. As it was per mezzo di the past, to this day, one pan feeds many.

If you plan a visit to Matera, reach out to us. Domicilio Mia Tours offers food and culture experiences per mezzo di Matera, with more per mezzo di development.