Peperone crusco: Basilicata's «red gold» explained
In Basilicata they call it «red gold». Peperone crusco, the crusco pepper, is one of those flavours you instantly recognise as Lucanian: sweet, toasted, crunchy. Here we explain what it is, how it is made and how we use it in our bakery in Irsina.
What is peperone crusco
In dialect, «crusco» means crunchy. Peperone crusco is a sweet red pepper with thin flesh that is dried and then dipped for a few seconds in hot oil: it becomes so crisp that it snaps between your fingers, like a wafer.
The best known is the peperone di Senise, which has held Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status since 1996 and is grown in Senise and a few neighbouring municipalities, across the provinces of Potenza and Matera. Despite its bright colour, it is not hot: its flavour is sweet.
From the «serte» to the table
After the harvest, at the end of summer, the peppers are threaded one after another onto long strings, the serte, which are hung in sunny, airy spots until they are completely dry. It is a typical sight in Lucanian villages: balconies and façades turned red.
Once dried, the peppers can be quickly fried to make them crusco, or ground into a red powder that adds colour and flavour to many traditional dishes.
How to use it in the kitchen
Whole crusco peppers are eaten just as they are, as a snack, or crumbled over pasta, eggs, salt cod or potatoes. Ground, they add flavour to doughs, cured meats and sauces. It is one of those ingredients that transforms a dish with very little.
Crusco pepper in our cangelle
In our bakery, ground crusco pepper goes into the dough of our cangelle, our savoury taralli made with olive oil and white wine. We use it in two flavours:
- crusco pepper cangelle, with hot chilli, rosemary and fennel seeds;
- crusco pepper and onion cangelle, with hot chilli, onion and aromatic herbs.
Crusco pepper is sweet, but our cangelle also contain chilli: the result is a bold flavour with a spicy kick. If you prefer something milder, try the traditional cangelle with fennel seeds.
How to enjoy them
Crusco cangelle are perfect for aperitivo, alongside cured meats or a mature cheese, with a glass of young red wine or a cold beer. You will find more ideas in the article Cangelle on the table: aperitivo ideas.
Each pack contains 20 pieces. Full ingredients and allergens are on each product page; you will find all the flavours in the Savoury treats collection.