The
Peperoncino Museum
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Calabria
is not only the southernmost tip of the Italian boot, it is also
one of the hotbeds of European chilehead culture. So it's no
wonder that -- besides plenty of "hot" dishes and
products -- a peperoncino museum opened doors here in the summer
of 2002. It claims to be the only one of its kind in the world,
but it is most likely the highest-located one. |
Although
there is absolutely no reason for this new museum to hide, it is not too
easy to find. About 5 miles northeast of Diamante, home of the annnual Festival de
Peperoncino, the picturesque village Maierá is situated on top of a
mountain.
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The
lanes between the houses are even narrower than in Diamante,
interconnected by a maze of countless stairs -- you are well
advised to park your car outside the village limits and take a
walk.
It
is hard to believe that this remote place is home to a couple of
hundred people, but strolling the streets we dicovered a post
office, a pharmacy, a bar, two restaurants and - at the very top
of the village - a church.
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If you
made it that far to the top, signs point out the way to the
recently remodeled Duke's Palace (Palazzo Ducale),
now a truly prestigious home for an art gallery and for the
Peperoncino Museum. |
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But
until you reach the halls of flame, some more stairs need to be
climbed. Then you can't miss the museum, as the stairs to the
entrance are lined by chile pepper plants from all over the world in
terracotta pots.
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The
entrance fee is just 1 Euro (about 1 US Dollar), and although the
Peperoncino Museum had opened just about two months before we came
visiting, it already had a lot to show.
The
walls are covered with historical prints, enlarged book
illustrations and diagrams, documenting the history of the
capsicum species back to the precolumbian age. And of course the
distribution of the hot pods around the globe after Columbus'
discovery.
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Pods
of about 150 chile varieties from around the globe are presented
in china bowls, each one tagged with its name and country of
origin.
On
the picture to the left, the background shows a hot sauce
collection with quite a few well-known products like Dave's Insanity
und Crazy Jerry's Brain Damage (the only sauce with a
plastic brain on top of the bottle).
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Also
shown - at least at our time of visit in September - were various
well-maintained chile pepper plants from around the world,
including Algeria (left) and Cyprus (right). |
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Another
highlight of the museum is its comprehensive collection of
chilephernalia.
The
exhibit includes silverware with chile handles and other kitchen
accessories, a stylish wall clock with pepper hands, a chile
doormat, pottery, ceramics and many cute little things we haven't
even discovered in New Mexico.
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A
lot of room is dedicated to chile pepper usage in art and
advertising, including a weird collection of sexual positions
pictured as copulating capsicums (a small selection is shown to
the right). |
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Chile-themed
ads include the full-page Italian newspaper ad for a supermarket
chain - the seahorse peppers are a real attention-grabber. When
the movie Woman on Top became available for rent in
Italy, the poster advertising the video tape showed actress
Penelope Cruz taking a bath in chiles. Now that's a hot tub! |
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Of
course our little report can only show a small selection of what's
on display at the Peperoncino Museum. But if you happen to travel to
Calabria, this peppered place is well worth the trip.
During
the summer, the museum opens late afternoon and stays open until
midnight. It was already dark when we left, and Maierá was
beautifully illuminated by old-fashioned street lights, inviting to
further explore this lovely village.
Opening
hours:
June
1 to September 30: 5:00 pm - midnight
Otherwise
Saturday/Sunday 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
and 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Groups
also by appointment.
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Finally,
a Restaurant Recommendation:
Walking
up and down Maierá's many stairs will most likely make you hungry. When
leaving, it comes in handy that just outside the village a cozy little
restaurant named Da Leda is on your way. For just 4 Euro (about
4 US$), you get a wonderful crusty pizza, homemade from scratch. When
asking for peperoncini on the side to kick up the heat, we didn't just
get hot chiles in oil, but local fresh pods as well! And those were
really hot! As at any Calabrian restaurant we went to, the service was
very friendly and helpful. In off-season it is recommended to call ahead
before braving the winding road up the mountain.
Da
Leda Ristorante - Pizzeria - Bar, Via Ortaglie 13, Maierá, Tel.
0985-889-227
In
our final part of this 8-part series, we will introduce recipes for a complete
Calabrian meal, including appetizers (antipasti), main dishes and sides
(primi/secondi piatti) as well as dessert (dolci.) |
