Crossing the province of Salerno from North to South and from inland to the coast, everyone can have the exact dimension of how the Salerno area represents an inspired combination of natural, cultural, artistic, environmental, archaeological and gastronomic resources.
Indeed, the gastronomic traditions and the typical food products of the province of Salerno contribute in a decisive way to spread in Italy and in the whole world the famous "Mediterranean diet", consecrated by authoritative scientific studies as a diet type that combines the diversity of taste and the richness of organoleptic properties, ensuring an effective protection to the major diseases of the cardio-circulatory apparatus, thanks to a reduced intake of animal fats.
Near Salerno, in fertile plain of the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese, the San Marzano DOP tomatoes have their origins; these latter, together with the durum wheat pasta, are the main ingredient for the preparation of many of the most characteristic and worldwide known dishes of Campania's cookery.
Travelling towards Amalfi Coast, there is Cetara, fishermen's village, famous for its tuna processing and "Colatura" of anchovies (a direct descendant of the roman "garum").
In this area are produced wines such as "Costa d'Amalfi" DOC and the Lemon "Costa di Amalfi"(IGP), from which the famous" Limoncello" is obtained.
Particularly popular, instead, in the area of Sele, is the farming of Buffalos, from whose milk skilled cheesemakers produce the famous "Mozzarella di Bufala Campana", that also belongs to the family of typical products protected by the designation of origin (DOP). Currently, there is also a growing number of buffalos' breeding farms, aimed to the production of meat that, thanks to the lower contents in cholesterol than beef meat, is, more and more, meeting consumer tastes.
Continuing the journey towards South, in Cilento and along the hilly inland areas, you will find the highest concentration of olive trees, so that the province of Salerno covers alone more than 40% of Campania's production, with the renowned DOP oils "Cilento" and "Colline Salernitane". In these areas and in particular in the Vallo di Diano, the well-established cheese-making tradition leads to the production of two other important products with a protected origin designation: "Caciocavallo silano" and "Fior di latte" of southern Apennines.
Landscape of typical products is completed by the Giffoni's Hazelnut, particularly appreciated for its organoleptic characteristics and its use in the confectionery industry, the "round artichoke" of Paestum, known for its healthful qualities, the "Cilento white fig", whose cultivation was documented already in Roman times, the "Marrone di Roccadaspide" and DOC wines such as "Cilento" and "Castel San Lorenzo".
