Cruschi are often sprinkled on pasta, sautéed potatoes or fried eggs, or simply eaten with drinks. Cruschi are a quintessential Basilicata flavor and hard to find elsewhere. The thin-skinned, long-spiked red peppers from the hillside surrounding the town of Senise have a low humidity level and are perfect when dried in the hot sun.
Quickly fried in olive oil, they combine deliciously with crispy fries and the rich, smoky flavor of the red peppers. Yes, the red peppers here are quite mild, not sharp, not harsh, very few peppers have such a special flavor.
Known as Lucania in ancient times, when Greece fought the Roman Empire, Basilicata sits at the toe of Italy’s boot. While historically poor and isolated, it’s home to some delicious, rustic food, including cumin-scented Lucanica sausages, Cacioricotta goat cheese and Matera bread.
Cruschi are harvested by hand from August onwards, by farmers toiling in the summer heat, then carefully strung and hung from eaves to dry.
As the afternoon heat fades, a chilled glass of local Malvasia Bianca wine makes the perfect low-alcohol drink with a few slices of cruschi tossed in and topped with paprika-sprinkled salami. The Guardian recommends trying the cruschi at A' Rimissa restaurant in the pretty town of Rotonda. It's served with baccalà (salted cod), poverelli white beans, and thin slices of marinated red eggplant.
Salted cod served with dried red peppers.
Ngoc Anh (According to TheGuardian)
