22. Zeppolone of Spigno Saturnia

In this small town in southern Lazio, situated in a scenic spot within the Monti Aurunci Nature Park, this traditional chicory frittata is prepared: it is round in shape, varies in weight and is made with local ingredients. The recipe involves first cooking the chicory, then squeezing out the excess liquid, chopping it finely and placing it in a large frying pan – known locally as a “sartagna” – over a bed of oil and mint. To achieve a round, compact shape, in addition to using a fork, flour must be sprinkled on both sides to thicken the frittata. The original recipe is thought to have called for the use not only of chicory but also of a mixture of wild herbs. In fact, wild herbs, gathered seasonally, must have represented an important food source for rural populations as early as the Middle Ages; whilst their use was codified and established only later by the learned Benedictine monks of the nearby monastery of Montecassino. The term “Zeppolone” appears for the first time in a text from 1600, written in Late Latin by the deacon Pelagio, which suggests a close connection with the use of flour, and which may perhaps explain how the term ‘zeppola’ came to refer much more commonly to fried dough-based dishes, both sweet and savoury. It is certain, however, that the recipe called for the use of flour, as it appears that in the 1700s the locals began to use local maize flour, which was more abundant than wheat but still capable of thickening the batter.

Professor Giuseppe Nocca, agronomist and lecturer in the History of Food, describes Zeppolone as a poor recipe, of peoples on the move precisely because of the absence among the ingredients of the egg, which is instead an indication of sedentariness. According to his studies, the origins could be linked to a Molise recipe based on corn and chicory, a kind of polenta mixed with field vegetables. Being a popular recipe, it is in fact possible to search for its origins among neighbouring preparations: 'a dish in fact never originates on its own, but through the addition or depletion of ingredients, and therefore through similarities or differences it is possible to reconstruct its historical path'. 'The particularity of Zeppolone,' the professor continues, 'is the territorial exclusivity held by Spigno. This recipe and its name are known only to those who live within a 5 km radius of the town centre. Another curious thing is the fact that this omelette has always been made exclusively at home: it is such a traditional dish that it is only eaten in private homes'. To confirm this, the professor recalls that in Spigno only one farmhouse prepared it for its customers. The path to De.Co. recognition was singular precisely because, in order to safeguard its absolutely local origin, the preparation of this recipe had to be exported from private to professional kitchens, asking Spigno's restaurateurs to introduce it on their menus.