Pesto is the most famous recipe made with PDO Genoese basil, but certainly not the only one. Indeed, the famous Ligurian aromatic seedling is starring in increasingly creative preparations. A taste is offered by the ‘Basil Genovese Day. Flavors and virtues of a PDO excellence‘ scheduled for Monday, 13.1.20 at MOG, Genoa’s renovated Eastern Market.
Basil Genovese Day
The event opens with a preview presentation of the video‘The Basil Journey‘ by Genoese comedian Andrea Di Marco.‘A surprising journey, where Basil Genovese DOP, appreciated all over the world, is revealed in all its poetry, between vision and irony‘.
It follows the final round of the #pestoaparte contest, the culinary challenge devised by the Consortium for the Protection of Genoese Basil PDO, which collected proposals for new dishes based on the PDO until Jan. 8. A revival that has already gifted the connoisseur’s taste buds with Genoese basil PDO cheesecake.
The nomination of the contest winner, determined by the jury chaired by Ivano Ricchebono, is followed by the tasting of the two finalist recipes.
Ligurian PDO jewel
Genovese basil PDO is grown on the seaward side of Liguria. It has unmistakable characteristics. The small, tender, oval leaves give off an intense aroma devoid of the hint of mint.
It is grown by Ligurian farms, which guarantee the quality and origin of the product, which is obtained in compliance with the Production Regulations and according to traditional methods.
There are two types of cultivation of PDO Genoese basil, depending on the intended use of the seedling,
– for fresh consumption, it is grown year-round in a greenhouse and harvested by hand, plant by plant. The product, accompanied by the PDO logo and that of the producer, is sold in the typical bouquet, consisting of the whole seedling complete with roots and soil,
– for industrial processing and use as an ingredient in other food products, is mainly grown outdoors in summer and harvested by mowing, taking only the apical part of the plant, the most tender and fragrant. In such cases, the PDO must be mentioned among the ingredients with the full name (basil genovese DOP). Otherwise, it is another aromatic plant. As documented by our market survey.
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
