Castelluccio Lentils (IGP): What They Are, Recipe and Where to Buy

Castelluccio lentils (IGP): origin and characteristics

The Lenticchia di Castelluccio di Norcia IGP is not a single variety. The name protects a group of local ecotypes of the species Lens culinaris, sold as dried seed. It is an annual plant, between 20 and 40 centimeters tall, with small white flowers tinged with blue. The pods contain one to three round, flattened seeds: a thousand seeds weigh about 23 grams.

The growing area is the Castelluccio plateau, about 20 km² in all, straddling Umbria and the Marche. The Pian Grande and the Pian Piccolo are in the municipality of Norcia, in the province of Perugia. The Pian Perduto is in the municipality of Castelsantangelo sul Nera, in the province of Macerata. The entire production area is inside the Sibillini National Park. The plateau is the bed of an ancient lake, drained in prehistoric times by karst phenomena. The shape of the valley, the harsh winters and the clay soil give the legume its characteristics.

Yields are low by rule: the production regulations allow a maximum of 800 kilograms per hectare. For this reason production is limited and it remains a niche product. Growers follow organic methods by tradition, with only organic fertilization, and work without herbicides or pesticides. Thanks to the cold climate in which it grows, the Castelluccio lentil is not attacked by the bean weevil, an insect whose larvae feed on legumes. As a result it needs no treatments for storage.

The history of Castelluccio lentils

The Castelluccio lentil is a legume with a very old tradition, and the growing methods have remained those of the past. In early spring the fields are plowed and harrowed. Sowing runs from mid-March to mid-May, then the fields are rolled to help germination. From then until harvest the lentil needs only rain. That is why the farming calendar has its rituals. On May 1 some elderly farmers still plant a cross of olive twigs in the fields to protect the crop. At the end of June the people of Castelluccio go on pilgrimage to Norcia, to the church of Santa Scolastica, to pray for rain for the lentil.

The harvest, called "carpitura", takes place between late July and the first half of August. The plant rarely exceeds 30 centimeters and many fields are stony, so the work takes care and time. Until the mid-1960s the carpitura was done by hand. It was done by the "carpirine", women compared to the mondine, the rice weeders of the paddy fields. They walked up to Castelluccio from nearby villages such as San Pellegrino, Pescara del Tronto and Gualdo, and stayed until the end of the harvest. Each group arrived with an organetto (accordion) player as far as the steps of the small square, below the church. There, in the morning, the work was negotiated "a opere": an opera was the land a carpirina cut in one day, about 600 square meters. During the work they sang stornelli (folk songs) and at night they slept in haylofts.

The cut plants stay in the field for a few days to dry, in small heaps arranged in long rows. This is the most delicate moment: heavy rain can ruin the crop. Then the lentil goes to the "aia", an area of the Pian Grande near the turnoff for Forca di Presta, where the "trita" (threshing) takes place. In the past the seeds were separated from the pods by beating the straw with "lu mazzafrustu", two sturdy sticks tied with a rope. For the largest threshings, horses and mules were driven around in circles. The final cleaning, called "a dito" (by finger), is still done by hand by the farmers.

In 1960 the farmers of Castelluccio founded a cooperative to select and sell the lentil. The Protected Geographical Indication was registered by the European Union in 1997, and its production rules were approved by a ministerial decree of December 23, 1998. After the 2016 earthquake, growers went back to sowing in 2017 as well, on tractors escorted by the army and firefighters. The cooperative's sorting and packing were moved to Monteleone di Spoleto. In recent years much of the village of Castelluccio was still in ruins.

How to eat Castelluccio lentils

Castelluccio lentils must be cooked before eating and work in both first and second courses. They have two practical advantages. They boil in no more than 30 minutes and hold up well to cooking, so they suit soups and pasta and above all a side dish. They are the classic accompaniment to Umbrian cured meats, cotechino and zampone. The thin skin avoids the long hours of soaking needed for other legumes. Just rinse them and put them in the pot. The link with New Year's is strong.

Here is the traditional Castelluccio lentil soup, for four people:

• 400 grams of lentils, a liter of water, a celery stalk and a clove of garlic, preferably in a terracotta pot;
• cooking for about 40 minutes;
• near the end of cooking, salt and toasted bread croutons flavored with a little garlic and oil.

The "alla castellucciana" version is a one-dish meal. The lentils start in cold water with garlic and diced celery. If more water is needed, it must always be added boiling, otherwise the cooking stops. Salt goes in after about half an hour of boiling, and a little broth is left. Then the lentils are poured over two slices of toasted bread per bowl, left for about ten minutes and finished with a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil.

Variants include soup with tomato sauce, anchovies and sage, and some cook the lentils together with sausage or cotechino. For pairing with local cured meats, the page on Prosciutto di Norcia IGP tells the story of Norcia's other great tradition.

Where to buy Castelluccio lentils

Castelluccio IGP lentils are bought mainly in the production area: in Castelluccio, directly from the growers, and in the local food shops of Norcia. The 2016 earthquake also changed trade. In Castelluccio many restaurants and shops that were open before the earthquake moved to the "Deltaplano", a structure built a few hundred meters from the Pian Grande, along the road to the village. In 2020-2021 local growers sold lentils and grains there, along with cheeses and cured meats. In Norcia, in 2020, many shops in the historic center had moved to a new street dedicated to commerce, where lentils could also be found.

To recognize the certified product, just look at the package. Every container must bear the words "Lenticchia di Castelluccio di Norcia" and "Indicazione geografica protetta" (Protected Geographical Indication), printed in characters of the same size. The closure must be sealed, so the contents cannot be removed without breaking the seal. Packages are jute, cardboard or plastic bags of 250 grams, 500 grams and 1 kilo. IGP checks are carried out by a body authorized by the Ministry.

Dried lentils can be bought all year. A trip to Castelluccio, though, also shows the cultivation. Between June and July the flowering covers the Pian Grande with color. In that period it is best to avoid weekends, when crowds arrive. At the end of August, usually, the Festa della Trebbiatura (threshing festival) uses an old, still-working threshing machine on the Pian Grande threshing floor, and the oldest farmer sounds the siren that starts the work. Check the dates each year before leaving. The other local specialties are collected on the page on Sibillini local food products.