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2023 Author: Cody Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 11:20
They are recchiètedde (but also strascenàte) in Bari; chiangarelle in Taranto; stracchiodde in Brindisi.
But for some time the orecchiette, small pieces of dough little more than a cherry rolled up, dragged with a knife and overturned with the help of the thumb, have lost the status of pasta of the Apulians because they are present, already packaged, in all shops and supermarkets.
In addition to turnip greens, are cooked with broccoli or cola tops (Apulian green cauliflower). Outside of Puglia there are many recipes: some add hot pepper, other cubes of toasted bread, with pecorino or seasoned ricotta to be grated as desired.
Come back Tasting test, weekly test of products on sale in supermarkets, with 5 different brands of orecchiette, plus one.
In homage to the ancient Apulian craftsmanship, and to Mrs. Maria, one of the many who still today prepares orecchiette on the street, in the lanes that branch off from the Swabian castle within the ancient village of Bari, we have inserted an unscheduled program.
CONTENDENTS:
Barilla
Divella
Coop Fior Fiore
Simply Passions
de Cecco
Out of program: Mrs. Maria (ancient village - Bari)
JUDGMENT CRITERIA:
Packaging
Visual aspect
Consistency
Stickiness
Cooking (check)
Cooking (holding)
Cooking (homogeneity)
Taste
Absorption capacity
The test took place blindly and the times were timed. In order to better evaluate the cooking resistance, we added one minute to the times indicated on the packages. The pasta was first tasted plain and then accompanied by a simple basil sauce.
# 5 De Cecco orecchiette n ° 91
500 g pack. The words "Durum wheat semolina pasta" appear instead of the ingredients. Produced in the Fara San Martino (CH) plant. Nutritional values indicated. Cooking: 11 minutes
– Judgment: many gaps.
– Packaging: traditional with a bucolic style image.
– Visual aspect: pale color, smooth and slightly wrinkled.
– Consistency: not very elastic and a little soft.
– Stickiness: minimum.
– Cooking (check): we suggest following the indication "al dente" (9 min).
– Cooking (tightness): on the verge of tightness.
– Cooking (homogeneity): sufficient.
– Taste: slightly sapid, evanescent.
– Absorption capacity: good.
– Price: € 1.29 (€ 2.58 per kg)
– Value for money: average.
– In short: misstep among the good products of the De Cecco pasta factory.
VOTE: 4 1/2
# 4 Barilla Apulian orecchiette specialties
500 g pack. Ingredients: durum wheat semolina, water. Produced in the Marcianise plant (Caserta).
Nutritional values indicated. Cooking: 12 minutes.
– Judgment: It's not enough to be attractive, the substance is missing.
– Packaging: modern, captivating, tidy in form. The best.
– Visual aspect: the darkest, almost completely smooth.
– Consistency: elastic and firm.
– Stickiness: quite sticky.
– Cooking (check): we recommend subtracting one minute of cooking
– Cooking (tightness): reliable.
– Cooking (homogeneity): good.
– Taste: slightly sapid
– Absorption capacity: very weak, not sufficient.
– Price: € 1.29 (€ 2.58 per kg)
– Value for money: average.
– In short: a lot of marketing.
VOTE: 5
# 3 Simply Passioni orecchiette
500 g pack. Ingredients: durum wheat semolina, water. Produced in the Tarall'oro plant in Sammichele di Bari (Bari). Nutritional values indicated. Cooking: 13 minutes.
– Judgment: a promising product that can still be improved.
– Packaging: more attractive than the plastic classics. Recipe attached in a separate card (little touch of class).
– Visual aspect: Unequal shapes. Particularly wrinkled and rough. They look hand made.
– Consistency: highly variable. Too.
– Stickiness: average
– Cooking (check): sore point.
– Cooking (tightness): inconsistent seal. Sin.
– Cooking (homogeneity): absolutely not uniform, it goes from raw orecchiette to overcooked ones.
– Taste: good.
– Absorption capacity: truly remarkable.
– Price: € 1.60 (€ 3.20 per kg)
– Value for money: not competitive.
– In short: without the cooking problems it would be one of the best products.
VOTE: 5 1/2
# 2 Divella orecchiette 86 / b typical bronze drawn format
500 g pack. Ingredients: durum wheat semolina, water Produced in the Rutigliano (Bari) plant. Nutritional values indicated. Cooking: 13 minutes.
– Judgment: a great classic.
– Packaging: simple, unattractive (pity) and difficult to read.
– Visual aspect: dark orecchiette, rough just right.
– Consistency: elastic and firm.
– Stickiness: not exaggerated.
– Cooking (verify): the suggested times are correct.
– Cooking (hold): excellent cooking hold. Exemplary.
– Cooking (homogeneity): perfectly uniform.
– Taste: very savory.
– Absorption capacity: very good.
– Price: € 1, 10 (€ 2, 20 per kg)
– Value for money: unbeatable.
– In short: Divella plays at home and offers a convenient product. Packaging to be reviewed.
VOTE: 6 1/2
# 1 Coop fior fiore orecchiette
500 g pack. Ingredients: durum wheat semolina. Produced in the GR. A. M. M. in Bitonto (Bari). Nutritional values indicated. Cooking: 12 minutes.
– Judgment: product of substance.
– Packaging: fairly neat, with adhesive tab.
– Visual aspect: orecchiette unequal in shape and curvature. Well wrinkled and rough. They look handcrafted.
– Consistency: optimal in every respect.
– Stickiness: present the right.
– Cooking (check): we confirm the suggested times.
– Cooking (hold): excellent hold.
– Cooking (homogeneity): perfectly uniform.
– Taste: pleasant and intense.
– Absorption capacity: thanks to the release of good quantities of starch, the ability to bind the sauce is superb. A reference point.
– Price: € 1.31 (€ 2.62 per kg)
– Value for money: remarkable.
– In short: the best is not always a luxury for the few.
VOTE: 8
The best of the test: Coop Fior Fiore
Best quality / price ratio: Divella
We close with the custom orecchiette. Manual skill or rather fingering so refined as to coin a unique product. In the original composition both durum wheat semolina and white flour 0 appear in variable proportions. Usually, in a dose for 6 people, 250 grams of white flour and 200 grams of durum wheat semolina.
We will not tell you about the consistency or how they bind with the sauce, we are only showing you a photo.
Whenever possible, go to Bari, in the old city, deliberately get lost in the alleys, for sure you will meet the ladies who knead the strasc'nat by hand in front of the door of the petticoats.
A real show.