If the kitchen is traditionally the heart of the home, a place of sharing and fellowship, a place where time slows down, at Terre di Corillo it is no less than magical. Here it is the very hotbed of a peasant culture which, following jealously-guarded family recipes, transforms raw materials cultivated in respect of nature into dishes that are a true sensory experience, nourishing both body and spirit.
The kitchen at Terre di Corillo follows the rhythm of the seasons, using all the fruits of the earth as they are provided, forcing nothing - capers and olives, chick peas and tomatoes, oranges and apricots, figs and prickly pears, almonds and lemons.
All locally grown, strictly fresh, natural ingredients are brought straight into the kitchen from the fields, orchards and vegetable gardens of Terre di Corillo and processed on the spot by experienced hands, using traditional methods skilfully adapted to modern times.
Preserves, jams, pickled capers, olives in brine... All genuine products, made strictly by hand like they used to be, and with the addition of spontaneously-grown ingredients such as aromatic herbs and wild rocket. Even the bread is made with flour obtained from traditionally stoneground Terre di Corillo wheat.
The main kitchen of the Masseria has been rebuilt around a large wood-burning oven - an example of the skilful revival of a tradition that is expressed also in the old majolica tiles used to decorate the walls.
Old wooden beams have been recycled as shelves, which display ceramic dishes made by local craftsmen or bought from antique dealers. The traditional shovels used for the oven, still in use today, hang proudly on the wall.
This setting blends perfectly with the modern steel furnishings, creating a harmonious contrast. The wood oven gives the food special flavours – the genuine, wholesome and real flavours that Terre di Corillo strives to preserve and share.
