Italy: Cianciana red chickpea recovered

Finally Cianciana regains possession, thanks to its custodian farmers, of the forgotten local genotype formerly known as “Red chickpea”. Sicilian biodiversity never ceases to amaze us. Another jewel of Italy, the red chickpea of Cianciana, after years of research and studies has returned to have a place in the audience of Sicilian biodiversity. It is a local genotype, which differs from the common one for some particular morphological and organoleptic characteristics. Federico Pace, agronomist and researcher, in the quality of leader, together with the companies of Matteo Riggio, Antonio Giannone, and Caterina D’Angelo, are the guardians of this precious legume that has been cultivated in the family gardens for years. The red chickpea of Cianciana, in dialect, Ceciru russu, is grown in the same territory and in that of the nearby Alessandria della Rocca. The peasant population of the Municipality of Cianciana (AG), from the second post-war period to today, has cultivated the red ...