Valle dell’Oasi

TRASIMENO COWPEAS

The estate has been owned by the Mainò family for nearly four generations. It was purchased around 1870 and was handed down from father to son ever since. Over the years it was involved in extensive farming (wheat, barley, corn, sunflowers and alfalfa), but for the past ten years it has also turned to intensive farming (beans, lentils, chickling peas, chickpeas, millet, spelt and other crops).

The cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) originated in Africa and from there, through exchanges with the Etruscan civilization, it spread to the areas around Lake Trasimeno, where it found the ideal conditions – moist soil – to yield an excellent product. It is usually used as a legume to be enjoyed fresh, but it can also be dried. Cowpeas have a very delicate and mild flavour, and their small size makes them a delight for the palate. They do not need to be pre-soaked.