The zampognaro bean, the "black" gold of the Campagnano lands is known on the island of Ischia as the "black gold" of the Campagnano lands. It is there, in fact, that this legume with a strong personality is most produced.
Curious its name that refers to the shape of the legume that, in the growth phase, twisting around the cane, brings to mind the shoelaces of the pipers. Some others believe that the name is due to the fact that they are eaten dry during the Christmas festivities, or to the fact that when they are cooked they take the shape of the bagpipes.
The zampognaro bean, just a few years ago, was an endangered product, but thanks to the Slow Food Convivium of Ischia and Procida, it is now present in abundance. It was enough to make it known to increase the interest in this incredible bean that, in the hands of Michelin-starred chef Pasquale Palamaro, has become the main ingredient of an ice cream.
Aromatic and rich in iron, already in 1854 Giovanni Gussone the botanist of the Bourbon court of Naples in his collection on the flora of the island of Ischia, reported the zampognaro bean that can be found in other areas of the island, the lands of Campagnano and Piano Liguori remain, however, the maximum center for its production. Once again it is a land dish, together with the rabbit, to be part of the typical gastronomy of the island of Ischia.
This bean has a dark reddish colour with small white streaks and remains crunchy even after three hours of cooking; it is sown in mid-March with the waning moon while the harvest time is in late summer. Try eating them with a drizzle of raw oil and a sprinkling of parsley, you will feel how good it is!
