Santomiele

If you’re lucky enough to be in the vicinity of Santomiele, you can visit this little gem to find out more about the precious ‘cultivar Dottato’ fig variety (actually pale green in colour). Sweeter than its European counterparts, the white fig also has less seeds and a tender texture. You can find all this out and more with a tasting of the figs paired with nuts, fruit, mascarpone cheese and prosecco. Take time to explore the shady orchards scented with fig flowers and watch the dried fruit being made into fabulous confection.

Amazing presents to take home, the stuffed figs come with cinnamon, almond, lemon zest, walnuts and pistachios – creating a true taste of Italy with almonds grown from Puglia, pistachios from sunny Sicily, and the lemon sourced locally from the Cilento National Park gardens. With particular attention to packaging, boxes filled with nuts and figs draped in dark chocolate are perfect gifts although giving them away may prove tricky. La Pigna would be lovely for an occasion – a puff pastry cake layered with dried figs, dark chocolate and hazelnuts. We can personally endorse the delicious white fig syrup, drizzled over mascarpone which we enjoyed in a nearby luxe greenery enclave.

What do you do if you inherit six acres of fig orchards? If you’re Antonio Longo you start Santomiele, a luxury confectionary business that uses the sun-dried figs in delicious handmade chocolates, stuffed figs, cakes and syrups.

Antonio’s grandfather owned the land, growing figs and olives in this rural spot near the Greek settlement of Paestum since 1930.  Working on the farm since 2010, Antonio continues ancient techniques that his grandfather used. Although many people in the local area had stopped growing figs because of the work involved in their harvest, Antonio wanted to keep his family tradition alive, and began to employ local workers from the village.

The figs are dried in the traditional way on the roofs of the houses in flat baskets. Antonio developed a new laboratory where employers of Santomiele work on the delicate job of producing handmade stuffed figs and chocolates among many other products that are sourced from the humble fig. The whole process is done by skilful hand, with no chemicals added. Today, Antonio’s beautifully packaged chocolates and fig products find their way all over the world.