Vito Perricone and Carmela Cascio: Sicily shines through their oranges.

If the sun stops warming us, here comes Sicily again, covering us with bright colors. They are the colors of yellow, red, and orange. They are the colors of the plains and hills behind the towns of Lentini and Carlentini, just outside Catania. They are the colors of the lands of Ribera that descend to the sea and rise through the valleys leading to Caltabellotta and Villafranca Sicula. We are talking about the nectar of Italy, the juicy soul of our country: the oranges of Ribera.

In this extraordinary context that the world envies us, a small agricultural reality arises that we have carefully chosen and that for some years we have been accompanying in the sale of its oranges. It is run by a couple of loving spouses of their land: Vito Perricone and Carmela Cascio are simple people, proud of their origins. Their home is elegant, just like they are, in their manners, gestures, and kind words that are always present. Yet, there is the passion that only Sicilians possess, that which comes from Greek culture. A friend from Caltanissetta once told me: “Here, the Greek tragedy has never seen an end; it is part of our DNA. One either cries or laughs. We don’t like half measures.” Vito and Carmela are just like that, and you can truly feel it in this their adventure as farmers devoted to the cultivation of orange groves.

When I called Vito Perricone to ask him if the orange season had begun, he responded with great determination. “Yes, of course! But how!? We have already started!?” It was as if we had arrived late and he had been waiting for us for a while. This enthusiasm of his is always passed on to us when we talk to him on the phone. For me, who had the pleasure of spending more than one meeting with him in his land, it was an emotion to see him walking among the orange trees, lemons, and cedars, and the hives of the black bees.

The oranges of the Azienda Cascio Carmela are extraordinary, and its orange grove thrives in a truly perfect geomorphological and geoclimatic situation: at the end of the long green valley that starts from Ribera by the sea and rises up to the crossroads between Caltabellotta and Villafranca Sicula. The orange grove is completely organic and has always been so. It is situated to the east of the valley rising towards Villafranca Sicula and is overlooked by the spur of Caltabellotta. A town that is a miracle, positioned in a breathtaking scenery. From up there, high up, clinging to the rock, the ancient stone village of Caltabellotta calmly watches over the valley and its orange groves. Including that of Vito and Carmela. The oranges are of the Washington Navel variety, which are more commonly referred to as Naveline. They are the ones with the belly button!

In Ribera, they are DOP and represent one of the most prestigious Sicilian certifications. Vito picks them with latex gloves to preserve the cleanliness and naturalness of the peels. The peels are nicely thick, rich in essential oils, ideal for producing soft and creamy candied fruit. Vito picks them personally when they are freshly ordered. And he might even surprise you by adding something else good from his “garden,” as they call it here.

In addition to oranges, there are also Interdonato lemons or Verdelli, grapefruits, tangerines, and cedars. In short, he always makes a little personal touch, and it is a surprise every time you open one of his packages! But the greatest gift, when you open the box of oranges, is their fragrance that fills the entire house. A citrusy pleasantness that is unmatched.

So dear friends, the oranges of Ribera DOP from Vito Perricone are in the full swing of their production, and we cannot miss them. Forget flu vaccines and vitamin supplements. Squeeze them well and drink their juice daily. Besides giving yourself a gift of pleasure and taste, you are gifting yourselves years of life and unexpected immune boosts. Above all, you will experience a true experience of bilocation: physically you will be at home, but effectively you will be walking up and down through Vito’s orange grove!

Bernardo Pasquali

S&M