The farmer who recovered the rare black corn to make biscuits, bread and beer at km 0

A story handed down with affection from a grandmother to a grandchild can turn into a job carried out with passion: this is how Luca Tarquini’s cultivation of black corn was born. In 2015 he left his job as an electrical appliance technician to work full-time in the production of black corn in his farm “Dietro il monte” in Bazzano, a hamlet five kilometers from L’Aquila. “Everything originates – explains Tarquini – from a romantic question. I come from a family of peasant origins. My grandmother, born in 1918, always told me that whoever finds a black cob while making corn is very lucky. At the time that person could even give a kiss to whoever wanted: a very strong pass for the time. They said it because black corn cobs are rare, they are almost never found”.

That story remains only a memory of Luca Tarquini until, in 1993, he sees two cobs of black corn, right outside the house of a farmer in the area. “I approached the owner – says Luca – and asked for an ear of corn to make a gift to my grandmother. After six months of back and forth, he finally gave me one. She was very happy”. An average cob of black corn has about 200 seeds. It is rare because it easily yields to the pollination of stronger cobs.

“At the beginning – adds Luca – I cultivated my home garden as a hobby. The first sowing dates back to 1993. Then I started talking to the agronomists to clean the seed up to 98% purity. It was difficult to because of its hybridization over the years. It seems that it was cultivated in L’Aquila at the end of the eighteenth century. Then it was difficult to find who made biscuits and pasta with black corn. One always goes in search of the cheapest product while in this case one has to embrace the cause and believe in it by experimenting”.

The process of cultivation, harvesting and grinding go hand in hand with respect for the environment. “The corn – specifies Luca – is ground in stone with a water mill and is irrigated thanks to the Vera river, which drives this wheel. It can grind a maximum of 30 kg of black corn every hour, unlike an electric mill. It would be faster but the organoleptic characteristics would also change a lot. Inside, the mill draws light from the day and its doors are always wide open. The water is precious and shouldn’t be wasted. When I finish watering my field, it’s only right that they can do it too my colleagues. Our work is locally sourced. The mill is just two kilometers from the company. In addition to black corn, I also grow durum wheat, spelled barley and soft wheat”.

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Black corn contains anthocyanins, a natural antioxidant, and phytonutrients. “Also discovering the qualities of black corn – specifies Luca – I decided to focus on this product. We primarily make biscuits and bread. We post recipes on Facebook, such as wraps and rustic pizza. We also have black corn beer It is produced by a brewery in L’Aquila and will be ready for the start of the new year”.

Currently the company produces over 100 quintals of black corn per year. “For the future – concludes Luca – I don’t want to increase production too much, at most I would reach 500 quintals. My corn does not focus on quantity but on quality. It is not a supermarket product. Commercial corn, for example, has nickel. In what we produce doesn’t exist. It must be an example for less productive areas like mine: creating sustainable, home-grown and healthy products is important for everyone. In L’Aquila we are known only for the earthquake but if everyone valued what this land does could give much more. Perhaps the future of young people is just around the corner. Working the land is tiring but the satisfaction comes”.