Piano strategico della PAC 2023 / 2027
Complemento regionale per lo Sviluppo – Rurale della Liguria
Cofinanziato dall’Unione Europea
SRG 10 – promozione dei prodotti di qualità. | Soggetto beneficiario: Consorzio tutela Basilico Genovese DOP | Autorità di Gestione CSR Liguria: politiche.agricole@regione.liguria.it – www.agriligurianet.it
Do you know what ingredient you can’t go wrong with for a perfect pesto?
Would you like to be completely certain of the origin of the basil you buy?
Do you like to express the true flavor of Ligurian tradition in your pesto?
Do you expect the best aroma and yield from basil in your Genoese pesto?
Do you think that the label isn’t important when it comes to basil and that there aren’t any differences between one basil and another?
Do you struggle to understand whether a higher price corresponds to higher quality ?
You hear people talking about “ Pra’ basil ” in general, but perhaps you’ve never wondered if it’s the right way to guarantee the quality you expect?
Did you know that the DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) is a trademark that protects the link between product and territory and that since 2005 it has guaranteed the origin of traditional basil produced in Liguria?
Some things have changed since the 1950s and 1980s, when the Pra' area in Genoa was known for basil production: today, production has developed and become famous throughout the world.
In 2005, the “Basilico Genovese” DOP was created, but twenty years later, many people still may not know it: today, even the most Ligurian Ligurian may have some doubts or some obsolete certainties that need updating.
How can we tell at a glance whether the basil we buy is truly grown in Liguria according to tradition , as we would expect?
Since 2005, “Basilico Genovese DOP” has been the unique name for authentic basil produced according to tradition.
Always look for “ Basilico Genovese DOP ” in the product name and look at the packaging:
You can recognize the DOP one by the two brands and you can also find the producer’s address on the label .
At the produce counter, we can’t smell it or touch it. Perhaps we can trust the greengrocer’s word. Perhaps.
But we have an important element that comes to our aid: the label!
Here is finally the official guide from the Consortium for the Protection of Genoese Basil DOP for informed purchasing.
The importance of protecting the uniqueness of a product is now recognized by the market and by the European Union, which created the regulatory system of Indications of Origin in the 1990s, well known for wines and agri-food giants such as Grana Padano DOP or Prosciutto di Parma DOP, and which includes hundreds of highly valuable products.
In Liguria, to guarantee the link between basil and the territory, the DOP of Genoese Basil was recognised in 2005: from that moment on, the “ name and surname ” of the basil produced in the territory according to tradition (respecting the production specifications) is only and exclusively “Genoese Basil DOP” , very different from “ generic ” basil.
Today on the market we find labels/tags with the words “Basilico Genovese DOP” which indicate the guaranteed origin from Liguria , or with just the generic wording “basil” and the origin of the country of production without any guarantee of origin.
Important! DOP protection exists only for basil ; to date, pesto has never received a request for geographical protection. However, ready-made pesto contains Basilico Genovese DOP as an ingredient .
Since the existence of the “Basilico Genovese DOP”, the value of territoriality is guaranteed only within the DOP and the old “local” basil names, which were famous before the DOP, have been obsolete and are now prohibited from being used on the market, such as “basil from Pra'”: this is because outside the DOP it is not permitted to invoke the product’s origin as a synonym for quality.
Today, it’s crucial to recognize the genuine commitment of producers who, by adhering to the specifications, want to protect and maintain the tradition that makes us Ligurians so proud. This commitment is called ” certification ,” which is a true seal of guarantee and “bodyguard” protecting the basil, which is truly the fruit of traditional Ligurian production. This tradition primarily involves the use of natural soil and, for the fresh market, the packaging of the typical bouquets made from whole plants, hand-picked plant by plant.
A tradition that all Ligurians can help maintain by choosing to purchase certified Genoese Basil DOP.
To better understand, it’s important to ask: why is basil the emblem of Liguria? Every Ligurian can give a truly personal and emotional answer, one that speaks of belonging, pride, and cultural identity. Every Ligurian may not realize that this answer precisely expresses the concept of a product’s typicality: a product is typical when, over time, it has built a deep bond with the people of its territory . A product is typical, in our case, when it isn’t just a “plant” but a perfect union between plant, environment, and community —and here, the concept of community is more than ever represented by the encounter between local producers and consumers. And this is why Genoese Basil is the quintessential Ligurian product, along with its direct derivative, Genoese pesto .
The history of pesto and basil in Liguria is closely linked in time and space, although there have been some notable differences in recent years. Since Roman times, ” pesti ” have existed, and among them, in the Middle Ages, ” agliata ” was widely used in Liguria. The recipe for pesto, dating back to the 19th century, originated from “agliata,” a garlic paste to which basil is added, preserved in an ” arbanella ” (a container) and covered in olive oil.
The “added” basil was evidently zero-mile basil, grown in Genoa on farms very close to the city, carried out on the narrow strips of Ligurian soil: here, thanks to the unique techniques and climate, it took on a unique tenderness and aroma . And it was therefore thanks to the availability of this basil, which arrived fresh every day, that the great Genoa of the time gave birth to the “magic” of pesto, and where, for the first time, basil became an ingredient and no longer a simple flavoring.
Basil in Genoa was produced in rural areas specialized in growing early vegetables, such as the Bisagno Valley and the hills of Pra’. The name “besagnini” originated from the Bisagno Valley , while the name Pra’ has historically remained linked to the fame of basil because, until the 1990s, many producers were pioneers in promoting the product’s uniqueness. The success of pesto meant that basil cultivation, starting in the post-war period, expanded throughout Liguria, first to the west and then to the east, as the entire coastal region proved to be ideal for producing a basil unique in the world.