Legumes and cereals – Mario Agostinelli – Leccio
When the love for the land and its products is combined with the experience of a life, dedicated to the research and the respect for the most ancient agricultural traditions, only simple, particular and unique products can be born. This is the simple equation followed by Mario Agostinelli, producer, from the land to the table, of what has long been the symbolic product of Pratomagno, and that perhaps will become an emblem of Italian cuisine in the world, namely: Fagiolo Zolfino.
Mario Agostinelli's family, for over 20 years, has been dealing with the cultivation of this type of bean in addition to the care of the Cecino Rosa and the Ancient Cereals.
His activity takes place in a farm of 55ha of surface along the river Arno, Valdarno side of Pratomagno; the surface invested in the cultivation of beans is equal to 15ha in rotation with corn and wheat. Since 1997 Fagiolo Zolfino has become known! After and initial collaboration with the best Florentine restaurant operators, today the product arrives and is appreciated in the United States, Russia and Asia. The product reflects the passion that the Agostinelli family poses from the moment of sowing to that of the harvest; in every phase of the cycle there is an absolute quality in the cleaning, in the selection and in the choice, therefore a commitment and a constant attention all along the productive process.
Already renowned in the Renaissance, Fagiolo Zolfino aroused in Florence and in Tuscany the enthusiasm of both the commoners and the lords, so much so that in 1533 Alessandro dei Medici donated some to Caterina dei Medici on the occasion of his sister's wedding with Henry II of France, introducing this dish also in the tables of beyond the Alps.
In recent years there has been a sort of historical rediscovery of Fagiolo Zolfino, which has become, together with other foods and dishes typical of the local tradition, a first actor of high quality restaurants, that spreads throughout the national territory.
The Agostinelli company participated in the Idara project by the Tuscan Region, in collaboration with the University of Pisa and thanks to Professor Mura of the Faculty of Microbiology. Fagiolo Zolfino, together with Cavolo nero and Pomodoro Costoluto, was the protagonist of the research. An enzyme has been found in the Fagiolo peel that manages to fight inflammatory processes of the digestive system, it is able to alleviate some diseases such as diabetes and makes the product highly digestible.