
La Favorita's Pesto alla Genovese D.O.P: Process and Production
"We used to purchase fresh basil from farms, all located in Liguria, and we would then bring it to Piedmont to process it. The problem was, when the volume of demand for our pesto increased, we were no longer able to process the basil straight away after picking, which meant the basil could become oxidised, which reduces its qualities: aroma, colour, and taste. We wanted to make sure we kept these qualities in the final product and so knew we needed to have a processing site right next to where the basil is grown. To do this, in 2000, we decided to take a 50% share of a basil farm, with the other 50% belonging to a Ligurian family who have been growing basil for nearly 100 years, and we have built a processing site next to it. This allows us to process the basil within 12 hours of picking. To give this context, most pesto producers will leave the basil for up to 7 days before processing, and even if kept in the fridge for this time, the basil will degrade.
As our aim is to protect the natural properties of basil once it is made into the pesto, and we want to avoid any thermal processes in the making of the pesto, we choose not to include cheese in our recipe. This means that we do not need to pasteurise the pesto, thus maintaining its true colour, aroma, and flavour. Incidentally, this also makes this pesto vegan. The whole production process takes place at between 23 and 25 degrees Celsius. We also do not use any acidity correctors to preserve the pesto, again to protect the delicate flavour of the basil; the only preservatives are olive oil and salt.
The ingredients and methods we choose to make our pesto are what make its quality clear when compared to others. The true qualities of the basil are preserved and anyone who tries it will be able to appreciate these qualities."
Mattia Bruno, Producer
Learn more about the producer, and try it for yourself, here.