Fico di Cosenza

Fichi di Cosenza is a PDO covering dried figs of the Dottato (or Ottato) variety of Ficus carica sativa grown and dried within a defined area of the Cosenza province in Calabria, Italy. The designation is distinguished by the variety's small, fine, largely empty achenes and a particularly sweet, almost honeyish flavour, characteristics attributed to the area's soils, summer winds, and traditional hand-harvesting methods.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO under file number PDO-IT-0682, with EU protection granted on 25 February 2008, Fichi di Cosenza covers dried fruit exclusively of the Dottato (or Ottato) variety of the domestic fig tree Ficus carica sativa. All stages of production, from harvesting to drying, must take place within the delimited geographical area of the Cosenza province in Calabria. Figs are allowed to wilt on the branch until they hang by the stalk alone — a stage known locally as 'passuluni' — before being hand-harvested and subjected to complete drying either in direct sunlight or in greenhouses covered by glass or another transparent material, on supports made of reeds or another breathable food-grade material, for a period of 3 to 7 days. During drying, figs must be turned by hand at least twice a day in the first days to ensure uniform drying; figs lacking stalks or bearing sun-burn marks are discarded. When released for consumption, the product must meet defined physical, chemical, and organoleptic standards: moisture content must not exceed 24%, or 28% if packaged; total sugars as a percentage of dry matter range from 48 to 57 for sun-dried figs and 50 to 75 for greenhouse-dried figs. Figs are sorted by size — large, medium, and small — according to the number of fruit per kilogram. Labelling must include the wording 'Fichi di Cosenza', the translatable wording 'Denominazione di Origine Protetta', and the product logo. The eAmbrosia identifier is EUGI00000013864.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 28, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Fichi di Cosenza received EU PDO protection on 25 February 2008 under file number PDO-IT-0682.
• The designation covers exclusively the Dottato (or Ottato) variety of Ficus carica sativa; no other variety is permitted.
• Figs must be dried for 3 to 7 days and turned by hand at least twice a day during the first days of drying.
• Moisture content at release for consumption must not exceed 24%, or 28% if the product is packaged.

Tasting notes

Calabrian dried fig from Cosenza area, Dottato variety. Pale golden color, soft texture, intensely sweet honeyed flavor.

HoReCa use

Cheese boards, stuffed with chocolate or nuts, in Calabrian Christmas sweets, paired with bergamot honey.

Packaging

• vacuum-pack-200g
• vacuum-pack-500g
• gift-pack-300g