Taste and use

That's what makes these Sicilian lentils so special:

• Taste: These black lentils are characterized by their fine nutty aroma.
• Quality features: Unlike brown or red lentils, for example, black lentils do not fall apart when cooked and remain pleasantly firm to the bite.
• Use: The lentils need to be cooked for about 15 to 20 minutes. You can find lentil recipes, for example here on our blog.

Cultivation and ecology

This is how the black lentils are grown:

• Cultivation method: Organic farming. The cooperative members alternate planting them in their fields with "Timilia" durum wheat and other cereals. The legumes naturally return nitrogen to the soil, which the wheat has taken away. To exaggerate a little, you could say: no spaghetti without lentil stew! The lentils are sown in January and harvested in summer.
• Producers: The lentils are planted by various members of the Valdibella cooperative. After harvesting, the lentils are dried, cleaned in a local grain mill and packed into small bags by hand by the cooperative. Valdibella uses the "Addio Pizzo" label to declare that they do not pay protection money to criminal organizations.

This is how the price is made up

The members of the Valdibella cooperative receive 1.30 euros per kilogram of uncleaned lentils.

Cultivation & processing CHF 5.18

• Cultivation and harvesting: Angelo di Gaetano, Giuseppe Montalbano, Antonio Ingrassia, Cooperativa Valdibella
• Processing: Commer. Fin Srl, Cooperativa Valdibella

Transport & logistics CHF 2.98

• Export and logistics: Valdibella, Galliker
• Fees: Customs
• Quality assurance: SQTS laboratory
• Packaging: Zurich plant

Procurement & distribution CHF 3.02

• Coordination, communication, online market: Crowd Container