Taste and use

That's what makes this Sicilian "Timilia" pasta so special:

• Taste: These busiate have a strong, slightly nutty flavor and are very digestible.
• Quality feature: This type of pasta is traditionally made by hand by winding it with a round wood like a spring. Today they are formed by a machine. Busiate owe their dark color to the old durum wheat variety "Timilia". However, it is not a wholemeal pasta.
• Use: Sicilians enjoy busiate with pesto "Agghiata trapanisa". This consists of garlic, olive oil, almonds, cherry tomatoes and basil. This dish tastes extraordinary and yet is very simple to prepare.

Cultivation and ecology

This is how durum wheat is grown:

• Cultivation method: Organic farming. "Timilia" is grown by various members of the Valdibella cooperative. The yields are lower than on a conventional wheat field. "But this wheat is ideal for organic farming: it is very resistant to diseases and I don't have to invest money in fertilizer or pest control," says Massimiliano, one of the producers. "Timilia" durum wheat can only be grown on the same field every three years. In the crop rotation, legumes such as lentils and chickpeas, as well as other cereals, are planted in between. The legumes bind nitrogen from the air and thus maintain soil fertility. The "Timilia" durum wheat is sown in February. Before sowing, the soil is gently cultivated without plowing. It can be harvested in May or June. In our video to find out more about the durum wheat variety "Timilia".
• Producers: The durum wheat is grown by various members of the Valdibella cooperative. Here you will find a blog post on the cultivation of "Timilia". The grain is ground in the Molino Paratore. Alberto Stallone from Sapori di Grano specializes in processing the grain into this fine pasta using a gentle process. Caterina Lo Bocchiaro from Valdibella says: "Alberto Stallone clearly makes the best busiate in all of Sicily!" 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

Producers can sell the "Timilia" grain to the cooperative for 0.70 euros per kilogram. Conventional durum wheat from the EU is traded at 0.20 to 0.25 euros.

Cultivation & processing CHF 4.08

• Cultivation and harvesting: Various members of the Cooperativa Valdibella
• Processing: Molino Paratore, Alberto Stallone

Transport & logistics CHF 2.66

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

Procurement & distribution CHF 2.50

• Coordination, communication, online market: Crowd Container