Organic Roveja

The rare wild pea of ​​the Apennines, reintroduced in central Italy — very rich in iron and with 22,9g of fiber per 100g

A seed returned from the past: small, colorful and proud, with such a strong flavor that it asks nothing of anyone

Organic Roveja from Dolci Giuseppina

Roveja is a wild pea that was reintroduced into cultivation in central Italy only a few years ago, after being at risk of extinction forever. Today, it is one of the rarest and most precious seeds of the Apennines, and the Dolci Giuseppina company grows it organically in the mountain fields of Monteleone di Spoleto, at about 8 meters above sea level. It is a small, colorful seed with a very strong flavor—it doesn't require sauces or special seasonings to create flavorful dishes—and an exceptional nutritional profile: 22,8 g of protein and a whopping 22,9 g of fiber per 100 grams, with a rich iron content that makes it renowned among legumes. It requires the ancient ritual of true legumes—12 hours of soaking and 75 minutes on low heat—and rewards with eight servings of authentic flavor archaeology.
 
 
 

The roots of this Roveja are deep in tradition

If roveja has a signature dish, it's farecchiata: the dark polenta that shepherds and families of the Valnerina region prepared by grinding this wild pea, seasoned in the most essential and ingenious way—a mixture of anchovies dissolved in oil, poured piping hot over steaming polenta. It was the dish of the cold evenings of Civita di Cascia and the mountain hamlets: the iron from the legume, the sea salt brought by trade, the healthy fat from the oil. A balance born of necessity and promoted, today, as a gastronomic icon. Known since the Neolithic and cultivated on the most inaccessible terraces, roveja is the seed the mountains preserved long after everyone had forgotten it: every grain that reaches the table is a chapter of agricultural history rescued from oblivion.
 
 
 

Choosing Organic Roveja means taking care of yourself

Roveja's numbers rival those of any modern legume: 22,8 g of protein and 22,9 g of fiber per 100 grams—a fiber value almost unrivaled in the plant world, valuable for satiety, regularity, and microbiota health. But its nutritional fame is tied primarily to iron, of which it is considered one of the most generous plant sources: a traditional ally for those following vegetarian diets or with increased needs. With just 1 g of fat and virtually no salt, it is pure nutrient density. And there is one value that doesn't appear in the table: choosing roveja means financing, purchase after purchase, the survival of a biodiversity that was on the brink of extinction.
 
 
 

Best Uses: Organic Roveja

• IN MOUNTAIN SOUPS: after soaking for 12 hours, cook it for 75 minutes on low heat with Organic Leonessa Red Potatoes in pieces and Fresh Organic Tropea Red Onion PGI: the strong flavour of the roveja dominates the soup without the need for stock cubes or flavourings.
• BOILED ON CROSTINI AND BRUSCHETTE: serve it as per tradition, just boiled on toasted crostini with a drop of raw oil - perhaps with Cetara anchovy fillets in oil, a tribute to the shepherds' farecchiata; for a gluten-free version, use the following as a base Organic rice galettes.
• TOASTED IN THE OVEN AS A CRISPY GARNISH: once boiled, dry it and toast it in the oven with a drizzle of oil: it becomes a crunchy and protein-rich garnish for first and second courses - try it on a cream of Organic Beetroot Red Turnip, where the contrast of colors is as spectacular as that of textures.

The Manufacturer: Dolci Giuseppina

Dolci Giuseppina is a family-run farm in Monteleone di Spoleto, the highest municipality in Umbria. On land inherited from their grandparents, at about a thousand meters above sea level, the family grows the famous mountain spelt along with barley, ancient legumes—including the rare roveja, one of the farm's most beloved seeds—and saffron, using methods that preserve the soil's fertility and authentic farming tradition.
 
 
 

Food container

Once opened, store the roveja in a glass jar in a cool, dry place, away from light and heat: this way, it maintains its fragrance and properties intact down to the last grain.
 
 
 

Ingredients

Organic Roveja. Allergens: may contain traces of GLUTEN.
 
 
 

Nutritional Values ​​(average values ​​per 100g of product)

• Energy value: 305 kcal (1283 kJ)
• Fat: 1 g, of which saturated fatty acids 0,2 g
• Carbohydrates: 39,7 g, of which sugars 2,2 g
• Fiber: 22,9 g
• Protein: 22,8 g
• Salt: <0,002 g

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