The first time I saw tortarello abruzzese (“la turtarelle” in local dialect) at a local market a few years ago I could not understand whether it was a skinny courgette or an anaemic cucumber. The old lady who was selling it said that it was “tortarello” and it was “molto buono” in a salad. I bought four of them and got hooked since then.
Yard-long cucumber, or snake cucumber is a long (45-80cm) pale green vegetable from the gourd family, a little-known relative of cucumbers, zucchini, and pumpkin. Cultivated mainly in the province of Chieti, around Vasto and the valley of the Trigno river. It has a slightly more dense flesh and a sweeter taste than cucumbers. I tried to grow tortarello in my vegetable garden unsuccessfully: it needs a lot of space to spread its long branches and I try to cram too many things on the tiny patch of land that I have.
Every year, in June, I impatiently check the small green grocer’s nearby and farmer’s markets to see whether they have the delicious weird looking veg. There are never too many to choose from and the price is higher than that of your ordinary prosaic cucumber or courgette but it is worth every cent! Farmers grow tortarello abruzzese in very small quantities and it is somewhat of an endangered vegetable at risk of extinction. I have met people who have lived in Abruzzo all their lives and never seen or tasted this wonderful cucumber.
There are similar varieties of the yard-long cucumber in that grow in Molise, Apulia and Sicily.
I love eating tortarello, just like locals, peeled and chopped in salads with tomatoes, onions, a few oregano leaves and dressed with olive oil.
Featured image by Orticolando.it
Thanks for this article! My neighbour used to bring me these – huge pale cucumbers that he called ‘concombre’. I found some seeds called cucumber melon, and I am attempting to grow them this year in my orto. We have started a ‘food forest’ near Castelli in Teramo province and also have a big veggie patch. I am glad to have a better name for them (tortarella) and look forward to eating them chopped with tuna, mayo and black olives. I didn’t realize they were an Abruzzese specialty.
Thank you, Amanda. They are delicious. Locals often eat them chopped with some good olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.
Howdy, thank you for posting this. I am happy to find and grow a new flavor of cucumber thanks to your post. Keep up the great job!