Calabria

Once one of the most backward corners of Italy (being clobbered by earthquakes over the centuries, that have left it relatively bereft in the art and architecture departments) now struggling gamely to catch up. The source of the bergamot in your Earl Grey tea, the region has great seafood (alalunga, pesce spada, and the more unusual sardella).

The Calabrese like it spicy hot; among the meats, it's best known for its pepper red 'nduja. If something 'alla calabrese' is on pasta, it's a spicy tomato sauce, with pork and sometimes ginger. Pollo alla calabrese is chicken baked with potatoes, tomatoes, onions and cayenne.

The name Calabria comes either from the Greek kala ('beautiful' or 'good') or an Italic word for rock. In the 5th century AD it was the Byzantine name for the Salentine peninsula in Puglia, but the name 'migrated' west with the Byzantines when they were pushed westward by the Lombards; by the time the Normans occupied the toe of Italy in the 12th century, the name Calabria had stuck.

Some of the names look unfamiliar; our Italian pronunciation guide might help!