Saracena is a predominantly agricultural town, with the highest productivity in olive cultivation, passed down from father to son using traditional methods. This method involves organic fertilization with natural fertilizers. Harvesting takes place in the autumn, generally using the traditional method of hand-picking olives. The olives, selected from carefully chosen plants that have reached the right stage of ripeness, are first hand-picked and then taken to the mill for cold pressing with stone grinders. The paste obtained undergoes no treatment and is immediately layered on diaphragms (fiscals) and passed through a hydraulic press (cold pressing). The must is then separated from the vegetable water by means of a vertical centrifuge, and the so-called "oil must" is extracted. Finally, the oil undergoes decantation and is stored in underground tanks at the mill. These underground tanks maintain the oil at a constant and optimal temperature, protecting it from light, vibrations, air, and unpleasant odors. All processing phases are completed in a very short time to preserve the quality and freshness of the oil.

The timing, collection, type of processing, decantation, and storage, along with the complete absence of synthetic chemicals in every phase of cultivation and transformation, combined with favorable pedoclimatic conditions, result in a high-quality extra virgin olive oil with very low acidity. The production of this high-quality olive oil is described by some experts as the "Nectar of the Gods." The fame of our oil can also be seen in the presence of 16 olive mills in our territory.

Moscato di Saracena, in Calabria, is a wine with references in 16th-century writings, an era when it traveled from Scalea to the papal court. The unique characteristics of this wine are numerous, starting with the grapes used: moscato grapes from an indigenous vine, and the Guarnaccia, Malvasia, and Odoacra grapes (a highly fragrant and aromatic variety). The production process is particularly interesting, as it involves two different musts. The proportions of the different grapes can vary significantly, but typically, Guarnaccia and Malvasia dominate, with a small addition of Odoacra (locally called Odoraca).

After harvest, the grapes are hung on shaded racks to dry for about 20 days. This ancient technique, widely used in Italy, allows for a significant concentration of sugars and aromas. At this point, the best bunches are manually selected (usually by women), removing any with mold or defects. A very gentle, manual crushing follows, yielding the second must. The two musts – the "passito" and the "cotto" – are then combined to start a completely natural fermentation (using only the yeast present in the grapes), lasting up to two weeks. After two or three racking processes and about six to seven months, the wine is ready for bottling. Few local producers still make this wine, so most production remains home-made, and the average quality of Moscato di Saracena is not yet top-tier.

The wine has an amber color, a very intense fragrance, elegance on the palate, and a good persistence. It pairs perfectly, not only with classic dessert wines but also with luxurious Calabrian pastries, such as almond paste or bocconotti with orange marmalade. The resinous and aromatic notes combine with noble hints of dried figs, exotic fruits, almonds, and honey. On the palate, it maintains elegance and finesse, with a moderate persistence and a pleasant bitter aftertaste.

The Municipality of Saracena has established a Slow Food Presidia and participated in the Salone del Gusto in Turin from October 21 to 25, 2004. The project for the Moscato di Saracena Presidia, financially supported by the local administration, the Pollino National Park, and the Pollino Mountain Community, was submitted about two years ago to the Slow Food Presidia office. Thanks to the efforts of the Pollino Fiduciary, the international body for biodiversity protection considered the request seriously to protect the quality of this artisan-made dessert wine. This organization could become an opportunity for socio-economic growth for the town and a means of promoting tourism, environmental awareness, artistic exploration, and the region's enogastronomy.

Among the typical dishes are homemade pasta: maccheroni cavati con ferro, lagane e ceci, lagane con finocchio selvatico, orecchiette al pomodoro fresco, vegetable and bean soups, roast kid, lamb and kid liver fry, stuffed heads, mazzacorde, stuffed eggplant, belly and stewed cod. Also renowned are the cured meats such as soppressata, salsiccia, guanciale, capicollo, and prosciutto. Among the sweets, you'll find zuccariddri, taralli, cuddrure (typically Easter pastries), and cannaricoli made with moscato.