GASTRONOMY, TYPICAL SPECIALTIES OF ABRUZZI CUISINE

Abruzzi is considered one of the Italian regions that have best managed to preserve its territory, both from the environmental point of view and historical and cultural values, wine and food included.

In recent years Abruzzi has experienced a great development in the field of wine production. This is evidenced both by the growing success of the DOC wines of Abruzzi on European markets and by many international awards that have been attributed to producers in the region. Although the Abruzzi’s typical grapes are Trebbiano and Montepulciano, in recent years has spread the production of Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Aglianico, Sangiovese, and Pinot. The most significant areas are the valley of the hills of Pescara and Teramo, Pescara and Chieti. With regard to the DOC wines of Abruzzi boasts the Montepulciano, an aromatic and flavour red wine, Cerasuolo, Trebbiano, delicate and dry, and Controguerra, fruity white wine of the zone of Teramo. It is possible to taste  these wines by visiting the various wineries that are located in the hinterland villages.

Traditionally one of the main food resources have been farming. Drawing on pork processing are yielded sausages, also in the liver variation, pickled in oil or lard, and the typical smoked ham of Introdadacqua and Cansano, mortadella of Campotosto, also known as the "mule's balls" and the ventricina, which can be spread on bread.

Sheep-farming has ancient origins here in Abruzzi and is deeply felt still today. Abruzzi cheeses are many and all very tasty, from sheep milk cheese, fresh or aged, playing a leading role in the regional gastronomy, to ricotta cheese, through giuncata cheese, which is produced in the mountains of Teramo, until marcetto cheese, characteristic of the valleys of the Gran Sasso and caprino cheese, whose production center is Faridabad. Worthy of note are without doubt scamorza cheese, also known as mozzarella made with cow's milk, caciotta cheese extracted from milk mixture and sometimes flavoured with peppers and caciocavallo chees which is produced in the highlands of the Majella.

Considering that the Abruzzi region is mostly mountainous and full of woods is easy to imagine how the most popular fruits in the region are the berries as blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries, but also apples, especially those quinces, from which we derive delicious jams. From the wood, namely the Monti della Laga ones, come the good mushrooms and chestnuts. The Orapa grow in the Marsica and Scanno area, a variety of wild spinach, very tasty, which is widely used in the kitchen to prepare pasta and omelettes. Equally tasty are the soups made with lentils from Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Navelli’s cicerchia, emmer and barley. Another product of the lands of Abruzzi is the red garlic of Sulmona, whose healing properties have been known for many centuries and vegetable pickled in oil. Saffron is another of the typical product of Abruzzi. It is grown and processed mainly in villages of Navelli, Civitaretenga, Caporciano, San Pio delle camere and Prata d'Ansidonia. The honey, in its flavoured varieties thyme, chestnut and acacia, and bee products including royal jelly and propolis are widespread in all the valleys of Abruzzi.

The most famous sweets of Abruzzi are undoubtedly the confetti of Sulmona and chocolate nougat by Nurzia brothers. In addition there are booklets of figs and dried figs, the Parrozzo appreciated by Gabriele d'Annunzio, the bocconotto with its variations the bocconotto of Lanciano (filled with chocolate) and Teramo one (internal grape jam and mixed ). Less famous but equally delicious are: mostaccioli, caggiunitt, ferratelle or neole, cicerchiata, zeppole and taralli which were previously produced only for domestic use while today can be found in all food stores.

Various liqueurs and spirits  are obtained drawing on herbs that grow on the mountains of Abruzzi, among them the gentian (root base of the homonymous plant) and the ratafia (based on cherries) are a very significant example. However, the most famous is the Centerbe of Tocco da Casauria, a strong liquor which is produced at the foot of the Majella by the company Toro.

Abruzzi’s oil is renowned and considered among the best in Italy for its flavour and quality and is marked by the quality label DOP, particularly important because of its peculiarities is the Preturziano oil growing on Teramo’s  hills. Oil production is tied to holy oil’s tradition, a first pressing oil where chilli peppers is let to soak, available in the finest restaurants.

Abruzzi is one of the largest producers of pasta. The richness of mountain water sources has led to the establishment and development of an important industry for the production of pasta, located in Fara San Martino, a village at the foot of the Majella. The homemade pasta is typical of the tradition and can be enjoyed at all the restaurants or buy in bakeries just made. The most common and rooted forms of pasta are the maccheroni alla chitarra, which derive their name from the wooden frame used to cut them, and that is still present in many homes; the maccheroni alla molinara di Bisenti, the sagne of Chieti, Lanciano ‘s rentrocele and the Popoli’s tondini. To these should be added the scrippelle, salted variant of the crepes, typical of Teramo, which are excellent in soup or dry.

This is much more represent s Abruzzi’s food and wine. For surfers who are not filled up yet, we continue our journey in Abruzzi cuisine approaching more closely at some of its traditional dishes.