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Your Abruzzo Culinary Tours experience can be customized to fit your group's needs.
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| Useful links about Abruzzo: | |
| Italy Tourism | |
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Some people visit Italy just to see the famous museums and cathedrals, the ancient ruins and renaissance art. Italy is a land full of history where one can almost see the gladiators and jeering crowds in the Colosseum and hear the Roman soldiers riding across the mountains. Nowadays Rome and Naples are huge chaotic metropolis that have somehow managed to keep the old and mix it with the new, somehow building right around the baroque Trevi fountain, Piazza Navona, and even the Pantheon. Places where Roman Emperors once stood are now zipped through on mopeds. It’s all quite breathtaking and exciting! So what do you do when you’ve already visited the most famous places? You’ve already traipsed around Rome, rode the gondolas in Venice, and visited museums under the Tuscany sun in Florence. You’ve already been shopping in Milan for designer labels, been blessed at the Vatican and seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Tuscany. A true Italy fanatic might feel the need to go as far as Cinque Terre or the Amalfi Coast, where the colors around you come right out of a painting. There are also the Italian islands – Sicily, Capri, Sardegna and many others. For a medieval thrill, many visitors to Italy head to Tuscany and visit Siena, San Gimignano or Cortona in the Valdichiana. But travelling in Italy other than Tuscany is possible. Heading toward the Adriatic coast, one might stop in Bologna and then go to lie on a crowded beach in Rimini. But there are other parts of Italy that aren’t so well known yet, like the great region of Abruzzo. Abruzzo Cibus is the perfect guide to discovering Abruzzo. |
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| Abruzzo Tourism | |
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One of the most rugged parts of Italy is the region of Abruzzo and its little neighbor Molise. Because of the large area of mountainous terrain, including the highest points of the Central Appennine mountain range, Abruzzo has been quite isolated from the rest of Italy for centuries. This physical isolation has preserved most of the traditions, cuisine, and handicrafts of the locals. Handmade ceramics in Castelli have been famous since the Etruscan times and centuries later the ceramics are still exquisite, making perfect souvenirs. Similarly, Bussi sul Tirino is also a haven for handmade ceramic production. Abruzzo, in specific Piana di Navelli is known for its saffron, grown in the plateau of the Aterno. For centuries, sheep breeding has been a main livelihood, accounting for the famous Tratturi all over the area. Along each Tratturo leading from the mountains down to the Adriatic sea and back, there are lovely villages where each family still makes their own cheeses made from sheep’s milk. Guided tours are the best way to discover Abruzzo hot spots. |
| Visiting Abruzzo | |
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Abruzzo Travel: The Abruzzo region is made up of 4 provinces: Pescara, Chieti, Teramo and l'Aquila. Every province has a capital city or comune. Abruzzo has 305 towns and villages. The province of Chieti stretches along the Adriatic coast from Pescara to the Molise border, with numerous wide clean beaches, all of which have received the exclusive Blue Flag eco-label award for cleanliness and safe bathing areas. Although this province faces the sea, it is a mainly agricultural province producing grains, rich in vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees (especially in the hills along the coast between Chieti and Vasto. Some other interesting and fun sights to visit in Abruzzo are Lanciano with its "Santuario del Miracolo Eucaristico" (the sanctuary where host was turned to flesh and wine to blood during a holy mass in the 8th century A.D.), Guardiagrele with all its architectural beauty and artistic use of natural resources (i.e. rock from the Majella mountain), Pescasseroli for nature hikes on well-defined paths and horseback riding in the mountains, Schiavi d’abruzzo with its archaeological ruins of Italic Temples (Templi Italici) from the 2nd century b.C. and other finds from roman, pre-roman and medieval times, and Crognaleto with its famous Madonna della Tibia. There are also a number of fishing ports with their famous Trabocchi in Francavilla, Ortona, Vasto and San Salvo. Abruzzo Tours: Check out our Abruzzo travel guide that we offer and our 2008 itinerary. Write us about the 2008 prices and also enquire about reservations for 2009. We offer a special discount for advanced booking. Abruzzo is affordable and not expensive. Plus Abruzzo has many low cost airlines, such as Ryan air that fly in to the Pescara airport. |
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Culinary traditions in Abruzzo and Molise: Many foods have been perfected in Abruzzo. Confetti are made all over Italy, but the confetti from Sulmona and Agnone are famous all over the world. Agnone is also famous for its production of excellent Mozzarella and Mozzarella di bufala (Buffalo), ricotta and a variety of other specialty cheese. Their top specialty is the Cacio cavallo. This is a sharp cheese that is aged for the right amount of time -- around 4-5 months. It also has a funny shape. A food & wine tour in this area covers everything from gourmet seafood to homemade caciocavallo cheese. Many of the inlanders (who only live about 20 minutes from the sea by car) to this day prefer their Ventricina salami over an oyster. In Vasto one must try the Brodetto alla Vastese (fish soup), made with the seafood and fish available at the time and often served on large slices of crunchy bruschetta. An age-old tradition in Abruzzo is the Panarda, which is a food feast with over 30 courses that lasts all night until sunrise. There's never enough time to see everything in Italy. What's important is that the quality of your visit remains a good memory forever, and that you take nostalgia for Italian life home with you. |
| Abruzzo Cheeses | |
| Amongst the many varieties of pecorino cheese, cheese from the village of Farindola merits a special mention. The village is located on the slopes of the Gran Sasso, not far from Penne and Loreto Aprutino. It is a very strong type of pecorino born with the help of rennet taken from a pig’s stomach cut into strips and then “bottled” with red wine. Although now a rarity, salamis in the Abruzzi are made not only from pork but also from sheep. One of the areas where this tradition survives is Anversa degli Abruzzi, a small village located between the Parco Nazionale di Abruzzo and the Parco Nazionale della Maiella, near Scanno. | |
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Soft Pecorino: A sheep’s milk cheese. Aged for at a few days. Soft and easy to cut. Hard pecorino: A sheep’s milk cheese. Aged for at least 6 months up to two years. Hard cheese, not very easy to cut, with a sharp and pungent flavour. Cacio cavallo or caciocavallo: The Italian name of the cheese caciocavallo means "Cheese on horseback". The name comes from the fact that the curd is left to dry by placing it 'a cavallo', i.e. straddling, upon a horizontal stick. This cheese is shaped like a tear-drop or a hanging man and is similar in taste to aged provolone. It is very popular also in the nearby region of Molise, especially in the town of Agnone. |
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Caciotta d’Abruzzo: Cow’s milk or sheep’s milk or a combination of the two. Aged for just for less than a month. It’s a soft cheese and it is a common one. Very easy to match to any kind of food. Scamorza: An excellent cheese for baking or stuffing or pizza topping. Belongs to the mozzarella family. It is a plastic curd cheese. It’s a fresh cheese and the shelf life is about 4-5 days. Scamorza affumicata: Smoked scamorza. See above description. It’s a great cheese for people looking for a mild smoked flavoured cheese. Caciottina al tartufo: Small caciotta, with shredded truffle inside Caciotta al peperoncino: Cheese with shredded dry peperoncino inside. Not very spicy. |
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| Abruzzo Cured Meats | |
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Salamis and sausage in Abruzzo are still made by each family or butcher, which means that you never get processed meats, colorings, or preservatives in them. Every butcher in L’aquila has their own special recipe for Fegato Dolce. Other rarities are Mortadella or mortadelline di Campotosto, Coppa di Campobasso, Fiaschetta Aquilana, and Prosciutto di Basciano. More diffused are the Cacciatorini DOP (Small seasoned sausages), Fegato Pazzo, Lonza, Salame di Pecora, Soppressata, Ventricina and last but not least, Porchetta, which is eaten at the end of every Italian wedding as a sign of wealth and plenty (although most guests cannot eat another bite at the end of an Italian wedding)! We believe that cooking classes should be part of every culinary vacation. Our all-inclusive active holidays give you the opportunity to experience the Italy that’s not in the guidebooks. Besides its ancient history and famous art, Italy isn’t Italy without its food and wine. But there’s much more to Italian food that pizza and pasta. Travel with a guided tour means that you don’t end up in the touristy restaurants that never represent real Cucina Italiana anyway. Whether the traveller wants to visit small Abruzzese villages like Gessopalena or Santo Stefano di Sessanio or just have a 1-day cooking class, or to be immersed in the speciality cuisine that defines this region with a 7-day cookery holiday with many lessons, we offer customized tours and welcome you to enjoy the real Italian life. |
| Abruzzo Wines | |
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Italian wines are famous all over the world for their simple heartiness and uncomplicated perfection. The Abruzzi area has been noted in history for its viniculture as far back as the 7th century b.C. Throughout history, noted poets and storytellers have written about wines in Abruzzo and when the Medici family lost their hold in Abruzzo in the mid 18th century they left behind a well organized production of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, along with the Tuscan wine Sangiovese. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is now one of Italy’s most popular red wine. These vines are also used for the production of Cerasuolo (rose wine). One of Italy’s best white wines, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo is soft and aromatic, perfect with local seafood dishes. Other delicacies in the area are the Pecorino dessert wine, and the homemade liqueurs like Limoncello. The lemons grown along the coast in southern Abruzzo and Molise make some of the best Lemoncello in the country. Several other delicious after-dinner liqueurs are produced in Abruzzo like Ratafia, Genziana, and more. There are many wineries spread throughout Abruzzo, and as a matter of fact Abruzzo has one of the largest amount of wineries per capita. Here are the typical Abruzzo vineyards:
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| Abruzzo Liqueurs | |
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| Abruzzo Olive Oil | |
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The most common olives in Abruzzo are the Leccino variety. They produce a very mild olive oil. The other kinds of olives available are the Tortiglione, Frantoio, Carboncella, Dritta and Gentile di Chieti. Abruzzo has one of the largest productions of olive oil. A recent statistical study showed that Abruzzo is the second largest producer of olive oil in Italy. This becomes very apparent in the landscape as you drive across the region. |
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| Abruzzo Recipes | |
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Ragu’ di Agnello – Lamb sauce A very old, traditional Abruzzo recipe! Ragù is a meat and tomato sauce which is often served for Sunday lunch in many homes - especially during the colder months. |
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Ingredients (serves 4-6) salt and pepper |
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Dice the lamb if it is not ground. Heat 5 tbsp of olive oil in a
sauce pan with the whole garlic cloves and bay leaves. Add the
lamb and brown for 15 minutes. Add the wine, let the liquid
reduce and then add the tomatoes. Take the seeds out of the peppers, cut into thin strips and add to the lamb. Add salt, cover and simmer over a very low heat for about 2 hours. If necessary, during cooking, add a little water or broth. Serve this sauce with Rigatoni or Pasta alla chitarra. Serve with grated, aged pecorino cheese and a little freshly ground black pepper. |
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Pasta alla Chitarra Undoubtedly, the best known dish in the region of Abruzzo is maccheroni alla chitarra, macaroni pasta made on a guitar-like instrument. Traditionally these macaroni are supposed to be "fine like hair and light like feathers." It is obtained by cutting sheets of pasta dough with a traditional cutter called a "guitar", made of 2 sets of differently spaced wires stretched on a wooden frame, with a tilted board between them to catch the cut pasta. With the help of a rolling pin the sheets of pasta are pressed between the wires. |
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However, as we have made our way into modern times the same effect can be achieved by preparing a sheet of dough about 1/4 inch thick and cutting it into strips of the same width so that you have square shaped rather than cylindrical spaghetti (like long match sticks) This can be done by hand or with a manual pasta machine which generally has a set of rollers for kneading and thinning the dough and a set of cutters for cutting the sheet dough into noodles. The Imperia brand is a highly recommended machine which comes with cutting heads that will cut perfect fettuccine and the narrower taglierini (very close to the chitarra cut). Also, it is possible to buy something similar to "pasta alla chitarra" ready made. |
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Recipe for the pasta: |
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If you have a "guitar" (as shown in the photo), roll the dough
out very thinly and cut into rectangles the same size as the
area of the strings on the guitar. Lay each on the wires and
pass the rolling pin over it to cut the pasta into strips. |
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Other recipes from Abruzzo Melanzane Ripiene - Stuffed Eggplant or Aubergine Fiadone - Sweet Abruzzo Cheesecake Cacio e Ovo - cheeseballs Bucatini all'amatriciana Available on www.abruzzotoday.com |
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