The food of the Abruzzo region is of such a high standard that people often say that a restaurant will not fail if the chef is from Abruzzo. The cuisine from this region is based on what is readily available in the local area as the dishes are often seasonal and made using only fresh, local produce. Here is some key information about food in Abruzzo.
Cured Food
In this mountainous region, the winters are often quite harsh. This affects the production of many foodstuffs. For this reason, the people of Abruzzo often spend the summer months curing meat and cheese that they can then use throughout the winter months.
Lamb Dishes
Lamb is the most common meat used in dishes in the Abruzzo region as it is plentiful because sheep live on the mountainsides. The flavor of the lamb is delicious as the sheep feed only on the mountainside grass.
Saffron
While in some places saffron is a delicacy that is extremely rare, it is widely used in Abruzzo’s cuisine. Crocuses, from which the saffron derives, are plentiful as the conditions in Italy are ideal for this flower. The growing of crocuses and the production of saffron is a viable business in this region due to the demand for saffron in the area and in other parts of the world.
Sheep’s Milk Cheeses
Most of the cheese produce in this region is made using sheep’s milk. Two of the local favorites are Caciocavallo and Scamorza. Both varieties are available fresh and aged.
Arrosticini
One of the most traditional dishes in this region is arrosticini. The meat used is taken from a castrated sheep and then cut into chunks. These are added to a skewer and then cooked over an open fire to give the meat a smoky flavor.
Maccheroni alla Chitarra
This is a pasta dish typical of the area that includes a type of flattened, spaghetti-like noodles that are coated in a lamb ragu. The ragu also contains onions and a dried chili pepper called diavolillo.P
Sources
- Main Image: Civitella Del-Tronto Italy Abruzzo – Pexels
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