South Italian Cooking

The Regione Abruzzo has a reputation of being something of a wildland: Inland it is mostly rugged mountains and valleys, and until not too long ago the primary economic activity was shepherding, which was even more important in the past.

Following the unification of Italy in the 1860s the new government passed laws hindering the migration of the flocks, and as a result the Abruzzo region became more isolated, an isolation that has only ended with the increase in tourism since the War -- summer mountaineering and winter skiing inland, and swimming, sunning and boating along the Adriatic coast.

People also come to enjoy the foods -- lamb and mutton, pecorino and goat's milk cheese, olive oil, wines, saffron (which has always been grown for use in medicines and dyes, but is now being used in the kitchens too), hot peppers, and more.

The cuisine? Like most peasant cuisines it's simple, but quite wholesome, especially in more modern interpretations that allow the use of some meat or oil (back in the peasant days there would have been little of either, nor much cheese for those who weren't well off). After lamb and mutton, pork was the meat of choice inland, with many people raising animals in a semi-wild state, allowing them to forage what they could find in the forests and butchering them in the fall. Along the coast, as one might expect, fish also plays a major part in the diet.

Recipes from the Abruzzo on Site.