Home > The Tastes of Tradition > Meat and cheeses
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Meat and cheeses Mutton is cooked in a variety of ways from baked lamb, appreciated for its taste and the tenderness of its meat, to “Agnello cacio e ovo” (Lamb Stew with Cheese and Eggs) or “Arrosticini” (tasty pieces of roasted lamb). The “Pecorino” cheese (fresh or ripe) and the “Ricotta” cheese play an important role in the regional gastronomy. They are still homemade by many local shepherds, who sell directly to the public. Farindola, a village in the inland, has recently been awarded with a national prize for the production of an excellent and unique “Pecorino” cheese, the only one in the world made from pork cheese-rennet. The “Giuncata”, a sweet and delicate cheese made with curdled milk coagulated in rush baskets, comes from the mountainous area of the province of Teramo. Some other varieties of cheese are particular to the Abruzzo, such as “cacio marcetto” a kind of extremely tasty “pecorino” cheese, produced at the foot of the Gran Sasso Mountain. Some other very special cheeses are made from bovine milk (at times mixed with goat’s milk) such as ”Scamorza” also called “Mozzarella” locally, which is excellent to eat either fresh or roasted. On the highlands, in the Rivisondoli province and Pescocostanzo, some very good cheeses are produced: “Caciocavallo”, “Trecce”,” Bocconcini” and “Fiordilatte”, which all belong to the “Scamorze or Mozzarelle” family. And finally, a variety of “Scamorza” type cheese, produced in the province of Chieti, are called “Burrelle or Manteche”. Pork is considered the true peasants’ wealth and it is largely used in traditional dishes such as “Porchetta” (roasted pork) always served in Abruzzo food festivals. A large variety of “Prosciutto” (seasoned ham) and several sausage specialities, “insaccati” (salame). The most typical, is certainly the “Mortadella di Campotosto” produced in the province of L’Aquila, and the “Ventricina” produced in the mountainous area of Vasto, in the province of Chieti. |
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