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At the foot of Gran Sasso
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| Abruzzo in the southeastern part of Italy is a region of many landscapes, blessed with cool mountains, a long, populated coastline and a host of tranquil small villages and hill towns in the interior. A journey through Abruzzo is like taking a number of trips. An important part of discovering any region is getting to know its gastronomic culture, here a veritable treasure-trove of interesting traditions as well as flavors. |
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OLIVE OIL, SPELT AND HOT PEPPERS |
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| Long known as a region blessed with a rich culinary patrimony, Abruzzo has recently come into the limelight due to the renewed interest in Italy's most authentic wine and food traditions. The local olive oil is an excellent case in point. The olive growers in this region have been able to transform their natural bounty into an olive oil imbued with an unusually pleasant taste, a delicate, fruity richness. For something a little spicier and hotter, you can try the local hot peppers, the "diavolicchio", or "little devils", as they're called in Abruzzese dialect. Known for their beneficial properties, they are a central ingredient of the local cuisine. The mountainous regions is the home of spelt, a cereal that can withstand even the most frigid temperatures and, along with durum wheat, constitutes the primary ingredient in the local pasta, which has a long tradition in Abruzzo. There is the very original handmade macaroni that is made with a special utensil, the ferretto, as is the custom in the central and southern part of Italy, or the more famous guitar macaroni, not to mention the wonderful, tasty soups featuring pasta. |
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THE NATURAL DELICACIES OF THE MOUNTAINS |
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| The interior region of Abruzzo, dominated by Gran Sasso Mountain, which the local natives refer to as the Slumbering Giant, changes its cloak with surprising agility, depending on the season. Refreshing and green in the summer, it affords a variety of interesting trekking excursions under the shade of its ancient ash trees, while also ensuring an exciting ski season in its white guise during the winter months. The typical mountain dishes are as hearty as they are nutritious. Spelt is featured in the rich soups, along with fennel and beans. Wild mushrooms are used in a thousand fascinating dishes. Meat is also found in a variety of versatile preparations. For example, the traditional mazzarelle alla teramana, a combination of different lamb entrails that are cooked wrapped in endive leaves, constitutes the opening course of the traditional Easter meal. One should also be sure to try turkey alla canzanese (Canzano is a small mountain town in the province of Teramo near the coast) and the very original lamb "cac'e ove", which is prepared with egg and cheese, an emblem of the region's inland cuisine. By attending the various local festivals held in the towns between Castelbasso and Colonnella in the Teramano Hills, one will have ample opportunity for tasting the classic roast meat dish: kebabs. These are lamb and mutton that have been cut into cubes, skewered and grilled over a fire. Given the robust nature of all these foods, it's best to opt for a nice bottle of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, which will enhance these delicious dishes. |
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No trip through the region's ancient hill towns, perched triumphantly on the tops of high hills, would be complete without stopping to taste the local cheeses, primarily made from ewe's milk, the pride of the local pastoral tradition. Passing through the charming little town of Vittorito, a wine town that is surrounded by pine and maple woods in the province of Aquila in the northwest of Abruzzo, one has an opportunity to sample some of the delicious Abruzzese scamorza, made from sweet cow's milk. The ideal accompaniment for this cheese is a nice glass of Cerasuolo, a mellow, cherry-red wine with a fruity bouquet.
The taste tour then moves on to discover a cheese called cacioricotta (the most famous example being that of Castelnuovo San Pio in the province of Aquila) and the incomparable giuncata, a famous fresh cheese made from a blend of sheep's and goat's milk: flavors that are sometimes delicate, sometimes rather sharp. These cheeses go very well with a dish called virtù, a practically ritualistic preparation that is always eaten on the first of May in the Teramano Hills. Virtù soup has a tradition that goes back a very long way, dating from the days when, at the end of winter, what remained of the provisions were put together with the fresh spring products in order to celebrate the beginning of the fine weather. The result is a stew that is as rich as it is varied, featuring vegetables, legumes, meadow herbs, spices, cheese, lard, various meats, durum pasta, egg pasta, dry bread and olive oil. It takes a very long time to prepare and so nowadays, rather than going through the hassle of fixing it at home, the time-honored tradition is maintained by enjoying this complicated treat in restaurants. A hearty Controguerra Rosso is the perfect wine to bring out all the flavor of this venerable dish. |
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 Ristorante Elodia
S.S. 17 bis del Gran Sasso
. Camarda (L'Aquila)
Tel: 0862.606219 - 606024
Fax: 0862.608839
e-mail: elodiar@tin.it
sito: www.elodia.it
Closed: Sunday evenings and Mondays
Seating capacity: 35
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