Abruzzeo's Cusine
Is named “chitarra” a particular tool with metallic strings, which recalls to mind a guitar, used for “maccheroni alla chitarra”, a home made pasta, like quadrangular spaghetti.
Gastronomy
If in Abruzzo nature plays a determining role, it is then obvious that we find genuine ingredients in its typical dishes. The upmost expression of gastyronomy in this land where for centuries the economy has been based on sheep raising is lamb. Agnello cacio e ova, (lamb with cheese and eggs), pecora alla cottora, arrosticini (barbecued lamb), pecorino cheese, castrato. turkey alla Cansanese and porchetta roast with lots of herbs. The gastronomy features mountain sheep cheese (Pizzoli, Castel del Monte, Calascio), fresh and dried scamorza cheese, caciocavallo (Rivisondoli), cold meats and sausages of Campotosto, sausages at Scanno, and ventricina at Guilmi; honey, legumes (lentils at Santo Stefano di Sessanio, chick peas at Navelli, beans at Paganica) and potatoes at Avezzano. Then come the specialised products such as saffron (piana di Navelli), spelt and truffles, common in many inland areas.
There is also a rich assortment of sweets, Caggionetti (Christmas sweets), The Parrozzo, named by the poet Gabriele d’Annunzio, The Ester fiadone, the pizzelle, the neole, the mostaccioli, the pizza di pasqua and others. Famous is the traditional production of confetti (sugared almonds) at Sulmona, torroni at L’Aquila. The speciality is maccheroni alla chitarra, pasta with mixed meat sauce. Local specialites, well knowed all over Italy, are the Scrippelle m’busse and the virtù of Teramo, a soup made only in spring with seasonal and dried vegetables, cereals and legumes, various types of pasta and seasonings, plus of course the essential ham bone.
All along the coast you can taste brodetto di pesce (fish soup – the best known being those of Martinsicuro, Giulianova, Pescara, Vasto).
Excellent doc wines such as Montepulciano, Cerasuolo and Trebbiano and olive oil are found all over the Region.
