Cupello Artichokes from Abruzzo

April 1, 2019April 1, 20192 Comments

At the end of March, market stalls in the Chieti province start selling a local variety of a delicious artichoke called Mazzaferrata or carciofo di Cupello. Locals say it is beautiful like a flower and sweet like a dessert. This particular variety is green-purple, without sharp thorns and has generous fleshy hearts.

Wild artichokes growing in the area around Vasto were mentioned in a travel diary of a Dominican friar visiting Abruzzo in 1575, so most likely they were already used in local dishes back then. A later document exists dated back to the 18^th century that confirms that artichoke of Cupello was cultivated by many local families and sold at the market in Lanciano . However, its cultivation on a commercial scale started only in the 1950s.

Today, the growers in the area of Cupello, Furci, San Salvo and Vasto sell three million artichokes, fresh, turned into pate or artichoke hearts in oil. Since 1965, in April, the village of Cupello celebrates the harvest with a festival “Sagra del Carciofo di Cupello” attended by thousands of people. Local restaurants and street food stands sell various dishes made with the prized artichoke: grilled, baked, boiled artichokes, omelettes with mint and artichoke, lasagne and even tiramisu with carciofo! The last festival, in 2018, was a record with 8000 people turning up to celebrate the humble thistle and eat over 12,000 artichokes.

This year’s festival takes place on April 25-28. The programme will be published shortly on the event’s website and Facebook page.

How locals eat it:

One of the most popular dishes in Cupello is artichokes stuffed with a mix of cheese and eggs. In spring, local restaurants also serve a soup with artichokes and beans. Locals will tell you that they do not throw anything from the precious artichoke. The leaves discarded when cleaning the delicious thistle are boiled with lemon juice to make a broth for risotto. You can also throw them in a juicer, simmer in a frying pan, mix with cooked stems, the water that you cooked them in and oil. Blitz the mix until it is smooth and you’ll have a Michelin-star restaurant worthy sauce.

Artichoke hearts are boiled with vinegar and preserved in oil.

Where to find:

Osteria La Volpe & L’Uva, Via XX Settembre, 33, Cupello.

A rather refined osteria, where the owner and chef Marcello Potente cookes hearty dishes heavily influenced by local traditions with a modern twist. Here you can taste pasta with an artichoke sauce as well as delicate baked artichokes, all from local growers.

Pizzeria Ristorante Lo Scarabeo, Corso Mazzini, 3, Cupello

A small simple place where you can taste a number of dishes with local artichokes (carciofo ripieno, pizza alla cupellese).

Check out this beautiful video to see how carciofo di Cupello is harvested and cooked.

Photos by Carciofodicupello.it

The most romantic places to stay in Abruzzo

February 14, 2019April 1, 2019Leave a comment

I get many queries from independent travellers asking about special places to stay in Abruzzo. It is hard to choose just a few as there are so many of them in every corner of the region. I, personally, prefer smaller ones with a character and unique philosophy. Here is my pick of the most romantic places to stay in Abruzzo that stand out from the rest.

Medieval magic

By far my favourite place to stay in Abruzzo! The extravagant prices might trick you into thinking that this is a luxury hotel. It is not. Sextantio Santo Stefano di Sessanio it is more of an experiential stay in a medieval mountain village. It is a “scattered hotel”, which means the reception, restaurant and rooms are located in different restored buildings dating back to the 13th-16th centuries. Everything has been done to preserve their character. Low ceilings, small windows, uneven walls blackened by age and smoke, dim lighting, and stiff, heavy wooden doors with large skeleton keys give guests a taste of humble living, along with old wobbly chairs, woodworm-scarred tables, and a few old jugs.

Don’t skimp on the price and get a superior room or a suite for the best views of the mountains, extra space and a freestanding bath in the bedrooms. Underfloor heating, locally-made natural toiletries, luxury handwoven bed covers, crisp white bed linens add a luxurious touch. Lit candles, scarce but strategically placed designer lighting and the magic atmosphere of the village make this place utterly romantic.

Camping in an olive grove

At Kokopelli Camping you choose a spot under an olive tree for your tent. The views from here are stunning: the picturesque village of Serramonacesca, majestic mountains of the Majella and Gran Sasso, romantic ruins of an ancient castle. You can rent a standard small tent or choose a spacious cotton-canvas bell tent equipped with a proper mattress, rugs, lamp, picnic table & chairs. For an extra romance and peace, come in June, early July or September and you’ll easily find a quiet corner, away from other campers. The camp owners, Jacqui and Kevin, keep chickens and a beautiful organic garden, so there is always a generous supply of fresh eggs and vegetables.

Colourful tree house

Feel like unleashing your inner child? Spend a night or two in this colourful tree house in Lentella. Created entirely from recycled materials by Ettore, a sculptor, and his wife Barbara, this cosy romantic abode comes complete with panoramic views over the countryside. A welcome aperitif is served on your arrival on a tiny terrace. Every morning, a delicious breakfast is sent up the tree in a basket. Barbara and Ettore run a small farm and you are welcome to wander around to get acquainted with two friendly donkeys, goats, sheep and chickens.

Renaissance farmhouse

Palazzo La Loggia is a lovingly restored 16^th-century farmhouse in a small village of Barisciano. Even farms looked utterly elegant in Renaissance times! The building has a beautiful loggia with round stone arches where you can sit on a hot summer day sipping a glass of wine. Vaulted ceilings, fireplaces in most rooms, antique furniture, grand pillars, tapestries and old family photos take you back in time. It is comfortable in any season: on a hot summer day sip a glass of wine on the beautiful loggia with stone arches, in cooler months cuddle up by a fireplace.

Ancient tower

The small village of Fontecchio is a perfect place for a romantic getaway. Surrounded by majestic mountains, this tranquil place has one of the best-preserved minuscule medieval squares complete with a fountain. At Torre del Cornone you can rent a teeny-tiny apartment located inside a tower that was used to send and receive alarm signals to and from the surrounding villages in the Middle Ages. You can admire the views of the Valley Aterno from small windows in the bedroom upstairs, which is accessed by steep and narrow steps. Breakfast is served in the small garden outside under a charming pergola overlooking the green surrounding countryside.

Want to add a wine tour or a bespoke culinary experience to your romantic stay in Abruzzo? Contact me and I will organise something special for you.

Nostalgic Wines Born in Stone

January 23, 2019March 28, 2019Leave a comment

To find the best wineries for my wine tours in Abruzzo, I do a lot of research (and drinking!). One of my latest discoveries is Chiusa Grande.

The Chiusa Grande winery started making organic wines before it became a trend. Its owner Franco D’Eusanio is often called a “vinosopher” for his unusual approach to wine making. He descrives himself as a vigneron, who rejects fads and seeks to be unique. Chiusa Grande wines are born as dreams first. Franco says that he creates a wine in his mind, thinks of the emotions it will convey and then he chooses the grape, vineyard and methods for realising his dream. He has the utmost respect for local traditions, draws on rural heritage and weaves both into the production process.

One of his latest creations is In Petra line: two wines, In Petra Rosso and In Petra Bianco, an elegant reverence for the ancestors’ ingenuity. Grapes are pressed and macerated in large stone vats, just as it was done centuries ago in the small village of Pietranico (called Petra Uniqua in the past). From the 1300s to the 1900s, the vineyards in the area were dotted with hand-carved stone vats where local farmers left the grapes to macerate for a short period and then brought the wine home.

The magic happens when the grapes come in contact with the natural stone. D’Eusanio says that it is somewhat of a mystery what exactly occurs in the stone vats at the chemical level but it certainly makes In Petra wines distinctively different from the rest of Chiusa Grande’s offerings. In Petra Rosso is 100% Montepuciano d’Abruzzo DOC grapes grown on the hills around Pietranico. The notes of blackberry, morello cherries, rosemary are balanced with a pleasant hint of spices, a well-pronounced minerality and savoury earthiness. I really like its slightly coarse character that reminds of the old days when farmers used wine to quench thirst while working in the fields.

In Petra Bianco is a blend of Trebbiano DOC and Pecorino. Drinking the wine you can easily imagine rolling in a summer meadows fragrant with honey, herbs and ripe figs. The wine’s clear-cut minerality balances out any notion of bucolic frivolity. After all, it is a wine made in Abruzzo, the land of no-nonsense hard-working shepherds and farmers.

Do you want to visit the best local wineries? I run wine tours in Abruzzo. Contact me to book your tour.

Traditional Christmas dishes from Abruzzo

December 17, 2018December 17, 20211 Comment

Christmas is almost here! Have you decided what you are serving for the festive family feast? If you are looking for ideas for traditional Christmas dishes from Abruzzo, here is a list of my favourite ones.

Thistle soup

Cardoon soup (zuppa di cardo) is considered a lighter festive dish, although, as calorie count goes, it is still quite rich. In Abruzzo, thistle stalks are called “Christmas greens” and the soup is traditionally made for pranzo natalizio, on December 25. Check out the recipe in my post about the Christmas thistle soup from Abruzzo.

Baccalà fritto in pastella

On Christmas Eve, most households in Abruzzo sit down for a meat-free meal. The tradition is to have fish instead. Baccalà (salted cod) is devoured in large quantities on December 24. I am very fond of fresh baccalà fritters, or baccalà fritto in pastella. In old days, they were made in large quantities to last until the Epiphany on January 6. Although, you can buy baccalà fritters in some supermarkets, the best ones are made at home and eaten hot. Click on the image below for a video recipe that shows you step by step how to make them (in Italian with English subtitles).

Parrozzo

Parrozzo is a relatively recent addition to the regional cuisine. Luigi D’Amico, a pastry shop owner in Pescara, created the first parrozzo cake for his wealthy customers in 1919. He was inspired by the ancient corn bread called “pan rozzo” with a distinctive semi-spherical shape, bright yellow inside and a burnt black crust. D’Amico’s sweet luxurious version of the poor shepherds’ bread called for many of eggs, almonds and dark chocolate. You can buy an industrial boxed version of D’Amico’s parrozzo but, naturally, the best ones are made by artisans in small bakeries across Pescara. See this recipe for parrozzo in English.

Torcinelli

Torcinelli abruzzesi is another traditional Christmas treat. Different versions and shapes of this deep-fried dough with boiled potatoes dessert exist across Italy. Torcinelli is one of my favourite Christmas dishes from Abruzzo not only because they are tasty (especially freshly fried and hot!) but also because, like many other tipical dishes here, they remind about the region’s humble past when peasants came up with delicious recipes using simple local ingredients. Torcinelli were made on Christmas Eve while fasting, so it was a torture for kids to see chests full of these treats and not being able to eat them until next day. Watch this video recipe to learn how to make torcinelli abruzzesi. Don’t worry if your Italian is not up to scratch, it is easy enough to follow.

Caggionetti

As you can see, there is a lot of frying going on in Abruzzo coming up to Christmas. It takes a while to make these deep-fried sweet dumplings but they are totally worth it. The most common filling of chickpeas, cacao, grape must and cinnamon might seem like a strange combination for a modern palate but give it try. There is also a version with nuts, grape jam and must, which is popular in the Chieti Province. In supermarkets you’ll also find caggionetti with… oh, horror, Nutella! See the recipe for traditional caggionetti here.

For more traditional recipes see Recipes from Abruzzo e-book.

Best gifts from Abruzzo

November 27, 2018March 28, 20193 Comments

Let’s admit it: very few of us like the stress of Christmas shopping. Especially when you want to buy something special for your loved ones and can’t seem to find anything suitable. With only a few weeks to go to the holiday season, there is no time for procrastination. We all know that although there are plenty of food artisans and high-quality traditional crafts in the region but finding them online is a hell of a task if you want to buy gifts for Abruzzo lovers. I thought, a roundup of the best gifts from Abruzzo might make your life a little easier.

A gift for pasta lovers

One of the first things that come to mind when you think of Made in Abruzzo gifts is, of course, la chitarra (or “lu carratur” in dialect), a traditional pasta making tool. Every self-respecting Abruzzo cuisine lover must have one of this wooden frames with tight strings. You roll a pasta dough sheet over them (not as easy as it sounds!) to make delicious square spaghetti, pasta alla chitarra. You can buy one here.

Lace jewellery

The tradition of delicate bobbin lace from Scanno goes back to the 16^th century but there are very few women left, who still make it. Federica Silvani learnt the craft secrets from two old ladies in the village and together with the goldsmith Francesco Rotolo started creating exquisite jewellery. If you happen to be in Scanno, make sure you visit her beautiful workshop (Via Vincenzo Tanturri, 1). You can order rings, earrings, pendants or bracelets on her website or her Amazon shop. Prices start from €105 for a pendant on a silver chain.

Pizzelle maker

Another staple of Abruzzese cuisine is pizzelle (or neole, nevole, ferratelle, depending on where they are made as, it seems, every village in the region has a different name for them). Just a few decades ago, nearly every family had irons for baking the waffles on fire. Nowadays, electric makers are used. Check out this pizzelle baker for making thin crispy pizzelle.

Bed covers with history

Lanificio Vincenzo Merlino of Taranta Peligna has been manufacturing traditional high-quality Abruzzese blankets since 1870. Their stunning bed covers are made from pure wool or cotton. The factory has an online shop and ships worldwide.

Traditional ceramics

One of the most iconic Abruzzese ceramics designs is a centortavola, a bread plate, with cut-outs. This one is hand-made in the town of Villamagna and decorated with the old-style “Fioraccio abruzzese”, a floral design used for traditional kitchen utensils.

Wines from Abruzzo

Choose three bottles from some of the famous Montepulciano D’Abruzzo producers that will be sent to you in a gift box. You can’t go wrong with magnificent wines from Cataldi Madonna, Praesidium, Emidio Pepe! Buy a Montepuciano D’Abruzzo gift box here. Shipping within Italy and Europe only.

Abruzzo photo book

This photo book by renowned landscape photographer Michael Kenna is one of very few publications on Abruzzo and it is stunning. Printed on matt art paper it presents 65 stunning images of the region, published for the first time.

Foodie breaks

The greatest gifts are experiences rather than things. I organise foodie breaks in Abruzzo for those who are curious to explore the region’s culinary traditions. A break includes accommodation for two nights for two people, a hearty dinner in a traditional restaurant, wine tour and a cooking class. You will see off-the-beaten path towns, taste the best local dishes and enjoy excellent wines.

Vino cotto from Abruzzo: cooked and fermented to perfection

November 13, 2018March 28, 2019Leave a comment

The tradition of vino cotto (“cooked wine”) goes at least a thousand years back. Pliny the Elder mentioned it in his writings in the 1^st century as one of the most sought-after drinks of the time. Nowadays, few people know what it is. Historians say that vino cotto was born from the need to preserve wine made from low quality grapes. The best of harvest went to the landowner and hard-working farmers were often left with small sour grapes. Cooking them reduced the volume but increased the sugar concentration, which meant the wine could be stored for longer periods. From late spring to November, when normal wine turned sour (no technology to extend its shelf life existed back then) farmers drank vino cotto until the next harvest. Le Marche and Abruzzo are the two regions where vino cotto became part of the local cuisine. For centuries, a glass of vino cotto and a slice of bread were symbols of a welcoming home.

In Abruzzo, the area around Roccamontepiano is where the tradition is still alive. Pressed grapes are cooked slowly in a large copper pot (lu callare) on an open fire. In old days, a piece of iron chain covered with a terracotta plate was placed in the bottom of the pot to make sure that the wine doesn’t taste of metal. After hours of slow cooking, when the liquid is reduced by at least a half, it is left to cool down. Later, an equal quantity of fresh grape must is added and the blend is transferred small wooden barrels to ferment. One of the producers told me that in his family, every year, before going to the Christmas mass, a sip of vino cotto is poured for everyone, including little kids. His grandfather did it, as well as his father and he continues the ritual. For many centuries, locals have made a special barrel of vino cotto when a son is born in the family. It is left to age until the boy’s wedding day.

It was impossible to buy a bottle of this ancient wine until a few years ago. Families made the brew for home consumption but were not allowed to sell it. Then a few local enthusiasts in Roccamontepiano got together, applied for funding to buy industrial equipment and opened a small production centre. Now they produce limited quantities of exquisite vino cotto aged for five, eight or 15 years. Although the wine is cooked in a steel tank in less than 30 minutes it is still delicious. Every year they also organise a festival of vino cotto with tastings and demonstrations of how the wine was cooked in old days.

In Roccamontepiano, they say that the best cure for a cold is a small glass of hot vino cotto before bed. I love vino cotto with hot roasted chestnuts or almond biscotti dipped in it. Dark brown with an amber glow, the drink is rich without being too heavy. The dry fruit notes are rounded with a warm hint of wood and more than a thousand years of tradition.

Vino cotto is often confused with vin brulé and mosto cotto. What is the difference between them? Vin brulé is a hot spiced wine, like mulled wine. Mosto cotto is cooked reduced grape juice with must that is used for baking in Abruzzo.

You can buy vino cotto in the Centro di Produzione Vino Cotto, C.da Terranova, Roccamontepiano (CH).

Follow the Associazione Produttori Vino Cotto d’Abruzzo on Facebook here

Photos by Associazione Produttori Vino Cotto d’Abruzzo.

Dunk your tarallucci Abruzzo-style

September 10, 2018March 28, 2019Leave a comment

It has been a busy season here. I have met so many wonderful people from all over the world on my food and wine tours in Abruzzo. Everyone loves the local cuisine and sings praise to the region’s wines and hearty dishes. But there is one experience on my Pescara food tour that everybody is crazy about: getting a small glass of wine at the Don Gennaro wine shop and dipping pieces of tarralucci al vino, ring-shaped biscuits, in it. In Italian it is called “inzupparli”. For most of my clients, it is a new culinary experience and they often look at me as if waiting for an approving nod before dunking their biscuit in the wine, the gesture that somehow feels naughty and unfamiliar nowadays. It is an old tradition that takes us back to the days when locals drank wine not only to be merry but relied on it for extra calories. Farmers would pack tarallucci al vino or some other humble carb and plenty of home-made wine to re-fuel during a quick break while working in the fields.

I learnt about the dunking tradition from a friend’s nonna, who said that it was the best way to eat tarallucci. And she was right. The slightly sweet dense dough combined with a no-nonsense table wine tastes rustic and good. It won’t work with a fancy wine from a bottle, you need “vino sfuso”, or bulk wine, sharp and strong, to fully immerse in this authentic taste of Abruzzo.

Tarallucci al vino are easy and quick to make. It is one of those very old Abruzzese recipes that only calls for a few simple (vegan!) ingredients: flour, wine and olive oil. I added some sugar but in the past mosto cotto, or slowly cooked grape must, was a go-to sweetener. Use the ancient grain solina or wholegrain flour to achieve the slightly coarse, rustic texture. Tarallucci al vino can be made with white or red wine.

Tarallucci al vino

Makes 15-20 biscuits

Ingredients:

150 ml white wine (pecorino or trebbiano d’Abruzzo)

150g sugar

150ml EVOO

500g solina flour

Pinch of salt

Few pinches of fennel seeds

Preparation:

Mix the wine and olive oil with a fork in a bowl, add the sugar, then the flour, salt and fennel seeds mixing the ingredients thoroughly to create homogenous dough. If the dough is still too sticky, add more flour until it is elastic, soft and easy enough to handle with your hands. Do not overwork it or the biscuits will be too hard. Make a ball and leave the dough to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 190°C.

Take small amounts of the cooled dough, roll them slightly to make short thick cords. Connect the ends to make a fat ring. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden. If your rings are thin, reduce the baking time to 20 minutes.

When they cool down, dunk away in a glass of simple Montepulciano d’Abruzzo!

Ventricina Del Vastese

June 29, 2018March 28, 20191 Comment

Have you tried ventricina del Vastese from Abruzzo yet? It is famous across the region and, unlike many other cured meat artisan products, is never produced on industrial scale because of the costly meat cuts and labour-intensive preparation.

Large, between one and three kilos, round or pear-shaped pork salami with a strong intense flavour and bright orangey colour that comes from the ground red pepper has been produced in the southern part of the Chieti province since the 19^th century. Lean noble meat parts (70%) are cut with a knife into medium pieces, combined with fat pieces (30%) and, after a night’s rest, mixed with salt, black pepper, wild fennel seeds, garlic and red pepper (depending on the producer, it can be sweet or spicy). The salami has a natural casing, normally pig’s bladder. After being air-dried for 100 days, the ventricina is cleaned from the mould, dipped in lard and dried for another 3-5 months. In old days, ventricina del Vastese was cased in a pig’s stomach (hence the name, “ventre” = “stomach”) lining and each salami weighed up to 10 kg.

Traditionally, ventricina was never cut but broken into chunks. It was kept for special occasions, such as a grape harvest, local saint’s festivals, baptisms. Often, farmers gave the precious salami as a payment to a doctor or lawyer.

The ventricina della Vastese has a rustic chewy, on the hard side, texture. Like with many local artisan products, its taste and flavours vary from one producer to another, so make sure you try different ones to find your favourite. Locals eat the ventricina in thick chunks of hot pizza bianca (focaccia-style bread with no toppings) or traditional leavened bread, sliced tomatoes and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine.

Every year, in July, Vasto hosts a Ventricina del Vastese Festival during which you can taste the famous salami from local producers, watch cooking demonstrations and go on a walking tour of the city.

Join my food tours to taste ventricina alla vastese and other traditional cured meats.

Where to find:

Macelleria Di Nanno Paolo, Via Histoniense, 204, Vasto

Macelleria La Genuina, Via Provinciale, 8, Carunchio. Web: www.laventricina.it

Agriturismo Fattoria dell’Uliveto, Contrada Ragna, 59, Scerni. Web: www.ventricina.com

Agriturismo Villa Olmi, Contrada Santa Giusta, 1, Roccaspinalveti.

Check out the video below to see how ventricina della vastese is made:

All photos are by Ventricina.com

Sugared almonds from Sulmona for Harry and Meghan

May 16, 2018March 28, 20193 Comments

From Sulmona to Buckingham Palace, confetti Pelino will grace the tables at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle next Saturday. The royal family seem to be fond of sugared almonds from Sulmona as this is not the first time they have chosen the sweets from Abruzzo for a special celebration. Before it was Charles and Diana’s wedding, then William and Kate’s and now Harry and Meghan’s grand event.

According lo the local press, the British Embassy contacted the factory and ordered a small bouquet in the colours of the national flag: blue, white and red with the bride and groom’s names written on the white petals as well as several types of confetti for the wedding feast.

Confetti Pelino are renowned for their high quality. No flour or starch are added, only sugar and Avola almonds from Sicily. The classic recipe goes back to the 15^th century when the production of confetti started in Sulmona. Centuries ago, local nuns from the Santa Chiara convent wrapped the sweets with silk threads to make rosaries, flowers and elaborate artistic compositions. Today, the factories in Sulmona use coloured paper, organza and tulle fabrics to compose beautiful bunches of flowers, wedding favours, christenings and communions gifts.

In the Pelino factory, that has been making the sugared treats since the 18^th century, you can check out a fascinating museum telling the history of confetti production. There is a reconstruction of a confetti workshop with old confectionery machines, memorabilia, precious lace, porcelain, silver bonbonières used in the past.

Confetti are a great sweet gift to take home and you can stock up on all kinds, colours and shapes at the factory’s shop. I prefer the classic plain white confetti with almonds but there are also speckled, pink, blue, red ones, confetti with chocolate, hazelnuts, pistachio, coffee as well as confetti flowers and various artistic creations (bumble bees, ladybugs, grape clusters etc.).

Address:

Confetti Pelino

Via Stazione Introdacqua, 55
Sulmona
Tel. +39 0864 210047

Photos by Confetti Pelino/Facebook

Easter recipes from Abruzzo

March 26, 2018April 9, 20201 Comment

Easter time is wonderful in Abruzzo. Shops fill up with chocolate bunnies and enormous Easter eggs, orders for selected lamb pieces are being placed in local butchers’, pasta makers are rolling and cutting fresh pasta all’uovo for loyal customers and nonnas prepare gargantuan feasts for their families. Easter has always a big celebration even in poor rural households. Nowadays, many city dwelling Abruzzesi go to shops to buy baked Easter goodies but dye-hard traditionalists make everything from scratch, several days before the families gather at the table. Over the years of living in Abruzzo, I have tried many Easter dishes and have my favourites. Here is a quick round-up of the Easter recipes from Abruzzo that I love. If you want to learn secrets of Abruzzese cuisine book our Cooking with locals classes.

photo by annalachiccosa/Instagram

Fiadoni

The recipe arrived to Abruzzo from the aristocratic kitchens of Ferrara (some historians say it might have been the Medici court’s cooks who invented it) in the 1500s. Back then, these delicious cheese puffs were made with saffron harvested in the Navelli plains. As centuries passed, the precious spice was eliminated from the recipe and adapted to more humble kitchens. Today, to my delight, fiadoni can be found in many bakeries throughout the year.

Fiadoni abruzzesi recipe in English.

Soffioni abruzzesi

This sweet version of the traditional cheesy goodness calls for ricotta. It is light like a cloud, with a crumbly thin dough wrapped around a moist bright yellow filling. As with all traditional recipes, there are variations: il soffione can be one big cake or small muffin-likes creations called soffioni. Sometimes they are called fiadoni dolci but a savoury version also exists. Confusing, I know, but don’t try to figure out which one it is, if you see one, grab it and enjoy. As with most baked goodies in Abruzzo, the dough is made with olive oil, which makes it lighter. Check out this video below for a soffione cake recipe.

photo by ilaryys/Instagram

Pupa and cavallo cookies

In the 1800s, families of an engaged couple gave each other the cakes shaped as a doll and horse. Nowadays, the elaborately decorated cookies are made on Holy Thursday and given to kids: pupa dolls to girls, horses to boys. The most traditional versions always have an egg attached with two strips of dough. They are more difficult to find in shops but can be ordered in some local bakeries. The famous restaurant Brancaleone, for instance, takes orders a few weeks before Easter for their stunning pupa and cavallo and delivers the cakes to their café in Pescara.

Source: Ristorante Brancaleone/Facebook

Check out this simple pupa and cavallo abruzzesi recipe and unleash your inner Abruzzese child decorating them. Watch the video below for an easy to follow recipe.

Abruzzo With Gusto

Eat Your Way Through Abruzzo