Long before Roma was built, the Samnites, a population that migrated and blended with the descendants of the Italic Oschi or Opici, settled in the territory corresponding to the regions of Abruzzo, Molise, most of Basilicata and part of Campania.
Although the Roman historians report a treaty with the Samnites in the year 354 BC, it is presumed that the Samnites dominated the territory since the VII or VI century BC.
The principal economic activities of the Samnites were sheep farming, agriculture and trade. Wheat, olive oil, sheep, cattle, milk by-products, woolen material and clothes manufactured by their women were traded in markets established at stop and rest points of the “tratturi”. The “tratturi” are grassy paths that the shepherds used to move heard of goats, sheep or cattle from the highland to the planes. The “tratturi” are still visible today and were used until a few centuries ago; these ancient routes influenced the economy and history of the Samnites.
The region was organized in a confederation united in the defense against enemies. The Samnites considered military preparation of basic importance and young men trained in war games and often sent to fight as mercenaries.
They introduced new strategies to the art of war and developed the square shield. They fought the Romans in three wars, they won the second war, but lost the last war in 290BC and the Samnites retreated in the mountains but never completely surrender their fighting spirit, not even when in the year 82BC Lucius Cornelius Sulla destroyed all the cities and villages in Samnium and killed or dispersed the population.
The Romans used the Samnites as gladiators; many were used by the Romans for their training as public officials. Pontius Pilates, Roman governor of Judea, was probably a Samnite.
The proud people living in this area put up a struggle against the Greeks, the Romans, the Papal State and any other domination and the only way to control them was to isolate them in their beautiful valleys and mountains unspoiled even at present.
Surrounded on the north by the Marche, west by Lazio and south by Molise, the region of Abruzzo spreads out from the Apennines Mountains to the Adriatic Sea. The landscape is austere with a primitive beauty, untamed mountains and oasis of unspoiled territories where the National Parks of Abruzzo, of Sirente-Velino, of Majella-Morrone and Gran Sasso-Laga are located. In particular the Park of Abruzzo is a refuge for wild wolfs, for the Marsican Bear, for wild boars and numerous animal species.
The mountainous terrain of the region does not favor agriculture and sheep rearing is the predominant economic activity. The roasted or baked lamb is the preferred dish, and the baby lamb is stewed with onions, celery, olives, dry tomato and wine. Mutton cooked with onions, tomato, pork, rosemary and white wine is a special occasion dish and its sauce is used as a condiment for the pasta served with it. Suckling pigs are roasted, the older and taster pork end up as sausages, salami, or prociutto.
Cheeses and sheep milk products are manufactured; the saffron mozzarella is a local specialty. The costal strip facing the Adriatic Sea is narrow and has no inlets and has no good ports. Varieties of fish are caught and are a good source of food. The rivers and lakes provide trout and carp in large quantity, and the ingenuity of the people found original ways to cook it.
The province of Teramo is famous for the ‘ndocca-‘ndocca, a stew made with pig skin, ears, snout, feet and small chunks of meat boiled for a few hours in water with herbs and spices and when tender is cooked for an additional hour with the addition of chopped tomato. Stoccafisso, dry cod fish, is stewed with tomato, celery, onions and abundant red hot pepper.
In L’Aquila trout are stewed with tomato or baked with herbs and the locally produced saffron; in the area liver sausages are made sweet with honey and hot with red pepper called pazzo, crazy. L’Aquila is famous for the panarda, a banquet for important and great festivity consisting of a meal of many courses, over forty, and lasting for almost 12 hours.
The southern part of the region was inhabited by Samnite tribes, they were mostly hunters and fishermen, their cooking was done on the spit or in the oven; they consumed a lot of legumes and milk products.
At the mouth of the river Pescara, the harbor city of Pescara was founded.
Pescara has one of the largest fishing fleet in the Adriatic Sea.
Fish is part of the local diet together with local vegetables and legumes.
Skate and palumbo, the sand shark, are prepared alla Scapece, fried and marinated a few days in a sauce made with onion, oil, vinegar garlic, sometime saffron produced at L’Aquila, octopus is made al Purgatorio, in purgatory, with a spiced tomato and red chili pepper sauce; fillets of mackerel are baked with breadcrumbs after being marinated in a mixture of vinegar, oil, garlic, capers and chili pepper.
In Chieti many types of pasta are made, but the area is mostly famous for the maccheroni alla chitarra, square spaghetti, usually served with a tomato and pancetta (not cured bacon) sauce and the local pecorino cheese.
Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and Montepulciano are among the most popular wines.
This small and beautiful region is outside the tourist paths. Campobasso is the capital of Molise. It once produced swords and blades and now the industry has changed and it now produces knifes and scissors. The town of Termoli, the largest seaside resort in Molise, provides for the mostly Italian vacationers, a favorite summer destination with its beautiful beaches, tourist attractions, historic artifacts and a hospitable and vibrant people.
The province of Isernia is in the mountainous area known for its unspoiled beauty and for the abundance of artifacts dating back to the Paleolithic era. The town of Agnone is famous for its artisan factory that produces bronze bells, forged by the Marinelli Foundry, established over one thousand years ago; it is the oldest in the world.
The food in Molise shares the traditional cooking of the neighboring regions as they share traditions and history but the diversity of the terrain produces extraordinary ingredients that give to the local cuisine its own personality.
In the hills of the west region, smoked and cured prociutto, soppressate salami and sausages preserved in olive oil are produced and shipped to the European markets. From the sheep, goat and cow milk cheese is produced as scamorza, a pear shaped young cheese, caciocavallo and pecorino.
The region produces olive oil famous since ancient times and the Colavita family exports the extra vergine to the U.S.A.
The gastronomy of the region is based on fresh vegetables, cheeses and soups made with chickpeas, beans and the plentiful lentils cultivated in the area. Cauliflower and asparagus are eaten fresh from the fields, simply boiled and sprinkled with olive oil and lemon. Eggplants are baked in a mold with cheese, other vegetables, herbs and spices: so delicious and fulfilling that it can be served as an entrée or a side dish.
The white truffles, tartufi bianchi, that germinate only in Molise and Piedmont, are used to make bruschetta and to grate over pasta or risotto, the dark truffles, tartufi neri, are grated and used in cooking for their strong flavor.
An antipasto offered in one of my trips to Molise consisted of bruschetta with tartufi bianchi, an assortment of cheeses, the manteche, smoked scamorza stuffed with butter, various kinds of salami and the best soppressate I ever tasted; the piccellate, some sort of slightly sweet pizzette, wereserved with the antipasto.
The calciuni, fried turnovers stuffed with ricotta, prociutto and cheese, are good for a snack or appetizer.
Suckling pig, the porchetta, is made roasted; muttons and lambs are the preferred meat. Pork is simply sautéed with the tasty local olive oil, onions, garlic and scented with the delicate marjoram, the oregano like herb. To make coniglio ripieno, rabbits are marinated overnight in wine and vinegar, stuffed with chopped veal, herbs and spices, and baked slowly. The easy to make coniglio alla Molisana-rabbit Molise style is stewed with potatoes, sausages and diavolini, the hot chili red pepper.
The wild boaris marinated for a few days in red wine and various vegetables, after being larded with garlic and black pepper; then it is sautéed in olive oil and wine and baked for a few hours with the juices of the marinade and some tomato sauce. Lamb is stewed in wine and tomato and served with roasted peppers: the sauce is used for the pasta, usually the cavatelli. Sausages, poultry and game are stewed, baked or made on the spit.
In Campobasso the caponata is a local typical dish different from the Sicilian Caponata. It is made with all wheat crackers called taralli softened in vinegar and water, sprinkled with a mixture of stewed chopped tomato, onions, celery, anchovies, olives, abundant olive oil and covered with hard boiled eggs. Baccala’, the salted cod fish, is cooked with garlic, peppers, onions, raisins, cappers and olives; the baccala’ natalizio is salted cod with celery, parsley, walnuts, chestnuts and white wine.
In the sea coast the red mullets, anchovies, swordfish, calamari and frutti di mare supply the basic ingredients to fine fish dishes and their famous soups.
In the region there are numerous factories that produce dry, excellent quality pasta, exported worldwide and available in the U.S.A.’s supermarkets.
The pasta dishes produced are many and the meat sauce made with lamb or pork is preferred. Cif e ciaf is a specialty made with chunks of pork meat sautéed with carrot, onion, celery and peperoncino- hot pepper- and wine, then slowly cooked with tomato sauce; the sauce is a robust and spicy pasta condiment.
Pasta is also made with vegetables or fresh legumes in season and served with pecorino cheese and lots of peperoncino, chili pepper. The chili pepper, also called diavolini, is used extensively as a condiment, as a therapy for many sicknesses and as a remedy against the evil eye….
Wines are produced and consumed locally. Biferno red and Pentro di Isernia and Molise DOC are few of the well known wines of Molise.
Among the many homemade desserts there is the sanguinaccio, pig’s blood with honey, raisins, candied orange peels and the calzone a fried turnover shaped pasty, stuffed with boiled and pureed chickpeas. A deluxe version is made with the addiction of cinnamon, candied orange or lemon peels and sweetened with honey. At Christmas cocoa and local liquor is added. In season pureed chestnuts replace the chickpeas.
A baked dessert called picallati or colac is like a turnover in the half moon shape, it is made with pasta frolla – short dough- stuffed with wine must, honey, nuts, figs, apples, candied orange peels, cinnamon and cloves.
The circerchiata are small honey balls made for Christmas, and for Easter the picillato, sweet bread made with flour and potatoes and the half moon shaped casciatelli made with flaky and delicate dough and stuffed with a cream made with ricotta, sugar, cinnamon and candied diced fruits.
