Sulmona – gastronomic paradise

The undiscovered treasure of Italian gastronomy.

The Roman poet Ovid in 20BC described his birthplace, Sulmona, to be a region of fertile land and exquisite grain and wine. With its numerous natural springs and temperate climate Sulmo, (as it was then known), became a holiday spa town and remained so throughout the Roman Empire right up to recent times.

Abruzzo people over the centuries, have retained this strong bond between what they grow and cook with how they eat and live. Fishing and mountain sheepherding remain an established way to make a living. The highlands of Abruzzo produce exceptional lamb, cheese, truffles, saffron and red garlic whilst in the coastal lowlands of the Adriatic, you can find fishing communities that have retained generations-old traditions of how to catch and cook food from the sea.

Because Abruzzo has been socially isolated for decades, lifestyles for the many have not changed from generation to generation. It is not unusual, therefore, to still find ordinary families still raising pigs to yield cured meats. This bond between family, nurture, community, work and food is celebrated each summer in a food festival called La Panarda. Born out of myth and legend, this multi-course (between 35 to 50 courses) gargantuan feast is a culinary tradition and lasts all night! Not surprisingly, La Panarda is just one of many food and wine festivals hosted in and around Sulmona. In early Spring there is the Feast of Fuochi di San Giuseppe; the Feast of San Panfilo and the celebration of Confetti, the almond sweets that Sulmona is best known for. In June there is the colorful Feast of Cherries in nearby Raiano. In July, the Red Garlic Feast in the hills of Sulmona conjures up a variety of dishes cooked in locally grown red garlic and in the nearby historic town of Popoli, the Trout and Shrimp Festival celebrates the abundance of fresh-water fish emanating from the rivers mountain source.Then in August there is the international Wine Festival in Vittorito. Today Abruzzo wines and its olives are emerging as some of the finest that Italy produces.

If the saying is true, “you are what you eat…” people in this part of the world demonstrate it by living healthier and longer lives than in any other part of Italy. Whilst Roman, Neapolitan, Tuscan and Milanese cooking is famous the world over, it is Abruzzese cuisine that remains the undiscovered treasure of Italian gastronomy.

To find out more contact Victor at Legacy.