Read Aloud the Text Content

This audio was created by Woord's Text to Speech service by content creators from all around the world.


Text Content or SSML code:

Immerse yourself in the scents and flavors of Pescara, together with a special person. The Gustabruzzo team will accompany you to the famous village of Pescara Vecchia which was the birthplace of the poet Gabriele D'Annunzio, to begin your adventure to discover the culinary traditions of Abruzzo. This food and wine tour offers 4 tastings in different places in the village: start with a visit to the local market and discover seasonal products and secret ingredients. You will continue in the village of Gabriele D'Annunzio's native places, visiting the Museum of his birthplace and the Museum of the People of Abruzzo, tasting typical products such as cheeses and cured meats and recipes of traditional cuisine accompanied by locally produced wine, in the alleys of the village. The tour will end in a historic pastry shop in Pescara with the tasting of the dessert "La Presentosa" named after an ancient jewel of love, with the recipe of the dessert so praised by D'Annunzio: a delicious mixture of eggs and almonds covered of the finest chocolate. Campotosto Mortadella is produced mainly in the municipal area of Campotosto, in the Province of L’Aquila. This is handmade charcuterie, using finely-ground heavy pork, with a characteristic strip of lard (“lardello”) inside. It has a characteristic oval shape and is sold in pairs. A twig is inserted in the lower part of the mortadella and used to tighten the twine that slackens as the item matures. The size varies between 400g and 500g for a couple when fully mature. The meat is pink and the central lard is pure white, flavoured with natural herbs (the amounts vary depending on the recipe use, handed down over the years in producer families), which give the product its mildness and typical fragrant aroma. The cuts of meat for the preparation of the Campotosto mortadella are: shoulder, neck, loin, leg, belly. The proportion of the various cuts must guarantee 80% lean meat (minimum of 25% of ham) and 20% of belly. The meats are ground with a grinder that has a 2-4mm bore diameter grille, using very sharp blades to avoid fat disintegration. After grinding, the meat is flavoured and aromatised with salt (24-26g/kg), ground pepper (1g/kg), coarsely-chopped pepper (2 g/kg), herbs and white wine. The minced meats mixed with the flavourings are left to mature for no less than 24 hours at a temperature of 0-4°C. Separately, the large intestine is prepared by inflating it and cutting it lengthwise, then washing it carefully. This is used to wrap the entire “mortadella”. During processing 325g portions of the mixture are prepared and moulded manually to make the typical shape. At this point the 20x20x110mm strip of fat will be placed inside the “mortadella”.Then the “mortadella” is tied in pairs, with a double bridle using mediumgauge twine, and hung on wooden rods. Tradition dictates that the work be done only at times when there is no moon or when the moon is waning. The “mortadella” is exposed to smoke for 15 days, above hearths or braziers stoked day and night with oak or beech wood. Subsequently, in cold, open rooms the cured meat is exposed to the north wind, which is indispensable to guarantee first-rate drying. The best microclimate for this was found to be between Campotosto and Poggio Cancelli, at an altitude of 1300-1450m above sea level. About three months after mincing the “mortadella” is ready for consumption. In the past the domestic preparation of “mortadella” often used a “scifone” (a wooden container to encourage the intervention of lactic bacteria in curing the meat) where the filling the makers called “marretto” was stored and occasionally stirred. This process is still undertaken nowadays, to enhance the aromatic features of the mixture and allowing partial drying to take place (although the “scifone” is now replaced by modern containers). Currently “mortadella di Campotosto” (also known by the colourful expression “mule balls”) is produced only by a few families. There are many imitation products of the original “mortadella” on the market, but it is impossible to achieve the sensorial traits and, above all, the top-quality raw material of the original. “Pecorino di Farindola” is undoubtedly one of Abruzzo’s most distinctive cheeses, typical of a very limited area that partly includes some of the mountain communities of Vestina and Cermignano, on the border of Pescara and Teramo provinces, below the eastern side of the Gran Sasso mountain: Farindola, Penne, Montebello di Bertona, Villa Celiera, Carpineto della Nora, and Civitella Casanova in the Province of Pescara, Arsita and Bisenti in the Province of Teramo. This is compact, semi-cooked crumbly paste cheese, made from ewe’s milk. This Pecorino is unique in its use of pig rennet, which gives the product its typical aroma and taste. Preparation of the liquid pig rennet entails taking mucus membrane from the pig’s stomach, well washed and cut into narrow strips and kept in dry salt for 2-3 days. Next, it is put into a dark glass container to steep, with a mixture of white vinegar and white wine, with the addition of chilli pepper and, sometimes, a few grains of pepper. The membrane is left to steep for at least 3-4 months. The rennet is filtered through a sheet of white linen for at least 5-6 days before use and kept out of the light. The cheese is made by first filtering the milk into a cauldron to remove any impurities. The milk is then heated to 36-37°C and sometimes whey or starter cultures may be used to improve acidification by adding thermophilic microbial lactic flora. When coagulation temperature is reached, the liquid pig rennet is then added to make the milk clot, the amounts used being defined by the strength of the rennet itself and the acidity of the milk; the mass is shaken for a few minutes. This is then left to rest for the amount of time required to complete coagulation, usually about 20-30 minutes. The curds obtained are then broken up roughly with a skimmer and after a short pause the curds are further broken up into fragments the size of a grain of corn. The mass is left to settle at the bottom of the cauldron and it is heated in whey at a temperature of 38-40°C (sometimes it may be pressed delicately to the bottom and sides of the container to encourage the synaeresis process). When ready, the curds are hand-ladled into small baskets (called “fuscelle”), then set on the “tavolo spersorio” (a sloping workbench) to encourage whey to drain out. The cheese is then pressed by hand and after 30 minutes it is turned once, another 30 minutes are allowed to pass and it is turned again. The resulting shaped cheese in a basket is then replaced in the cauldron with the whey, which is heated to no more than 50°C. During this heating the form is pressed once again and, finally, removed from the cauldron; the basket of cheese is then left on the sloping workbench for about an hour. Lastly, dry salting takes place, scattering salt on the upper surface of the cheese and on the rim, turning it in the basket about 12 hours later, then scattering salt on the remaining surface. The salted cheese is left to rest for a further 12 hours in the basket. Finally the cheese is removed from the basket, washed and left to dry, aged in cool premises (temperature 10-14°C and relative humidity 85-90% ) for a period of 4-12 months. The product may be consumed fresh or when just aged, although its traits come into their own when it has matured to the full. In the past the cheeses were left to age in old wooden cabinets, nowadays replaced by cane trellis or wooden shelves, in naturally ventilated premises at room temperature. The cheese is dried for 20-30 days, when it is then known as “incerato” as it begins to develop a waxy rind. The surface of the cheese is partially treated with a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and vinegar. The treatment is dictated by the need to stop formation of mould and makes the cheese especially soft, preventing the rind from cracking. Farindola Pecorino is slightly piquant and has a strong fragrance derived from the plants found in the pastures and in the fodder used to feed the sheep. The unusual process of using pig rennet has very ancient origins and the cheese is thus one of the icon products of the Abruzzo region. Recently a Consortium of 26 producers was founded for safe-guarding Farindola Pecorino. This speciality of the Province of Chieti once again embodies the culinary genius of Abruzzo peasant culture, which was capable of using just a few delicious ingredients to create very tasty dishes that are still popular today. “Pallotte cace e ove” are balls of cheese and eggs, without meat, served with a tomato sauce. The mixture is prepared by mixing the beaten eggs with semi-mature cow’s and sheep’s milk cheese with one third breadcrumbs, garlic and parsley. The croquettes are firstly fried in extra virgin olive oil and then allowed to simmer over a slow heat for at least half an hour, in a pan of previously prepared tomato sauce. “Pallotte cace e ove” is a traditional Christmas dish, which met the demand for tasty and nutritious foods such as meatballs, but replacing the meat with eggs for the less wealthy