Winter mountains

and hot red chilli pepper and fennel seed.“soppressata” – with its
fragrant aroma and mild, delicate taste – is another Abruzzo delicacy,
as is the “salsicciotto” or sausage typical of Pennapiedimonte, and the
“salsicciotto frentano”, considered the least fatty of cured pork
products. A place of honour is held by L’Aquila salami and “salame
abruzzese”.
Cheese
The most common stock reared in Abruzzo was and still is sheep.
Fresh and mature pecorino cheeses, as well as ewe’s-milk ricotta, thus
represent an essential ingredient in Abruzzo’s gastronomic palette.
Each Abruzzo mountain area has its own type of pecorino. However,
the most noteworthy are “pecorino di Farindola”, unique since it is
made with pork rennet; a compact, mature “canestrato di Castel del
Monte” and the “marcetto di Castel del Monte” (a cheese attacked
by larva during its maturing phase, so the body becomes creamy
and very piquant: a prized item with real connoisseurs).
Cow’s milk (which may be mixed with goat’s milk) is used to make
traditional “scamorza”, eaten raw, grilled or baked. On Mount
Majella’s main highlands, especially at Rivisondoli and Pescocostanzo,
wonderful “caciocavallo” is made from raw milk produced by the
local cows that pasture on the high-altitude meadows.