Introduction
 Molise, land of ancient fragrances and flavours, has its culinary roots in a tradition, which is tied to the typical products of the land and sheep farming.
The mountain pastures and those on the plains, rich in green aromatic grasses and various essences have always given the meat and milk a mark of quality. In particular this is fresh cottage cheese, junkets, caciocavalli, scamorze, trecce (braids), mantecchie (large scamorze filled with butter made from cows milk) and also wheels and pecorino with its pungent aroma and flavour.
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The Pork
The pork sausage are also highly prized. For centuries pork has been the source of proteins and fats for a population accustomed to a diet based on vegetables, legumes and flour.
Pork was eaten throughout the year owing to the fact that the whole animal could be used and the meat could be preserved.
The quality of the meat, which is also the result of selecting breeds most suited to the territory, the temperature, the healthy air and water, but above all the housewives’ skill, has resulted in the cold meats from this region being the most famous: sausages made from meat, liver, sopressate (brawn sausage), ham and capicolli, but also pampanella (dried pork with lots of chili) are amongst the most sought after and in spite of the fact that some of these products are now made on industrial scale, their manufacture is still inspired by ancient homemade methods.
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Extra-virgin olive oil
 Right from classic and imperial time Larino - the ancient regional capital - was, like Venafro, the hearth of Samnite and Roman olive cultivation.
The extra-virgin olive oil Gentile di Larino (together with the leccino and the autochthon is Saligno) has a precious qualities, an intense fragrance as well as being harmoniously fruity and a little bitter. The extra-virgin olive oil of Molise is born in the green hill of Frentano.
The oil is the fruit of the ancient regional olive traditions and the established experience of APROPROL, an association that includes more than 10,000 producers. Gentile di Larino is the main variety produced.
Venafro also boats an oil with various organoleptic qualities: the production is extensively documented in Latin literature. The earlier mention dates back to the start of the second century BC and was made by Cato the Elder in his famous The Agri cultura.
Licinio was the first to plant olives in Venafro area and the olive and the oil were named after him – respectively Liciniane and Liciniano- in recognition of the deserving cultivator. Today the native Venafrian type is L’aurina, which is delicately fruity and ideal for light dishes.
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Wines
 The art of cultivating Wines dates back to the Samnites.
The art was learned from the Greeks and the Etruscans but it was only in the Roman era, after the conquest of the Sannio, that cultivation began on larger pieces of land cleared for this purpose.
Thereafter wine cultivation experienced alternating period of growth and decline, until the start of the 19th century, when the cultivation extended to most of Molise.
However it was only during the second half of the 20th century that regional viticulture flourished once again with cultivation now taking place along the coast instead of the inland hills.
The following Molise wine, deserves a mention:
- Table wines (common wine made from authorized grapes without the addition of specifications)
- Wines with Controlled Mark of Origin (D.O.C.)
- Geographically fixed wines (Igt) (the production of this wine must comply with established Production Regulations).
There are two D.O.C. of Molise: Biferno and Molise.
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Truffle
The white and black truffle industry is flourishing in the territory. The collection of this prized tuber began in the 80’s when certain truffle collectors found this product (not yet appreciated for its characteristic aroma) growing in the woods.
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First Course
 Homemade pasta is the specialty of the region. One finds many types of crejuoli (a type of macaroni) cavatelli (cube of pasta indented with the fingertip) and taccozze (sheets of pasta cut into rhombuses).
These dishes are generally served with pork or lamb ragù.
Polenta and soups, usually combined with vegetables are also served as first courses.
Examples are dishes based on vruocchel’ e patane, lacce e patane, fennel and codfish, are served with dishes that are as tasty as they are original.
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Second Course
Molise has special culinary delights reserved amongst its second courses. There are based mainly on olive oil, cheese, truflles, saffron, sausages and fish.
Moving inland, the sea cooking make way for the country cuisine: pork, flavoured and seasoned in many different ways reigns supreme. Sausage, as well as ventricina and brawn, prepared according to tradition always form part of the meal, together with tasty scamorze and caciocavalli.
The following meats deserve a mention: the torcinelli, roulades made from entrails cooked on a barbeque or made from entrails and innards of suckling lambs and flavoured with rosemary, oregano, parsley and chili.
Other local delicacies are the pezzata of Capracotta, a type of lamb usually eaten during the transhumance, the abbouoto in Filignano and the cazzarieglie e faciuol in Vastogirardi.
Locally produced scamorze and ricotta (cream cheese) as well as venison sausage, ham and capicollo can be found particularly in Rocchetta al Volturno. Among the local sheep products it is to taste also the pecorino cheese, polenta and roulades filled with lamb innards.
 The place of honor amongst the cheese is reserved for the caciocavallo. This white cheese, processes with uncooked milk, is matured (preferably in stone cellars) and its marked taste is unique among the other cheese.
Pecorino, scamorza e trecce (braids) are found in most places.
In the Venafro area and recently in the hill of San Giuliano del Sannio cow-buffaloes are bred.
The milk obtained is used to prepare the delicious mozzarella as well as other cheese, which are ripened to varying degrees.
Capicolli, dried sausages, soppressate (brawn sausages) as well as the pampanella, bacon preserved with lots of chili and dried in the oven, are among the many typical cold meats.
The typical Campobasso dish is cacio e ova, which is prepared with spring products including eggs, lam or offal and vegetables, is not to be missed.
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Sweets
 The sweets from Molise, eaten at religious feasts or family celebrations use ingredients like honey, cooked must, chickpea paste and jams.
These ingredients are prepared to make cauciuni, sweets filled with chickpea paste, caragnole, Chiristmas sweets prepared with ribbons of pasta, peccellate and bocconotti, filled with cooked must or jams. |
