A common saying goes, "Molise does not exist". Perhaps because its surface is almost half of the largest Italian provinces, it will be because the entire region has fewer inhabitants than Bari or Catania. And yet Molise is there and has a lot to say, especially from a gastronomic point of view. Strait between sea and mountain, it has a very strong rural and pastoral tradition, but among trabucchi and golden beaches, there are plenty of fish dishes. A gastronomy that ranges from the inviting fish soups to the more rustic pastas with beans, without forgetting the endless dairy production and the typical salamis such as ventricina.

The aperitif in Molise, with the Scattone

How do you start a meal in Molise? With an aperitif typical of the rural areas of Alto Molise, the Scattone, which as the locals say «opens the stomach: A ladleful of pasta being cooked in the pot, including water, a glass of red wine and a pinch of red pepper. The villages of Poggio Sannita, Bagnoli del Trigno and Torella del Sannio are competing for this unique entrée, but it is only in the latter that the festival dedicated to Scattone is held in August.

The appetizer: his majesty the pig

We then move on to the appetizer, where it certainly cannot miss the succession of meats and cheeses typical of Molise. Let's start, then, with cold cuts, of which the ventricina it is the most famous: a species of very spicy soppressata, which comes especially from the province of Campobasso and which sees Montenero di Bisaccia as the leader of the countries that boast authorship. A sausage that is prepared with the noble parts of the pig, stuffed in the belly of the animal (from which the name comes) and perfumed with wild fennel, pepper powder and pepper. There are also regional variations of soppressata, as well as another salami for the rich that is called Lady of Conca Casale, a species of salamella that takes its name from a town of 200 inhabitants above Venafro, characterized by the fact that even the fillet goes into the dough. From the rich to the poor, with the fat of waste, instead, the cicoli are prepared, which elsewhere are known as greaves, and which inevitably go to flavor the Pizza coi cicoli, a focaccia that never fails in the Molise countryside.

The cheese cart

The dairy production is probably the most famous typical of Molise and in particular of Upper Molise, a land of pastoralism and transhumance. On the way down to Puglia, there is no passage for Molise that is not characterized by a technical stop to stock up on its wonders, like the caciocavallo from Agnone, the stracciata, the manteca, the scamorze or the mozzarella. Practically in the mountains, between Agnone, the city of bells, Capracotta and Vastogirardi, one of the best caciocavalli in Centrosud is produced. The spiciness is given by the degree of maturing and the Molisans love to eat it grilled. Equally, if you hear a Molise, even the various scamorze and braids (the shape reflects the fantasy of the dairyman) just waiting for the grill. Always in the same area is produced the ragged, which takes its name from the act of tearing the spun dough to give shape to this cheese, which should be consumed immediately, or after a few days, when it becomes spreadable. Another gem, typical of these areas, is the art of hiding treasures in a scamorza dough: this is true both for the manteca that for the cacio-salami. The first one was used to allow the shepherds to bring the salted butter in the transhumance and use it for outdoor cooking, the second is a more recent tradition, born from the need of the emigrants to hide the salami in a cheese, which would have passed more easily to customs .

Sea vs mountain: brodetto vs sagne with beans

Like any poor cuisine, but very rich in flavors, which are respected in the Molise tradition, there are dishes that can easily be defined as unique dishes. One of these is the Termolese brodetto, called in local language "U bredette". It is the poor dish of the fishermen, who returned from fishing and put all the less valuable fish, those too small or those less marketable in a big pot. It should not be forgotten that Molise, like the neighboring regions of Abruzzo and Puglia, is a land of Trabucchi, therefore fishing was traditionally done not only at sea, but also on land. At least 2-3 kilograms the recommended amount of fish to cook this dish. From the Marche down, the tradition of the brodetto is common to all the countries overlooking the Adriatic, however the Molise region is distinguished by the addition of an extra ingredient: the green pepper, which gives the soup a unique flavor. In the mountains, instead, more rustic dishes dominate, like homemade pasta the sagne, which are a kind of maltagliati that blend perfectly with the beans and which are strictly cooked in the pignata, ie in the crock pot. Another inevitable dish of Alto Molise is the lamb or kid ragù, which goes hand in hand with homemade fusilli, a format that apparently is right in the mountains of Upper Molise that originates. In Agnone, during the Christmas celebrations, the traditional Santè soup is eaten: in a large bowl you pour plenty of chicken broth, in which you can float a series of ingredients, ranging from beef meatballs to cheese balls, from the pieces of seasoned caciocavallo, with bread beaten in a beaten and toasted egg, but also pieces of pizza made with cheese and egg. On Shrove Tuesday, a festival is held at Scapoli every year Scapolesi ravioli, a delicious stuffed pasta in which some of the best productions of the area are joined: sheep's milk ricotta, sausages and bacon, winter vegetables such as chard. Everything is then seasoned with a savory kid sauce. Other typical pasta shapes are the cavatelli, which are called in Montenero di Bisaccia Cuzzutilli and are eaten with ventricina, but also i Maccheroni crioli, a kind of spaghetti alla chitarra that takes its name from the laces of the shepherds' shoes. The latter are particularly suitable for eating with the Molise truffle. Not everyone knows that this small region of Centrosud is one of the largest national truffle producers.

To close: confetti and stuffed wafers

The stuffed wafers they are a dessert that unites Molise and Puglia, however those of Agnone have a very particular aspect, thanks to the particular iron that is used to form the hosts and that is sold practically only in the country of the bells. The filling is a tasty crunchy caramel made darker by a pinch of cocoa and embellished with toasted almonds. Although the production of nearby Abruzzo is better known, Molise is also famous for its confetti. It is in Isernia, in fact, that Pope is found, one of the most renowned companies that produce confetti and that has recently specialized in the production of chocolates.