Molise

Sweet bun filled with cream, may also contain dried fruit, serve with cappuccino

Yeasted rum cake, serve with whipped cream, custard, strawberries, cherries

Zeppole , in Sardinia italianized zippole or zeppole sarde from the original Sardinian tzípulas, are Italian pastries consisting of a deep-fried dough ball of varying size but typically about 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. These fritters are usually topped with powdered sugar, and may be filled with custard, jelly, cannoli-style pastry cream or a butter-and-honey mixture. The consistency ranges from light and puffy, to bread- or pasta-like. They are eaten to celebrate Saint Joseph's Day, which is a Catholic feast day. Zeppole are typical of Italian cuisine, especially that of Rome, Naples, and Lecce. They originated in ancient Rome, when people started frying dough and putting sugar or cinnamon on it. However, the zeppole that is around today was created in the 18th century. These zeppole either have sugar, cinnamon or chocolate with them. They are also served in Sicily, on the island of Malta, and in Italian communities in Canada and the United States. The Sardinian tzipulas, although they are often italianized to zeppole, are somewhat different. Zippole are eaten in Sardinia to celebrate Carnival. They can be seen with different ingredients and different shapes. Zippole differ from zeppole since you use a funnel to put the dough into the oil. Zippole then come out as different shapes due to the spiral motion used with the funnel. Zeppole are known by other names, including bignè di San Giuseppe (in Rome) and sfinge. Zeppole are traditionally consumed during the Festa di San Giuseppe ('Saint Joseph's Day'), celebrated every March 19, when zeppole are sold on many streets and sometimes presented as gifts.

Deep-fried pastries with a sweet filling made with ricotta or pecorino cheese, eggs, nuts, chocolate, lemon or orange zest

Angel wings are a traditional sweet crisp pastry made out of dough that has been shaped into thin twisted ribbons, deep-fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Common to many European cuisines, angel wings have been incorporated into other regional cuisines by immigrant populations. They are most commonly eaten in the period just before Lent, often during Carnival and on Fat Thursday, the last Thursday before Lent—not to be confused with "Fat Tuesday" (Mardi Gras), the day before the start of Lent (Ash Wednesday). There is a tradition in some countries for husbands to give angel wings to their wives on Friday the 13th in order to avoid bad luck. In the various national cuisines, angel wings are referred to as:

Mini fried pastry balls in honey

Quince paste

Thin waffle cookies or wafers

Yeasted doughnuts covered in granulated sugar, made with all-purpose flour and mashed potatoes

A Berliner or Krapfen is a German jam doughnut with no central hole, made from sweet yeast dough fried in lard or cooking oil, with a jam filling, and usually covered in powdered sugar. Sugar was very costly until the 16th century, and early doughnuts were usually stuffed with savory fillings like cheese, meat and mushroom. When imports from Caribbean sugar plantations made sugar more affordable, fruit preserves gained in popularity. In 1485, the first German-language cookbook to be published in printed form Kuechenmeisterei was published in Nuremberg and remained in print at least until 1674 with 20 editions . It was one of the first cookbooks printed using the Gutenberg press and contains the first known recipe for a jelly doughnut, called Gefüllte Krapfen made with jam-filled yeasted bread dough deep-fried in lard. It's unknown whether this innovation was the author's own or simply a record of an existing practice. The yeast dough contains a good deal of eggs, milk and butter. For the classical Pfannkuchen made in Berlin the dough is rolled into a ball, deep-fried in lard, whereby the distinctive bright bulge occurs, and then filled with jam. The filling is related to the topping:[citation needed] for plum-butter, powdered sugar; for raspberry, strawberry and cherry jam, sugar; for all other fillings, sugar icing, sometimes flavoured with rum. Today the filling usually is injected with a large syringe or pastry bag after the dough is fried in one piece.

Mustacciuoli, also known as mustaccioli or mostaccioli, is a pastry originating in the Naples region of Italy, usually served at Christmas time. Mustaccioli takes the form of a parallelogram, and consist of a soft, spiced, cake-like interior, covered in chocolate. In recent years, there are many variations of mostaccioli sold in Naples, where the chocolate glaze may be replaced by a white chocolate frosting or icing sugar and candied fruit. Mustaccioli are often sold alongside other Neapolitan sweets including roccocò, raffiuoli, susamielli, and struffoli at Christmas time.

Parrozzo or panrozzo ( Italian: [ˌpanˈroddzo]) is a cake from the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is traditionally served as a Christmas dessert, but may also be enjoyed year round. Parrozzo is officially designated as a prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale (PAT) of Abruzzo.

Soft cookies made with lemon peel, commonly dunked in coffee or milk

Pastiera or pastiera napoletana is a type of Neapolitan tart made with cooked wheat, eggs and ricotta cheese, and flavored with orange flower water. It is usually eaten at Easter. Various writers repeat legends about the origin of pastiera. One story connects it to the siren Parthenope, whom the Neapolitans thanked for her sweet singing by giving her ricotta, flour, eggs, milk, spices and sugar; Parthenope gave these ingredients to the gods, who made pastiera out of it. Another story connects it to a spring celebration of the goddess Ceres.

Almond biscotti, made with honey, ground pepper, cocoa, orange zest, common during Christmas

Ring-shaped spice cookies made with citrus zest and almonds, common during Christmas

Taralli are toroidal Italian snack foods, common in southern Italy. Wheat-based crackers similar in texture to breadsticks, taralli can be sweet or savory. Taralli are classically formed into rings or ovals about 10 to 12.5 cm (3.9 to 4.9 in) in circumference. Smaller taralli, called tarallini, with a circumference of 3.8 to 7.8 cm (1.5 to 3.1 in), are sold commercially. According to Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers, "Sweets such as biscotti and taralli used to be reserved for Christmas and Easter; in Roseto they were eaten year-round."

Zeppole , in Sardinia italianized zippole or zeppole sarde from the original Sardinian tzípulas, are Italian pastries consisting of a deep-fried dough ball of varying size but typically about 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. These fritters are usually topped with powdered sugar, and may be filled with custard, jelly, cannoli-style pastry cream or a butter-and-honey mixture. The consistency ranges from light and puffy, to bread- or pasta-like. They are eaten to celebrate Saint Joseph's Day, which is a Catholic feast day. Zeppole are typical of Italian cuisine, especially that of Rome, Naples, and Lecce. They originated in ancient Rome, when people started frying dough and putting sugar or cinnamon on it. However, the zeppole that is around today was created in the 18th century. These zeppole either have sugar, cinnamon or chocolate with them. They are also served in Sicily, on the island of Malta, and in Italian communities in Canada and the United States. The Sardinian tzipulas, although they are often italianized to zeppole, are somewhat different. Zippole are eaten in Sardinia to celebrate Carnival. They can be seen with different ingredients and different shapes. Zippole differ from zeppole since you use a funnel to put the dough into the oil. Zippole then come out as different shapes due to the spiral motion used with the funnel. Zeppole are known by other names, including bignè di San Giuseppe (in Rome) and sfinge. Zeppole are traditionally consumed during the Festa di San Giuseppe ('Saint Joseph's Day'), celebrated every March 19, when zeppole are sold on many streets and sometimes presented as gifts.

Zuccotto is an Italian dessert of Florentine origin. It is a semi-frozen, chilled dessert made with alchermes, cake, and ice cream. It can be frozen, then thawed before serving. Zuccotto is traditionally made in a special pumpkin-shaped mould (zuccotto means 'little pumpkin' in Italian). It is widely believed to have been inspired by the dome of Florence's duomo (the city's main cathedral). Others allude to its shape as closely resembling a cardinal's skullcap or zucchetto. The original recipe included ricotta cheese, cocoa, and citrus peel for the filling; it was actually monochrome, white. The outside of the biscuit was impregnated with essence or alchermes liqueur, which gave the dessert a vibrant red colour.

The Biferno is a river of Molise, in southern Italy. Its source is in the comune of Bojano and during the first few kilometres of its course, it receives the waters of numerous streams which flow from the Matese mountains. It runs through several comuni in the province of Campobasso, forming the Lake of Guardialfiera and finally flows into the Adriatic Sea. In ancient Roman times, the river was known as Tifernus. Italian wine, both red, white and rose, under the Biferno DOC appellation comes from this area. The DOC covers 135 ha along the river. Red and rose wines are blends of 60–70% Montepulciano, 15–20% Trebbiano, 15–20% Aglianico and other local grape varieties up to 5%. The grapes are limited to a harvest yield of 12 tonnes/ha and the wine must attain at least 11.5% alcohol level. The white wines are blends of 65–70% Trebbiano, 25-30% Bombino bianco and 5–10% Malvasia bianco. The white grapes are limited to a harvest yield of 12 tonnes/ha and must attain a minimum 10.5% alcohol content.

Orange and mandarin zest in alcohol with whipped sugar

Oven-roasted lamb and potatoes

Brudet or brodet is a fish stew made in the Croatian regions of Dalmatia, Kvarner, and Istria, as well as along the coast of Montenegro. Brodetto di pesce, or simply brodetto , is the signature dish of almost all Italian Adriatic coastal cities (famous are fish stews from Venetian Lagoon, Romagna, Marche, Abruzzo, and Molise). It consists of several types of fish stewed with spices, vegetables, and red or white wine, or even vinegar. The most important aspect of brodetto is its simplicity of preparation and the fact that it is typically prepared in a single pot. It is usually served with polenta or toasted bread, which soaks up the fish broth, while other recipes serve it with potatoes or bread. Brodetto can significantly vary in style, composition, and flavour, depending upon the types of ingredients and cooking styles used. A similar dish from Corfu is known as bourdeto.

Stuffed artichokes, filled with a mixture of breadcrumbs, anchovies, sausage, cheese, capers

Grilled meat rolls made with lamb and kid goat offal with herbs and spices, there are several variations

Marinated and stewed rabbit with wine, olive oil, onion, tomatoes, parsley, bay leaves, rosemary

Spaghetti alla chitarra , also known as maccheroni alla chitarra, is a variety of egg pasta typical of the Abruzzo region of Italy, with a square cross section about 2–3 mm thick. Tonnarelli are a similar pasta from Lazio, used especially in the Roman cacio e pepe. Ciriole, traditionally from Molise, is the thicker version of chitarra, approximately twice the thickness of spaghetti. Because the pasta are cut from a sheet rather than extruded through a die, spaghetti alla chitarra are square rather than round in cross-section. The name of this spaghetti comes from the tool (the so-called chitarra, lit. 'guitar') this pasta is produced with. This tool gives the spaghetti its name, shape, and a porous texture that allows pasta sauce to adhere well to the pasta itself. The chitarra is a frame with a series of parallel wires crossing it.

Polenta made with potatoes and wheat served with tomato sauce

Parmigiana , also called parmigiana di melanzane ( Italian: [parmiˈdʒaːna di melanˈdzaːne; -ˈtsaːne]), melanzane alla parmigiana ( Italian: [melanˈdzaːne; -ˈtsaːne ˌalla parmiˈdʒaːna]) or, in the United States, eggplant parmesan, is an Italian dish made with fried, sliced eggplant layered with Parmesan cheese and tomato sauce, then baked. The origin of the dish is claimed by the regions of Campania, Sicily, and Emilia-Romagna. There are several theories about the origin of the dish. Most frequently its invention is attributed to either Campania, Sicily or Parma, in Emilia-Romagna. The case for Parma is that parmigiana refers to Parma and because Parmesan cheese is produced there. Sicilian food writers have several different explanations for a Sicilian origin. According to author Pino Correnti, the word parmigiana derives from the Sicilian word for damigiana, a wicker sleeve used both for wine bottles and the hot casserole in which the dish would be prepared and served. Authors Mary Taylor Simeti, Vincent Schiavelli, and several others write that the name derives from the Sicilian word for 'louver', palmigiana. The angled horizontal slats of a louver would resemble the layering of eggplant slices in the dish. Writer Franca Colonna Romano Apostolo suggests that the name is parmiciana, which means 'Persian' in Sicilian. Wright traces the origin of parmigiana to Naples. The ancestor of the modern dish appears in Vincenzo Corrado's cookbook Il cuoco galante from 1786. His recipe described eggplant seasoned with butter, herbs, cinnamon, other spices, and grated Parmesan cheese, which was then covered with a cream sauce of egg yolks before being baked in an oven. The modern version with Parmesan and tomato ragù as key ingredients appears several years later in Ippolito Cavalcanti's cookbook Cucina teorico-pratica, which was published in Naples in 1837. According to Wright, this suggests that the dish evolved in Naples during this time frame, which coincided with the increasing popularity of the tomato in Italian cuisine. Author Marlena Spieler agrees with a Neapolitan origin of the dish for the same reasons.

Polenta topped with pork ragu and pecorino cheese

Polenta with sausage, cheese, chili peppers, butter

Spicy octopus stew with tomatoes, garlic, parsley and hot peppers

Chianina, Romagnola and Marchigiana cows and bullocks reared in Abruzzo, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Marche, Molise, Tuscany and Umbria, Italy

Thistle soup, common during Christmas

Arrosticini is a class of traditional dishes of skewered grilled meat characteristic of Abruzzo cuisine. They are typically made from mutton or lamb cut in chunks and pierced by a skewer. Arrosticini cooked on a brazier with a typically elongated shape, called furnacella, which resembles a gutter. Media related to Arrosticini at Wikimedia Commons

Pear-shaped stretched curd cheese with a butter center

Semi-hard spun curd cheese made from cow's milk, from Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania and Molise, Italy

Fiadone is a Corsican cheesecake without a bottom layer, made of brocciu, sugar, lemon zest and eggs. The fiadone can have a round or rectangular shape. It is baked in an oven and served cold. In the Italian regions of Abruzzo and Molise they are known as fiadoni, fiaduni or fiauni, large savoury ricotta-stuffed ravioli served mainly at Easter.

Sweet bun filled with cream, may also contain dried fruit, serve with cappuccino

Manteca cheese, also known as burrino, is a soft cheese from the Molise region of Italy, characterized by a creamy butter core surrounded by a layer of caciocavallo cheese. It has a sweet taste and is traditionally made from raw cow's milk, making it a unique and flavorful dairy product.

Apple

Extra virgin olive oil made from Aurina, Gentile di Larino, Leccino and Oliva Nera di Colletorto olives, from Molise, Italy

Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained by pressing whole olives, the fruit of Olea europaea, a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking for frying foods, as a condiment, or as a salad dressing. It can also be found in some cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, soaps, and fuels for traditional oil lamps. It also has additional uses in some religions. The olive is one of three core food plants in Mediterranean cuisine, together with wheat and grapes. Olive trees have been cultivated around the Mediterranean since the 8th millennium BC.

Small cuts of pork with garlic and sweet and spicy paprika

Pecorino is an Italian hard cheese produced from sheep's milk. The name pecorino derives from pecora, which means 'sheep' in Italian. Of the six main varieties of pecorino, all of which have protected designation of origin status under European Union law, pecorino romano is probably the best known outside Italy, especially in the United States, which has been an important export market for the cheese since the 19th century. Most pecorino romano is produced on the island of Sardinia, though its production zone also includes Lazio and the Tuscan provinces of Grosseto and Siena. Ancient Roman authors wrote about this cheese and its production technique. The other five mature PDO cheeses are the pecorino sardo from Sardinia (casu berbeghinu in Sardinian language); pecorino toscano, whose production was already attested by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History;[better source needed] pecorino siciliano (or picurinu sicilianu in Sicilian) from Sicily; pecorino di Filiano from Basilicata; and pecorino crotonese from province of Crotone, in Calabria. Another well-known pecorino is the one that was produced in Abruzzo, the pecorino di Atri.

Oven baked sweet peppers, for example, baked with vegetables, stuffed and baked

Ricotta is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses. Like other whey cheeses, it is made by coagulating the proteins that remain after the casein has been used to make cheese, notably albumin and globulin. Ricotta (lit. 'recooked' or 'refined') protein can be harvested if the whey is first allowed to become more acidic by additional fermentation (by letting it sit for 12–24 hours at room temperature). Then the acidified whey is heated to near boiling. The combination of low pH and high temperature denatures the protein and causes it to flocculate, forming a fine curd. Once cooled, it is separated by passing the liquid through a fine cloth, leaving the curd behind. Ricotta curds are creamy white in appearance, and slightly sweet in taste. The fat content varies depending on the milk used. In this form, it is somewhat similar in texture to some fresh cheese variants, though considerably lighter. It is highly perishable. However, ricotta is also made in aged varieties which are preservable for much longer.

Rustico is a Salento snack made with puff pastry and stuffings that vary by style. A common preparation uses puff pastry, tomato, and mozzarella. It is part of the Salentine street food tradition and can be found in every Apulian bar, bakery, and rotisserie. It is produced with two discs of puff pastry, the lower disk is of about 10 cm (approximately 4 inch) in diameter and the upper one of 12 cm (about 5 inch), to which adds cheese and tomato. Then it is brushed with egg and baked in the oven. It should be eaten warm to best appreciate the taste and the melted mozzarella.

Tagliatelle pasta and beans in a thick soup or sauce made with tomato, onion, garlic, chili peppers

Small minced pork sausages from Duroc, Landrace and Italian Large White pigs reared in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, Tuscany, Marche, Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise, Italy

Sausage with fennel and chilies

Scamorza is a southern Italian cow's milk cheese. It can also be made from other milk, but that is less common. It is a pasta filata (‘stretched curd’) cheese, in which the fresh curd matures in its own whey for several hours to allow the acidity to develop through the conversion of lactose to lactic acid. Artisanal cheese makers generally form the cheese into a round shape, then tie a string around the mass one-third of the distance from the top, and hang it to dry. The resulting shape is pear-like. This is sometimes referred to as "strangling" the cheese. The cheese is usually white unless smoked. When smoked, the colour is almond with a lighter interior. Scamorza can be substituted for mozzarella in most dishes.

Crepes, used in scrippelle 'mbusse (crepes in broth) and timballo abruzzese (crepe lasagna)

Soppressata is an Italian salume . Although there are many variations, two principal types are made: a cured dry sausage typical of Basilicata, Apulia, and Calabria, and a very different uncured salami made in Tuscany and Liguria. It is still part of southern Italian cultural heritage that local people (especially in the smaller rural towns) slaughter the pig themselves and use it all, with nothing going to waste, using some parts to make cured meats, including soppressata. It is sometimes prepared using prosciutto. Soppressata di Basilicata is mainly produced in Rivello, Cancellara, Vaglio, and Lagonegro. Soppressata di Calabria enjoys protected designation of origin (PDO) status; the one produced in Acri and Decollatura is especially renowned. Soppressata di Puglia from Martina Franca is also very well-known.

Vegetables, fish, preserved in olive oil and vinegar, made with anchovies, tuna, artichokes, onions, chili peppers, dried tomatoes

Taralli are toroidal Italian snack foods, common in southern Italy. Wheat-based crackers similar in texture to breadsticks, taralli can be sweet or savory. Taralli are classically formed into rings or ovals about 10 to 12.5 cm (3.9 to 4.9 in) in circumference. Smaller taralli, called tarallini, with a circumference of 3.8 to 7.8 cm (1.5 to 3.1 in), are sold commercially. According to Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers, "Sweets such as biscotti and taralli used to be reserved for Christmas and Easter; in Roseto they were eaten year-round."

Ventricina is a dry fermented pork sausage commonly produced in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its most common artisanal version, ventricina del vastese, from the Vasto area, is made with large pieces of fat and lean pork. The meat is pressed and seasoned with powdered sweet peppers and fennel and encased in dried pig stomach.