Abruzzi e Mouse

These two regions lie in the centre of Italy on the eastern side, bordering the Adriatic. The cooking style veers more towards that of southern Italy, and almost everything is flavoured with hot dried chilli. Inland from the long coastal plain, the terrain is mountainous and lamb, pork, other meats and cheeses are favoured, while seafood is predominant on the coast.

Abruzzi and Molise once belonged together politically and they were only divided into two regions in 1963. In a culinary sense, though, they can be considered as one, with the culture leaning towards the south. Historically the area has been vulnerable to invaders, among them the Greeks, but primarily the nearby Romans, and most of the villages were built on top of hills for security.