MOLISE remains little known to tourists, and little explored in tourist guides. It has no commercial airport and no autostrade other than a short stretch along the coast. What it does have is what other regions lack and many contemporary tourists want to experience: a way of life and a cultural identity rooted in a countryside little changed over centuries, and a unique gastronomy found nowhere else.
A Food Lover's Journey invites the reader to experience Molise as a series of deeply local 'foodscapes' shaped by the traditions and pastoral heritage of ancient transhumance migration and small-scale agriculture. This innovative new approach is for travellers interested in the history and culture of the people and the places whose stories are embedded in every stage of a food journey. At its heart is the small hilltop town of Civitacampomarano, where fresh seasonal produce, traditional skills and knowledge still define the everyday experience of cooking and eating the food and flavours that keep the region's culinary soul alive.
Each chapter leads the reader through Molise's multi-layered and complex landscape and distinct foodscapes, from artisan cheese to unique sausages and salumi, from the knowledge and skills of cucina povera to the riches of truffle country, from foraging what is wild and free to producing some of the finest olive oil in Italy and on to the Adriatic coast where traditional fishing rituals still shape daily life.
A Food Lover's Journey is a personal invitation to lovers of Italian food to slow down and enjoy the rugged landscapes and quiet food traditions of one of the last undiscovered corners of the country.