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Teramo cuisine is renowned for its typical dishes, prepared with genuine ingredients and strong and decisive flavors, which reveal the identity of a territory rich in taste. We present a triptych of dishes that best expresses the peculiar character of this cuisine and the ancient gastronomic traditions of the capital. The mazzarelle, the virtues and the Teramo timbale, made rigorously with the scrippelle, are part of it.
"MAZZARELLE"
The culinary tradition of Abruzzo makes us the gift of many delicacies for the palate. The mazzarelle, typical of the Teramo territory, occupy a place of primary importance; moreover, they also obtained the title P.A.T. - traditional agri-food products. The dish consists of rolls of lamb coratella wrapped in endive leaves tied with the same lamb's guts. With a history of rural everyday life behind them, they are the main dish of the Easter menu. For some they are considered as a second, but tradition wants them to be served as first or as an appetizer. The preparation, above all for the cleaning of the various ingredients, requires time, accuracy and a certain dexterity. You can taste them in the farms and restaurants of traditional Teramo cuisine. Like all dishes with a long tradition behind it brings with it a diatribe linked to what is its original version. Someone wants it in the white version, browned then in a very simple sauté that enhances the flavor and those stewed, cooked in a sauce flavored by the humors of lamb. In any case, they should be served and enjoyed hot.
"VIRTU’ "
Too often, those who are not from the area, to the word "Virtue", associate terms such as minestrone or vegetable and legume soup. Every time this happens, a poor Teramo grandmother cries. In fact, the Virtues are a truly unique dish of their kind; although the recipe is one and only one, the result changes with each ladle. Every good housewife has her secret ingredient to make the dish special: some add more pasta, more spices or more smells. It is a very old tradition, linked to the culture of Calendimaggio. With the arrival of summer, there was the need to empty the handouts from the last remnants of the last winter, to make room for the new harvest; but nothing was wasted in the peasant culture, so all the products that the shelves contained and combined with the first fruits of the new season were collected. No distinction was made, in the dish they found, and still find today, all kinds of legumes, pasta and even meat. The preparation is long and complex, due to the large quantity and variety of the ingredients; for this reason it is customary to share portions between friends and relatives, or even gather together at the same table. So much in the past, as now, the Virtues, which can be tasted in all the restaurants of the Teramo on May 1, are a symbol of celebration, of wish for the arrival of spring, of union, community and industriousness. Legend has it that the Teramo virtues should be cooked by seven virgins for seven hours using seven types of pasta, seven types of legumes and seven types of vegetables, number 7 which is not given by chance but represents the seven Christian virtues.
There are many other hypotheses on the origin of the name of this dish, among which we find that for which the virtues would indicate the legumes and vegetables, gifts of the earth, the result of hard work and the hard work of the farmers. According to others it is a tribute to the virtuous economic capacity of the housewife who managed to manage the dispensation well until the end of winter.
"TIMBALLO TERAMANO"
The Timballo Teramo is the holiday dish par excellence. Uncontrolled reign on the table of Christmas, Easter, Ferragosto and in all those special occasions where we meet with family and friends. It differs from other dishes, such as lasagna, for use instead of the classic paste of overlapping layers of crepes or scrippelle (very thin cracks based on eggs, water and flour 00). Inside there are meat sauce, meatballs, spinach, hard-boiled eggs, various vegetables, artichokes, mozzarella. The result is a succulent dish, consistent and rich in creaminess, which lends itself to many variations and customizations (fish timbale is also offered on the coast). The timbale comes from the culinary tradition of Abruzzo: it is a dish of humble origin but that in every bite expresses all the richness of the territory. The perfect combination is with an important wine that expresses the same territorial character, such as the DOCG "Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane".
