Basilicata

This southern region between Puglia and Calabria is a rugged mountainous area rarely visited by outsiders. Olives, bell peppers, potatoes, grapes, and spicy peppers called peperoncini all contribute to the cuisine’s distinctive flavor. The liberal and frequent use of hot spices distinguishes the food of Basilicata. The region’s most famous products are its Salsicce Lucane, or Lucanica sausages, made from the meat of hogs fed on local acorns, corn, and beans. Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Caciocavallo are produced with milk from Basilica’s Padolica cows, an ancient breed with a long history in southern Italy. Sheep’s milk cheeses are also a specialty of this mountainous region. The region creates countless varieties of hand-shaped pastas made from only durum wheat flour and water. From the well-known orecchiette and fusilli to the more obscure strascinati and strangolapreti (or strozzapreti), these delicately rolled pastas are truly labors of love.