The Molise region is Italy’s Secret Region and still often overlooked, probably because of its size – it’s the second smallest Italian region. It’s also the youngest region and it was only in 1970 that it became separate from the Abruzzo region. Molise is made up of two provinces: Campobasso and Isernia. Below is a photo of Bagnoli del Trigno.
Despite its size and the newness of the region it is nonetheless not short on culture, history and rich cuisine. In today’s podcast episode I chatted with Lori De Sanctis, owner and founder of Molise Cuisine, about Italy’s secret region, Molise. You can find out about Lori’s business through her website and on instagram.
Lori is Canadian born of Italian parents, both from the Molise region. For Lori’s whole life she has remained deeply attached to her Molise heritage and she now lives in the Molise region, back in the same small town that her parents, grandparents and great grandparents are from: Guglionesi. Guglionesi is right near Temoli, a seaside resort town on the Adriatic Coast located on the northeastern-most border of Molise.
This book (hardcover, paperback and Kindle version) about a mountain village on the border of Molise and Abruzzo will take you right into the feel of the region. It’s Mundunur: A Mountain Village Under the Spell of South Italy:
Beaches are few in this small region, but beautiful:
In today’s episode Lori shared a bit about her history, how she ended up forming Molise Cuisine, and of course she shared lots of information about Molise, Italy’s Secret Region, that she calls the small region with a big heart!
This won’t be our only chat with Lori: the next time we’ll talk all about the food, wine and cuisine of Molise. For example, did you know this small region produces its own brand of delicious pasta – La Pasta Molisana?
And of course some of the amazing foods you might already know from Puglia are also made in its tiny secret neighbor, Molise. Cavatelli for example. Check out my video on how to make this pasta (Go to my Instagram IGTV videos). And by the way if you’d like to explore neighboring Puglia then join Flavor of Italy for our bespoke Puglia tour.
One of the very best dishes from the Molise region is Pampanella Molisana, a delicious spicy roast pork dish. Check out the recipe and background about this dish at Tina’s Table!
Lori makes her own pasta in her cooking classes:
To listen to today’s episode go to your favorite podcast listening platform, or click one of the following links:
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