Arrosticini are a class of traditional dishes of skewered grilled meat characteristic of Molisana and
Abruzzese cuisine
The traditional cuisine of Abruzzo is eclectic, drawing on pastoral, mountain, and coastal cuisine. Staples of Abruzzo cuisine include bread, pasta, meat, fish, cheese, and wine. The isolation which has characterized the region for decades has ensu ...
(from the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
of
Abruzzo
Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...
and
Molise
Molise (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Neapolitan, Mulise) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy. Until 1963, it formed part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise, alongside the region of Abruzzo. The split, which did not become effe ...
).
['' Il Devoto-Oli 2014. Vocabolario della lingua Italiana'', edited by ]Luca Serianni
Luca Serianni (; 30 October 1947 – 21 July 2022) was an Italian linguist and philologist.
Biography
Serianni was professor of Italian language at Sapienza Università di Roma.
A student of Arrigo Castellani, he conducted research about Itali ...
and Maurizio Trifone
Maurizio Trifone (born 1953) is an Italian linguist and lexicographer.
Biography
Trifone is professor of Italian language at the University of Cagliari.
From 1995 to 2005 he was professor of Lexicography and Lexicology at the Foreigners Universit ...
, Le Monnier, 2013. Arrosticini (''rustelle'' or ''arrustelle'' in the local dialects; also known as spiedini or spiducci) are typically made from
mutton or lamb cut in chunks and pierced by a skewer. It is cooked on a
brazier
A brazier () is a container used to burn charcoal or other solid fuel for cooking, heating or cultural rituals. It often takes the form of a metal box or bowl with feet. Its elevation helps circulate air, feeding oxygen to the fire. Braziers h ...
with a typically elongated shape, called ''furnacella'' as it resembles a
gutter
Gutter may refer to:
Water discharge structures
* Rain gutter, used on roofs and in buildings
* Street gutter, for drainage of streets
Design and printing
* Gutter, in typography, the space between columns of printed text
* Gutter, in bookbi ...
.
There are two main kinds of arrosticini: those made industrially, consisting of cubical chunks of meat with a side of 1 cm (0.4 inches) on skewers with a maximum length of 10 cm (4 inches); and those made by hand, for which the meat is cut with a knife in chunks of different sizes, alternated on the skewer with pieces of
ovine
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...
fat. Arrosticini originate from the food consumed by shepherds and other inhabitants of the mountainous areas in Abruzzo within the villages of Castilenti, Civitella Casanova, Carpineto and Villa Celiera who were accustomed to eating even less refined food than hard sheep meat.
Arrosticini are often accompanied by slices of bread soaked in
extra-virgin olive oil
Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...
(''pane 'onde''). The traditional beverage accompaniment is
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is an Italian red wine made from the Montepulciano wine grape in the Abruzzo region of east-central Italy. It should not be confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, a Tuscan wine made from Sangiovese and other grapes.
M ...
wine. Traditionally, arrosticini are eaten by pulling the meat off the skewer piece by piece using one's teeth.
See also
*
Spiedie
The spiedie is a snack consisting of marinated meat cut into cubes and placed in a long bread roll, local to Binghamton in the central Southern Tier of New York State, and somewhat more broadly known and enjoyed throughout Central New York. A s ...
, an Italian-American dish descended from arrosticini
*
Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine (, ) is a Mediterranean cuisine#CITEREFDavid1988, David 1988, Introduction, pp.101–103 consisting of the ingredients, recipes and List of cooking techniques, cooking techniques developed across the Italian Peninsula and late ...
*
List of Italian dishes
This is a list of Italian dishes and foods. Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BC. Italian cuisine has its origins in Etruscan, ancient Greek, and ancien ...
*
List of lamb dishes
This is a list of lamb and mutton dishes and foods. Lamb and mutton are terms for the meat of domestic sheep (species ''Ovis aries'') at different ages. A sheep in its first year is called a lamb, and its meat is also called lamb. The meat of a j ...
*
Shish kebab
Shish kebab is a popular meal of skewered and grilled cubes of meat. It can be found in Mediterranean cuisine and is similar to or synonymous with dishes called shashlik and khorovats, found in the Caucasus region.
It is one of the many types ...
*
References
{{Mediterranean cuisine
Lamb dishes
Grilled skewers
Italian cuisine
Cuisine of Abruzzo