What to Eat and Drink in Campobasso

Campobasso’s traditional cuisine is characterized by simple, authentic dishes, such as zucchini, cured meats, and other meats. Among the latter, the following stand out in particular: aged capocollo, ciccioli, lard, prosciutto, pork sausage, soppressata, torcinelli, and ventresca. Additionally, the region’s finest local products include mushrooms such as porcini, button mushrooms, and chanterelles, as well as truffles and cheeses like caciocavallo, burrino, mozzarella, and pecorino. Popular first courses include soups and stews made with legumes grown in this area—such as lentils, spelt, fava beans, and beans—as well as tacozze and beans, homemade pasta with bean sauce and pork rind. The most typical dish is Caponata, made with a durum wheat breadstick (tarallo) soaked in water and vinegar and topped with tomatoes, celery, bell peppers, anchovies, black olives, and hard-boiled eggs. Among the fish main courses are “crioli con le noci,” salt cod cooked with chopped walnuts. For those with a sweet tooth, we recommend trying “milk pan” for dessert—it’s shaped like a zuccotto and covered with a delicious layer of hazelnut chocolate. The main wines are Biferno (white, red, and rosé) and Moscato.