The Marsican cuisine derives from the local agro-pastoral tradition and is therefore robust and creative as well as rich in genuine flavors.

The regional cuisine of the area offers a wide variety of appetizers, first courses, second courses, desserts and fruits which are typical of Marsica. For the first courses it ranges from “maccheroni alla chitarra” (“macaroni on the guitar”), to sagna with rabbit sauce and saffron from Navelli, near Carsoli, to fettuccine with duck sauce, to hand-made gnocchi prepared with meat sauce and wild garlic, up to ricotta-filled ravioli.

For the second courses, in addition to the typical sheep kebabs, we find the “pecora ajo cotturo” (“sheep in the cauldron”), a typical dish of Antrosano di Avezzano, Pereto and Collelongo. Then we have the “capra alla pecorara” (“goat shepherd’s style”), the braised beef with red Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, typical of Tagliacozzo. There are also many vegetables in the area, such as Fucino potatoes or carrots, which are seasoned with extra virgin olive oil from the Roveto Valley and are real delicacies.

As for fruit, worth trying is dried fruit such as the Carsoli chestnuts, the Roscetta della Valle Roveto chestnut or the Forme di Massa d’Albe almond. As for normal fruit we have the delicious apple from the Valle del Giovenco, unique in its kind, or also figs or “susine”, a variety of dark plums widely found in Marsica.

There are also many sweets in the area, such as the soft Marsican amaretti, the donut present throughout the territory and which takes on different names according to the village producing it (such as the “Sciambella” of Lecce nei Marsi or the “Ciammella” of Scurcola Marsicana), the “croccante” (“almond brittle”) of Forme di Massa d’Albe, the cover made of almonds and honey typical of Massa d’Albe, the Abruzzese “mostaccioli” produced in Trasacco and Carsoli, etc. Also noteworthy is the honey from the Valle del Giovenco, a true blessing for health and delicacy.

Finally, the list of drinks is equally long. Starting with the mineral water bottled in Canistro, we continue with the various craft beers present in the various villages of the territory, the Marsican wine produced since 1958 in the cellars of Paterno dei Marsi.

The Marsican bitters deserve a special mention, as they are a blessing for health and are in great numbers. We start from the Tacconi bitters of Massa d’Albe, to the Fragolino of Pescasseroli, the Nocino of Abruzzo, the Acquavite di Genziana produced in the municipalities of the Abruzzo national park and the Sirente – Velino regional park, the Amaro Centerbe produced in the villages of the Abruzzo National Park, etc.