Tortoreto Alto, Abruzzo: Home of Arrosticini
Ellen looks out across the hills and mountains
As we’re sure you know, this is a Marche blog but, this time, we’re hopping just across the border, into the region of Abruzzo! Le Marche and Abruzzo are home to all manner of quaint, beautiful little towns. Up every hill and around every corner, a new slice of history awaits, ready to be discovered. It could be a medieval church, a stunning viewpoint, or a restaurant that’s been creating mouth-watering food using the same recipes for hundreds of years. If that sounds like your cup of tea (or, in Italy, more likely a cup of coffee), we recommend a visit to Tortoreto Alto which, as it happens, boasts all three in spades! The local speciality is Arrosticini Abruzzesi - skewers of meat, salted and roasted over coals - it’s unreal! Let’s check the place out.
As an aside, if you’d like to support the site, you can buy us a coffee at the link below. Cheers!
16th century frescoes by Giacomo Bonfini in the Chiesa della Misericordia
Tortoreto Alto vs Tortoreto Lido
Before we do, let’s get one thing clear - If you look up Tortoreto, you’ll be met with two options - Tortoreto Lido and Tortoreto Alto. The former is a beachside town on the Adriatic coast, with chalets, calm seas and restaurants where you can enjoy local seafood dishes. Tortoreto Alto, by contrast, is the old town, boasting cute little cobbled streets and incredible panoramic views, from mountain to sea. We will admit, the photos don’t do them justice!
Approaching one of the several viewpoints dotted around the town
The local speciality: Arrosticini Abruzzesi
When you visit, be sure to have dinner at one of the many restaurants in the old town. In the summer evenings, on weekends, they close the main road off to cars, and all of the eateries place tables and chairs out in the street, so you can enjoy your meal outside, in the ambiance of the evening. What should you order? Arrosticini Abruzzesi. They’re incredibly moreish and you can order them one-by-one if you’re not sure how many you’d like to eat. As well as the traditional grilled lamb and mutton, you can also find breaded, deep-fried versions, chicken, pork and even liver and onion. We weren’t necessarily expecting to like the liver and onion, so we just got a few each - they were a game-changer!
Arrosticini skewers served the traditional way
What is arrosticini in English?
Arrosticini literally translates to “roast meats,” with the “ini” acting as a diminutive. The chunks of meat are chopped very small, hence the ensmallening (not a real word) of the word. Skewers with larger pieces of meat are referred to as spiedini. They’re also extremely delicious!
Where did arrosticini originate?
Arrosticini are often referred to as “arrosticini Abruzzesi,” which of course means “arrosticini from Abruzzo.” Abruzzo is a green, largely undeveloped region of Italy just an hour North-East of the city of Rome. Rolling hills, forest and farmland make up the majority of the terrain, aside from the coast, which bustles with activity as a popular tourist destination.
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How to make arrosticini Abruzzesi
The best thing about Arrosticini Abruzzesi (aside from the flavour, of course) is how simple they are to make!
Dice up your lamb, mutton or whichever other meat you’re using.
Skewer the pieces on wooden sticks and hit them with some salt.
Roast the skewers over hot coals.
It’s that simple! You want to cook when the fire is nice and not - the hotter the fire, the quicker the cook. That will crisp up the fat and give you more of a char on the meat, without drying it out. Not too hot, though! Keep an eye on the fire, as you don’t want the skewers to burn and the arrosticini to fall into the fire. They’re hard to come by in the UK, but we were able to get our hands on a traditional arrosticini barbeque - long and thin, perfect for cooking these skewers of deliciousness! If you want to expand your weekend BBQ repertoire, you can pick up your own at the link below!
What to drink in Tortoreto Alto
When you have dinner in Tortoreto Alto, you might find Acqua Santa towards the bottom of the menu. Order it! Acqua Santa means “holy water” and, once you taste it, you’ll see why. It’s a digestivo, which should be enjoyed after dinner and is absolutely delicious, not to mention the show it comes with! The drink is presented in a classically-painted terracotta pot and then set aflame.
The preparation of the Acqua Santa
Just like brandy on a Christmas pudding, the fire burns off a portion of the alcohol, warming the drink and bringing out notes of orange and clove. You then take it as a shot, or you can sip it slowly, if you prefer. It’s the perfect way to end an evening, especially if a slight chill has set in. Take a look at the video below to see how they prepare it.
Tortoreto gatto rating: 2/10
In any new Italian town we visit, we keep an eye out for the “gatti liberi” - the free cats. They’re technically strays, but are well-fed, housed and taken to the vet, when necessary, by various members of the community. They’re often friendly and love a stroke and a scratch under the chin. The cat levels in Tortoreto, however, were a little lower here than in some of the other towns we’ve visited. We only found about 3 different cats and none of them were especially friendly, shying away as we approached to stroke them. We didn’t even get a picture! Sad.
We did get a picture of this wonderful view, however, looking out across the sea
Aside from the lack of cats, however, Tortoreto is a beautiful hilltop town, brimming with history, delicious food and a view you could stare out over for hours. If you’re in Abruzzo or the south of Le Marche, it’s well worth heading a little bit out of your way to visit!
Until next time! If you’d like to support the channel, you can buy us our next coffee at the link below. Cheers!