Son of a L’Aquila farmer who raised and butchered his own pigs, young Giusepppe flanked his father in the stalls at age ten. La passione took over and in 1934, Giuseppe – called “Peppone” (“Big Joe”) – opened a shop for the sale of the family’s prosciutti, capocollli, salami and sausages. The youngest of Peppone’s ten sons, Sante Pasqualino carried on the business with wife Paola and their five children. Four generations of commitment to aquilano goodness makes a stop at the Salumificio Peppone a must on our jaunts to L’Aquila.
Peppone
Far more than norcineria (pork products) there now: we always bring home the Peppone tasty gorgonzola cheese, arrosticcini (lamb skewers for grilling), pecorino (sheep’s milk cheese), ricotta di pecora, caciocavallo (a cow’s milk cheese with a nice bite) and their liver salami. Not sure what tempts? Slices of samples top the counters. Help yourself to nibbles.
On a recent December trip, stacks of traditional Christmas sweets – panettoni, torroni (L’Aquila is famous for its nougats) and panpepato (a sweet bread with black pepper) – flanked the shelves of abruzzesi (and not only!) wines. And there was even hot polenta to take home…..
We resisted the sweets – but yielded to many a “Peppone temptation” to bring home. How not to when in L’Aquila?
Read more about that L’Aquila goodness
Read about – and see! – why we often stop at Agriturismo San Gregorio when in Abruzzo
Read about another favorite L’Aquila restaurant
Read about – and see! – L’Aquila and restoration
Find out why we so love Abruzzo
Read more on the 2009 earthquake damage in Abruzzo
Read about memorable Abruzzo adventures
Read about an enchanting Abruzzo hill town
Read about news on an Abruzzo fortified town
Read about an appreciated cultural contribution to L’Aquila from Pino
Read about inexpensive good-eating in L’Aquila
I could not have resisted the sweets!
Great work as always, Anne.
Best to all,
Joan