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The product
What scamorza from Rivisondoli is
A stretched-curd cow’s milk cheese from the plateau’s cattle farms.
Scamorza is a stretched-curd (pasta filata) cheese made from cow’s milk. In Abruzzo it is a traditional food product, with the oldest tradition in the L’Aquila and Chieti areas bordering Molise: Rivisondoli, on the Cinquemiglia plateau, is one of its historic centres.
It is sold fresh, without rind and with a porcelain-white surface; dried (appassita), with a smooth, thin straw-yellow skin; or smoked. It has the typical pear shape, with the little head tightened by string.
Territory
Where it comes from
Rivisondoli lies at about 1,300 metres on the Cinquemiglia plateau in the Alto Sangro, between Roccaraso and Pescocostanzo. The pastures and cattle farms of the plateau supply the milk for the scamorza, which is still sold in the village shops and markets.
From field to table
How it is made
- The cow’s milk is warmed and curdled with rennet.
- The curd is broken, left to mature until it «stretches» and cut into strips.
- It is worked in boiling water and stretched by hand until smooth and elastic.
- It is shaped like a pear, the head is pinched and tied with string, usually in pairs.
- It is firmed in cold water and brine; then it is sold fresh, left to dry in the air for a few days or smoked.
In the kitchen
How to use it
Mountain scamorza is a classic of winter meals in the Alto Sangro, above all cooked.
- Grilled scamorza, in thick slices, until it forms a crust
- Baked in a dish with a drizzle of oil, or with roast potatoes
- Sliced with country bread and local cured meats
- In savoury pies, omelettes and timballi
Tips
How to choose and store it
- Fresh scamorza should be eaten within 48 hours of production: buy it shortly before eating.
- Dried and smoked scamorza keep longer: store them in the fridge wrapped in food paper.
- Use dried scamorza for grilling: it holds its shape better.
- Take it out of the fridge a little before serving it raw.
Good to know: handmade mountain scamorza is different from the industrial kind: always ask where and by whom it is made.
Ordering
Where to buy it and whom to contact
Contacts checked on the official websites in October 2026: check availability and prices before ordering.
Casearia Del Giudice
Dairy in Rivisondoli, active since the late 19th century: it makes fresh, dried and smoked scamorza and sells in its own shop.
- Phone: 0864 69487
- Address: Via Fonticella, 69 – 67036 Rivisondoli (AQ)
Gallery
Photos
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The image is an illustration drawn for abruzzoparchi.it: we could not find free photos showing the Abruzzo product itself. If you have a photo to share, write to us.
Tradition
History and trivia
Scamorza making in Abruzzo is documented as far back as the 14th century, linked to the dairies of the Celestine monks of the Badia del Morrone near Sulmona. In 1861 an agricultural study of the province of L’Aquila already mentioned the «famous scamorza of Rivisondoli».
In Rivisondoli some families have made it for generations: after the war the dairies modernised, and in the 1950s the village’s scamorze won prizes at the fairs in Bologna and Lodi.
Did you know? Rivisondoli is also famous for its Living Nativity, held every year on the night of 5 January on the snowy plateau.