The little known province of Molise, between Puglia and Abruzzo is far off the beaten track. There are no foreign tourists here – so no one speaks English, a fantastic opportunity to practise Italian! There are many family small-holdings producing fantastic quality produce. One of my favourites is Caseificio Di Nucci, Agnone, Alto Molise 

In 1662 Leonardo Di Nucci was a shepherd moving his herds along the traturre, wide tracks weaving through Abruzzo and Molise down to the plains of Puglia. During the cold Apennine winters shepherds took their herds to warmer pastures, brining them back up in the spring. The Di Nucci family have been making award winning artisan cheese here in the Apennine hills ever since.

Today the 11th generation of this family still use the methods and ingredients of their forebears – a whey starter and raw milk, avoiding the use of any preservatives or milk enzymes. Milk is sourced from carefully chosen local producers, resulting in an amazing product in which you can actually taste the grasses and herbs of the seasons. No two cheeses are the same.

Franco Di Nucci took us around the small caseificio where the hand-made cheeses are formed by a dedicated team of craftsmen.

The visit was unforgettable – incredible smells and tastes. Franco is a superb speaker, giving us the family story in slow and very clear Italian and explaining carefully when we got a bit lost. He is passionate about his family history and the rich artisan culture of this region. The love and attention that is poured into his produce is evident.

Caseificio Di Nucci continues to win international recognition, having been awarded the ‘Supergold’ of the World Cheese Awards several times. Ricotta, Stracciata, scamorza and caciocavallo are the most distinctive cheeses of this region. We discovered that Fernando, our wonderful driver, has been supplying milk from his dairy cows to the Di Nucci family for 60 years – at least his family has! Fernando has been milking the cows since he was 6 years old, and when he is out and about with us, his wife has to do it. Life in the countryside is hard but they truly know no other, and the passion for their land and what it produces is very moving.

Dinner that night included Di Nucci’s scamorza arrostata, using scamorza made from the same paste as the caiocavallo. It was delicious. 

Live and Learn Italian is a small, bespoke language and culture holiday in a small town full of surprises. Visit our website http://liveandlearnitalian.com/ Please, sign up for our newsletter, see what we get up to.