Cucciole: What They Are, Recipe and Where to Try Them
Cucciole are mountain snails in their shells, called this in the Marche dialect. They are one of the dishes most closely tied to Montefortino, a village in the province of Fermo on the slopes of the Sibillini Mountains. In Montefortino they are cooked with wild fennel and tomato, or shelled and prepared with potatoes. In September a sagra (food festival) is dedicated to this dish.
The village, with its distinctive heart shape, has semicircular lanes and houses of stone and brick. Cucciole have a strong flavor and ancient roots: the custom of eating them dates back to ancient Rome.
Cucciole: origin and characteristics
The dialect term "cucciole" refers to chiocciole, also called lumache, that is, snails. In Montefortino they are mountain snails in their shells. The dish is considered part of the village's history and gives its name to the festival that celebrates it, the "Sagra della Cucciola". Among the products of the Montefortino land, the cucciola is also listed, alongside the pink apple (mela rosa) and black truffle.
There are two main recipes. In the first, the snails stay in their shells and are cooked with wild fennel and tomato. In the second, they are shelled and prepared with potatoes. In Montefortino the snails are often cooked with tomato and flavored with wild fennel.
The flavor is strong and suits hearty cooking, in line with traditional mountain dishes. For other specialties of the area, the overview is on the page on Sibillini local food products.
The history of cucciole
The habit of eating cucciole in the Marche does not come from France, as one might think, but from ancient Rome. The Romans raised snails in dedicated places called "cochlearia". They prepared them fried in oil, grilled or roasted. They seasoned them with garum, the typical sauce of the time, with pepper and cumin, or simply cooked them.
In Montefortino the specialty recalls the time when snails were gathered by local shepherds. For the Marche, an account of local traditions recalls that in the 1950s several hundred quintals were exported every year. The dialect proverb that pairs cucciole with mushrooms, as foods to be chosen with care, also shows how much attention their preparation required.
The festival most closely linked to this dish is the Sagra della Cucciola in Montefortino. It usually takes place in September.
How to eat cucciole
Cucciole are eaten mainly cooked with wild fennel and tomato, in the shell, or shelled and served with potatoes. At the Montefortino festival the dish is served with different sauces.
The traditional preparation is long and follows precise rules. After gathering, there is a first sorting: dead snails are discarded and the others are put in water. Those that do not extend their tentacles are checked with a pinprick and, if found lifeless, removed.
The snails are then dropped into boiling water, with garlic, breadcrumb, bread yeast, a piece of iron (usually a key) and a piece of cane. By tradition, if the garlic, breadcrumb and yeast turn green, the snails are considered poisonous and everything is thrown away. Otherwise they are cooked "in porchetta", flavored with wild fennel.
Because of the strong flavor, tradition recommends pairing cucciole with wine, one glass after each snail. The dish is described as tasty but heavy to digest. Given how complex the preparation is, it is best to try them from experienced cooks rather than improvise.
Where to taste cucciole
The simplest way to taste cucciole is the Montefortino festival. There are food stands, set up for the event, with cucciola dishes and other specialties of local tradition. The festival also has an alternative menu for those who do not like snails. It is held in September, and it is worth checking the dates before leaving.