On the other side of the mountains, in Le Marche, your salame might be flavoured with juniper berries, or wrapped in myrtle leaves from the densely wooded hillsides.

Perhaps the purest expression of Italy’s microregions, though, is their cheese. Marzolino, a ewe’s-milk cheese from a tiny area around Chianti, is still made in exactly the same way as it was by the pre-Roman Etruscans, using rennet from wild artichokes. Goat’s-milk rutulin from Piedmont is completely different from creamy cow’s fontina from Valle d’Aosta or ricotta vezzana from sheep grazed in the high, herb-filled pastures of the Veneto. Every province has its own version of pecorino, and it is rare to find a Sardinian who does not prefer pecorino sardo to pecorino romano, or a Roman who does not think exactly the opposite.

It is, therefore, hard to recommend one particular part of Italy’s interior: the whole point is that the best place is right here, wherever that might happen to be. However, a few destinations do stand out for the gastro-tourist. Barolo, the wine region south of Alba in Le Langhe, is especially blessed with good restaurants. One of my favourites is Trattoria della Posta, near the hilltop town of Monforte d’Alba. There is nothing on its menu that would not be familiar to a local from 100 years ago, and almost nothing you would find in Venice or Milan. Peppers stuffed with rabbit, tajarin pasta with chestnuts, cardoons in a hot pepper sauce, smoked bread, wild boar — this is northern mountain food, hearty and strong, most of it caught, dug or picked from the forest rather than the field.

Another great culinary destination is the valley of the Po river as it winds its way through the province of Emilia. Here there are no forests, but the farm reigns supreme. These people discovered the philosophy of the production line a thousand years before Henry Ford, but in a uniquely Italian way. Each village or town specialises in a different ingredient, most of them protected by EU designation. San Giovanni in Persiceto is famous for its melons; Ferrara, a few kilometres on, for its truffles. Neighbouring Altedo is known for its asparagus, while Budrio is renowned for its potatoes. In Medicina, you pass endless fields of golden onions, while in Bazzano the road snakes through miles of cherry trees. From chestnuts to carrots, peaches to honey, there is nowhere here that has not nurtured its own little pocket of excellence. The local restaurants, in turn, are fiercely protective of “their” way of doing things. Tortellini have a slightly different recipe, and slightly different shape, from village to village.

In complete contrast are the mountains of Avellino in the deep south, sometimes called Irpinia. This is where asparagus grows wild, and where olive trees often support a vine and tomato plant as well. The type of cooking here was once known as cucina povera, poverty food, but it is also rich and gutsy, the volcanic soil making the flavours of vegetables and fruits particularly strong. It is just as well, because those mountains are a curse as well as a blessing: much of Irpinia was devastated in 1980 by “il terremoto”, a huge earthquake. Now, a new generation of passionate producers is starting modern restaurants that celebrate the land’s ancient flavours. One such is Marenna, a glass-walled building in the middle of rolling vineyards, helped by the consultancy of Italy’s most famous chef, Heinz Beck.

Marenna is one of the few places in Irpinia that draws big crowds. But you can just as easily drive where the fancy takes you. Wherever you stop, the chances are you’ll find a good meal. If you don’t, you only have to drive on to the next valley, and a completely different experience.

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TRATTORIA DELLA POSTA
Monforte d’Alba, Piedmont; 00 39-017 378120; £30

Huge portions of superb mountain cooking. Try the smoked bread — baked fresh each morning, then left in the wood-burning oven all day. Great for rich dishes with white truffles and Barolo wine.

MARENNA
Avellino, Campania; 082 5986 6666, www.feudi.com; £35

Modern, elegant reinterpretations of classic Irpinian flavours, helped by Heinz Beck.

ENOTECA NINAN
Carrara, Tuscany; 058 574741; £10

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