Tucked away in Abruzzo, an off-the-radar region in central Italy, lies a best-kept skewer secret called arrosticini. A centuries-old cultural treasure, this Abruzzese street food proudly wears the region's finest culinary features. The mountainous area provides a perfect landscape for animal husbandry and shepherding, hence its special focus on fresh meat.

Although pork, goat, and beef make the occasional appearance, it's lamb that defines Abruzzo's traditional flavor. And that's exactly what you'll get with arrosticini — a cut of lamb or mutton chunks threaded onto slim wooden sticks, seasoned with salt, and grilled over charcoal on a narrow brazier known as a fornacella (sometimes interchangeably called a canaline).