In Umbria, cuisine speaks the language of nature
3 minutes
Simple, delicious, flavoursome, these are the dishes to be enjoyed in Umbria: delicacies tied to the land and the landscape, made in the traditional peasant way with the products of agriculture and the ancient tradition of animal husbandry.
The extra virgin olive oil, a highly digestible and richly nutritious food, dense and powerfully fruity, it provides a lightweight chaperone with its finesse, introducing you to territories and villages, each with a table setting that has so much to tell. Starting from the flavours of the wine of the hills and plains with its dedicated routes (Strada dei vini del Cantico, Strada del Sagrantino, Strada del Vino Colli del Trasimeno, Strada dei vini Etrusco-Romana), continuing with sausages according to the ancient art of the pork butchery, the dairy products of the mountain areas, the fish of the lakes, such as the tegamaccio, a cross between a brodetto and a stew, and the queen carp in Trasimeno pork stuffed with herbs and baked in a wood-burning oven, finishing with city desserts such as the bustrengolo, rocciata and ciaramicola. And more pasta, crostini, meat, stuffed game, sauces and patés, in the wake of the aromatic Norcia black truffle and Spoleto and the white of the Eugubino-Gualdese. Everywhere you will find something that is unique and original. Are you ready for the journey?
The "big five" of the Valnerina: pork, lentils, black truffle, saffron and Nera trout
Come and discover one of the tastiest corners of Umbria, between Norcia, Preci and Spoleto, with a tradition known throughout the world: the pork butchery, understood as the processing of pork, which has been in operation here since ancient times thanks to the oak forests and its acorns, their ideal food. The dry climate also favours the perfect preservation of the meat. Try it for yourself and taste the fiaschette del Prete (finely ground salami), Norcia ham, truffled wild boar salami, coglioni di mulo (named after their shape, which resembles the testicles of a mule, with a spiced lard in the centre to be melted on hot bruschetta) and the ciauscolo, a spreadable salami made from minced shoulder, loin, ham, bacon and spices.
Before you leave, don't miss the Castelluccio di Norcia lentil soup , the beccacce alla norcina cooked on the spit, with a hint of black truffle and a taste of pecorino cheese, fresh or mature. They are the ambassadors of the Valnerina with Nera trout and the saffron from Cascia, which reflects the gastronomic excellence of the area.
In Preci, 20 kilometres from Norcia, it is time for capocollo, pancetta, coppa not forgetting the minestra di farro and the crostini alla ghiotta while Spoleto, about 43 kilometres away, the stop is for the renowned porchetta, and its strozzapreti or strangozzi, thick spaghetti hand-stretched one by one and flavoured with truffles.
That is not the end of the story. Another salami to try is the corallina, produced from selected parts of pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and tendons, with added small hand-cut lard.
A glass of red wine from the Colli Martani or a sip of Trebbiano spoletino, true heroes of the denomination of origin, forever gracing your gastronomic experience in this unforgettable portion of Umbria.
Traditional dishes
Traditional dishes: Pasta alla norcina
With this 'primo', be it with long or short pasta, you will rediscover the ancient taste of rustic Umbria, celebrating the skill of the 'norcini' (pork butchers). Spiced sausage, cream and a generous grating of black truffle are the basic ingredients of the dish, whose original version used fresh sheep's milk ricotta.
Typical dishes: Silent goose in porchetta
An excellent, tasty and nourishing second course is the muta goose or also duck ''in porchetta'', the preparation of which, despite its name sounding complicated, is relatively simple. As a matter of fact, the definition 'in porchetta' means that the aromatic herbs that are also found in porchetta, such as rosemary, sage and wild fennel, are used in its preparation. Also, in keeping with tradition, it is good to know that the dish should be cooked in a wood oven, but even a normal electric oven provides an intense flavour that is hard to forget.
