During a visit to Umbria, sampling the local cuisine is just as much an enjoyable part of your trip as taking in the beauty, surroundings, history, and culture of the region. Here is an overview of what you can expect from the cuisine of Umbria.
Pasta
The most commonly used pasta in Umbria is strangozzie, also known as stringozzi. It is a long, thick, rough-looking noodle that is usually served coated in a sauce. One of the specialty pasta dishes from this region is spaghetti alla Norcina. This is spaghetti served with sausages, black truffles, and cream.
Meat
Pork is the meat eaten most often in Umbria and it is served in a variety of way. Spit roast hog is a favorite and there is a huge variety of sausages. The area is also famous for its Chianini beef. The cattle from which this is taken have been raised in Umbria for two millennia. Another popular dish is pheasant cooked with grapes called fagiana all’uva.
Truffles
Umbria is famous for its black truffles and this delicacy is used in many of the traditional dishes of the region. These fungi grow beneath the roots of trees and are foraged between October and February. Dogs are usually used to locate the truffles which are then used to adorn many different types of dishes, from meat to pasta.
Fish
The main varieties of fish eaten in Umbria are freshwater fish and this is often caught in Lake Trasimeno. A fish stew called tegamaccio is popular in Umbria although the fish is also often served simply drizzled with oil and lemon.
Stews
Stews are eaten regularly in this region, especially during the winter months. Many of these have a lentil base as lenticchie di Castelluccio are much sought after lentils from this region. TO the lentils, all varieties of meat can be used, such as rabbit, sausages, lamb, or beef.
Desserts
Favorites in Umbria are desserts that are based on biscuits or cake. One popular option is almond biscotti while ciaramicola, or sweetheart cake, is also a specialty dessert of the region. Umbria is well-known for producing chocolate, so many desserts feature this as the main ingredient.
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- Main Image: Edoardo Busti on Unsplash
