|
|
|
Specialty Umbria Food The prized black Norcia truffle is gathered from bases of oak, holm oak and walnut trees in the hills and mountains around Norcia and Spoleto. Covered by a black skin with small wart-like bumps, the truffle has a purple-black flesh with distinctive white veins and a delicate scent. Unlike white truffles, which can only be eaten raw, black truffles can be heated (but never boiled) and added to sauces, pasta and pies without losing their delectable flavor.
Bread is an indispensable component of the Umbria food culinary tradition, and is available in all sorts of sizes and descriptions. We urge visitors to try the pan nociato, a specialty made with pecorino cheese, walnuts and pine nuts, and the local torta al testo con i ciccioli, a typical focaccia bread baked on a stone disk and stuffed with the little pieces of pork obtained when melting the fat to make lard. It’s one of the tastiest, most intriguing delicacies found in this simple, wholesome corner of the world.
|
Cultivated since time immemorial in this part of Italy,
legumes deserve almost an entire page to themselves in Umbria food. A good example is the wonderful lenticchie di Castelluccio, lentils of Castelluccio, which are the most sought-after in Italy and in recent years have
become famous well beyond the borders of the country. Small and green, they
contain a large amount of protein and mineral salts, and are so tender that they
require no soaking. A visitor to Umbria might encounter them among the
ingredients of flavorful meat stews that feature anything from rabbit to game to sausage.