Here we are! Finally we have our Gastronomic Card. It is the fruit of long work, comparisons and discussions, in-depth studies, rethinks and accelerations. But here it is, ready to be revealed.
Are we sure it’s the definitive version? No, we’re not sure at all. In fact, we are sure of the opposite. The gastronomic menu of a region is a living entity, destined to evolve and change as time passes. However, this is a great place to start. This is the Gastronomic Map of Umbria, created with the aim of describing the region through its most representative dishes, in every season of the year and in every corner of the territory.
But allow us to tell you how it all started. Each Italian region celebrates its traditional dishes. Almost all of them, except Umbria. Yet, everyone agrees that the food is excellent in Umbria. When asked “what do you eat?”, however, we often hesitate and, at best, excellent products are mentioned, but rarely distinctive dishes. With a couple of exceptions: pasta alla norcina and torte al testo. The latter, called crescia in some parts of the region, is a perfect example of how terminology can vary while referring to the same delicious product.
It is therefore urgent to dot the “i”s: if we eat well in Umbria and have extraordinary products, it is necessary to associate them with specific dishes. So, to the fateful question “what do you eat in Umbria?” we can answer with confidence and precision, adding that each area has its own specialties which add up to these identifying dishes.
How did we choose them? Among over 100 dishes that qualify regional cuisine and represent an extraordinary source, we have focused on those that are related:
- to history and tradition
- to local agri-food products (short supply chain)
- to non-seasonal products
- to products available in quality and quantity throughout the regional territory
What are these dishes? Here is the list of the protagonists of our table:
Appetizers:
- Coratella with text cake
- Easter cake with Umbrian cured meats and cheeses
- Stracciata with black truffle
- Scafata
- Umbrian crouton
First dishes:
- Norcina pasta
- Lentil soup
- Spelled soup
- Spoleto-style strangozzi
- Perugian-style tagliatelle
- Potato gnocchi with goose sauce
Second courses:
- Fricò
- Tegamaccio
- Greedy pigeon
- Onion parmigiana
- Baked lamb with truffle
- Rabbit in porchetta
- Umbrian mixed grill
Desserts:
- Ciaramicola
- Crescionda
- Torciglione
- Rocciata
- Panpepato
- Tozzetti
In the meantime, take note. In the next episodes we will tell you about the dishes, their stories and their evolutions. We will associate a village and a profession with each dish, because we want to tell the story of Umbria through its most genuine cuisine, its most intimate villages and its most ancient professions.
Translation carried out with an automatic tool
Umbriamoci
