Marchegian cuisine

Italia Amore Mio!

The kitchen

The Marche region can be considered a link between the north and the south. The cuisine of the Marche strongly shares the characteristics of the cuisine and traditions of the neighboring countries. The area around Pescara, the Pescarese, is essentially Romagna colored, along the ridge of the Apennines Tuscan and Umbrian influences are clearly visible, the province of Ascoli Piceno is an antechamber of Abruzzo and Lazio. On the other hand, the culinary tradition of the Marches has been left outside in terms of Renaissance pomp, since this was tied both to the Church and to the courts, and this land was - historically speaking - a land of conquest, left in the hands of small local landowners whose customs and traditions transcended the boundaries of their own estates. In fact, it is no coincidence that the cuisine of the Marche (like that of Abruzzo and Molise) is absent from the great historical treatises of the culinary arts.

So, from the gastronomic point of view, the Marche cannot show great fame by originality. And while it is true that some characteristics of this cuisine coincide with those of neighboring regions, it is equally true that not a few specialties are added. It must be stressed at once that the level of quality in the restaurants and the trattorias is very high: a cuisine more rustic than refined, but always correct, conscientious, made with love and ancient knowledge and enriched by the commitment and care of the thrifty women of this land. Along the coast - apart from the rocky obstacle of the Conero - which runs softly for almost the entire length, fishing has always been the main occupation (San Benedetto del Tronto is still today the most important fish market of the Adriatic); for this reason fish recipes (kebabs and soups) predominate here, owing their deliciousness not only to the skillful preparation but also to the freshness of their ingredients.

Source: emmeti.it

What you should pay attention to...

The Marchigiani eat more meat than other Italians. In many rural areas, going to a restaurant means nothing more than eating huge quantities of meat grilled on charcoal - grigliata mista di carne. But you can always go to the Adriatic coast, where you can get some of the best fish in Italy. As antipasto, smoked ham and lonza (raw salted pork tenderloin) are unsurpassed. If you see ciauscolo (a soft smoked pork salami) anywhere, be sure to try it. The classic primo is a well-stuffed plate of tagliatelle with sugo, usually a meat sauce. A very special pasta dish of the area is vincisgrassi, a lush lasagna without the usual tomatoes. Urbino is famous for its passatelli, a type of vermicelli made with bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and egg cooked in broth.

Apart from the meat alla brace, from the charcoal grill, offered everywhere, delicious stuffed pigeon (piccione ripieno) and boiled rabbit with fennel (coniglio in porchetta) are a Marchigian specialty. In some areas, steamed snails also sneak onto the menu. If you are on the coast, especially near Ancona, you must try brodetto, a kind of fish soup made with 13 different kinds of fish, none more, none less. Always good are spaghetti vongole (thin spaghetti with baby clams) or spaghetti allo scoglio "on the rocks", with different seafood.

In the Northern Marche people like to eat piadina, a flat dough pancake without yeast, filled with salami, ham, cheese, cooked spinach, etc. Look for it in the little snack bars along the road. The pecorino cheese made from sheep's milk tastes great in the Marche. It's best eaten in the spring with very young, raw broad beans (fave). Ask also for the formaggio di fossa, a spicy cheese that is immured in limestone caves where it matures

https://www.diemarken.com

The truffles of the Marche...

Truffles are, by weight, one of the most expensive edibles in the world. Fortunately, a small amount goes a long way. In the Marche, you can indulge in them without having to hock the family silver right away. Only two of the 16 or so species of tartufi found in the Marche are worth killing for - the tartufo bianco or white truffle /Tuber magnatum Pico) and the tartufo nero pregiato or black truffle (Tuber melanosporum Vitt.) The white is the most noble - and also the most expensive; tartufi bianchi can cost a good 2,000 francs per kilo, depending on quality. The black version is more modest in price. Both are a good remedy for the harsh winter in the Marche. To buy really fresh truffles, you have to be here between October and the end of December for the bianchi and between December and March for the neri pregiati. If you find fresh truffles on a restaurant menu in summer, they are exclusively tartufo d`estate or summer truffles, a faint reflection of their noble siblings. If this remains your first and only truffle experience, you are certainly wondering why there is so much fuss about these things.

Italian truffle hunters dig up about 100 tons of truffles every year. The main work is done by truffle dogs. Truffle dogs are never purebred, but always a colorful promenade mixture. During the truffle season you should go to Acqualagna and Sant`Angelo in Vado. You can find out more about truffle growing by clicking on Sant`Angelo in Vado. Truffles are best enjoyed within a few days of being dug up. But there are also many products to buy that try to capture this exquisite palate experience preserved. The best are still the small bottles of truffle oil (olive oil that smells of truffle). The whole truffles preserved in jars are expensive and have lost much of their flavor specificity through the preservation process.

https://www.diemarken.com

More information

Vacation at last!

Do you want to go to the beach, hike, stroll around the city and enjoy high culture? Let's go to Marche, the land of natural wonders and cultural treasures. From Casa Amici you can reach the spots for your perfect vacation: travel with us virtually to Marche's top-class natural and cultural treasures, world-famous cathedral (Loreto), to magnificent villages, castles and beaches and through breathtaking landscapes. Not to forget the tempting Italian cuisine and friendly and relaxed Italians.