Food and Wine

Umbria is the only Italian region either without a coastline and/or bordering another country, and this is relevant to a discussion of food, because, consequently, Umbria is one of the few regions in which I would not recommend seafood. (That said, you will commonly find some lake fish such as trout on menus throughout the region.)  Most dishes you will find on high quality menus will be seasonal, and there is no shortage of savory meats for the antipasti and secondi—from DOC and IGP varieties of cured meats to the roast suckling pig. Umbria also features a lot of game-based dishes on menus. For example, you might find a pappardelle alla lepre, (wild hare ragu) and of course the irresistible (except to vegetarians, of course) pappardelle alla cinghiale (wild boar ragu). I have already mentioned the connection between Tuscan and Umbrian cuisine, so I will not harp on it, but it makes geographical sense, of course. The cinghiale, or wild boar, are found in abundance in these regions and are hunted between mid-September and late-January. This is the season that I would recommend visiting Umbria, if possible. In addition to the truffles, you will find some seasonal spices added to dishes like cinnamon or nutmeg.

A beautiful sight of freshly shaved truffles on top; photo taken by my friend Shelley

There is a delicious Umbrian restaurant called L’Asino d’Oro in the neighborhood of Monti in Rome and the Chef, Lucio Sforza, prepares an award-winning Cinghiale in dolceforte (a semisweet dark chocolate), which is a perfect cold season dish. Although the restaurant is in Rome, the chef is 100% Umbrian, and the menu is a good summary of dishes and popular ingredients from the region, if you cannot make it to the region. (He adds a twist of course.) Check out the menu here.

 Strangozzi is one of the most popular types of pasta from the region and it is perfect topped with black truffle and/or many other seasonal ingredients. I endeavor to include some of the most popular dishes and pasta types here, but I encourage you to trust the menus (of great restaurants like the ones I recommend, of course).

Wine

Finally, wine and something sweet. Montefalco is a DOCG wine of Umbria, and it is made with 100% of a grape named Sagrantino; it is grown near the town of Montefalco, which is neighbor to Spoleto. The spices and black fruits are ripe to be paired with wild boar and aged cheeses. As for white, I really enjoy an Orvieto in and out of Umbria; it is a blend of 40% min. Grechetto, 20–40% Trebbiano and up to 40% other non-aromatic white grapes. Find out more about wines in Umbria here.

Three flavors of ‘Baci’from left to right: dark, classic and white chocolateSource:Di Fabuio - opera propria, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://it.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8450537

Umbria has a special relationship with chocolate; in particular, you might know the Baci, product of the Perugina chocolate factory. This is the Italian equivalent of a Hersey’s Kiss, as ‘bacio’ literally means ‘kiss’. There is a hazelnut on top which gives the chocolate its unique shape and a note inside with a poetic phrase translated in at least four languages. I love Baci, both for the taste and the poetry, and the origin is the region of Umbria.

Perugia hosts an impressive chocolate festival every year, so plan for October if chocolate is a high priority on your Umbrian adventure.