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Food
& Wine
The
real secret of the exquisite gastronomy of the Marches lies in the
profound link with tradition, in the genuineness of produce and in the
love for simple home-made things. Gastronomy of the Marches always meets
visitors’ requirements.
Starting
from the northern part of the region, it is possible to taste the Ravioli
of San Leo and the mad sausage of Fano; the savoury Cresc’tajat
of humble origins, and the sweet Bostrengo, an ancient and
complex recipe. Other examples include the white truffles, a sublime and
precious produce of the Montefeltro area, which give taste to many
different dishes.
The
Ancona area is famous for its fish recipes, ranging from stockfish and
potatoes to the curious Cappone in galera. This is a capon
recipe, a dish which used to console sailors who were faraway from their
homes at Christmas. Other examples include the tasty Garagoj (shellfish)
and the famous Brodetto di pesce (a fish soup), cooked all over the
Marches.
In
the Macerata area visitors may taste the Vincisgrassi (a lasagna
recipe dating back to the 18th century), the Polenta with
sapa (cooked and concentrated must), the Ciauscolo (a good
salami that can be spread on bread), Scroccafusi and Cicerchiata
(Carnival sweets). A curious sweet is the Lonza di fico (a sort
of salami prepared with figs and wrapped in fig leaves).
The
Ascoli Piceno area boasts the savoury Olive all’Ascolana (olives
filled with minced meat and cheese, then fried), the steaming Ciavarro dishes
(a legumes soup), the Porbaccittu (pieces of dried cod cooked with
charcoal) and the hot Pollo ‘ncip ‘nciap (a hot chicken
recipe).
In
many homes in the whole region the thin sheet of pasta dough is made,
which is then cut into cappelletti, ravioli, lasagna, or the very
thin capelli d’angelo of Campofilone. This kind of egg pasta was
chosen by the British Court and British Airways.
In
such a long and savoury list it is necessary to include an excellent olive
oil, the Carpegna ham, the tasty Salami of Fabriano and locally produced
cheeses, such as the renowned Pecorino di fossa, a ewe’s milk
cheese produced and ripened in tufa caves in the Montefeltro area. This
cheese is best served with the aromatic warm honey.
All
these recipes are best tasted if accompanied by the prestigious wines of
the Marches; red and white wines from the Pesaro hills, the Lacrima of
Morro d’Alba, the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, and the white
wine of the Macerata hills, the Rosso Piceno, Falerio, Bianchello del
Metauro and Verdicchio of Matelica. Other examples include the Rosso
Conero, the Vernaccia of Serrapetrona, the Rosso Piceno
Superiore and the white and red Esino wines. Finally, to
sweeten one’s mouth after an excellent meal, it is worth tasting the
ancient sour cherry wine, savoured by wild cherries, or the Vin cotto,
a home-made wine which was once drunk only on special occasions.
© 2001 Liberation Ventures Ltd.
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