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Il
Calcione di Treia
The “calcione” is
one of the most famous typical product of Marche,
produced in different parts of this region; for this reason it has
numerous variations which are the result of different stories and
traditions.
The “calcione” of Treia is surely the most renowned; with its
typical half-moon shape it is sold in bakeries and its ingredients are
pecorino cheese, eggs and sugar that gives a pleasant bitter-sweet
flavour. The contrast between the sweet exterior dough and the salted
internal compound is an authentic delight for every palate.
The traditional “calcione”
baked in the oven, are quite easy to prepare. The recipe is very simple
but a special attention must be given in choosing the cheese which is the
real secret to transform any “calcione” in the delicious
speciality of Treia.
The first thing to do is the
dough preparation with the egg whites, grated lemon, sugar, vanilla and
cheese. Successively the external dough is prepared with flour, whole eggs
plus the remaining yolks from the egg whites used for the mixture, sugar
and pork lard.
The dough is rolled out with a
rolling pin to obtain small circles with a diameter of about 10 cm. which
are filled up with balls of mixture as big as a spoon. Each circle must be
cut into (as if the mixture is contained in a small sack) to avoid any
leak during the baking. The “calcione”
of Treia was originally considered an Easter food but it is produced
during the whole year.
There is a special event that
is organized every year in Treia to celebrate this speciality; the feast
known as “sagra del
calcione” takes place the 3rd sunday of May and the
historical centre of Treia becomes an open fair and the streets and the
squares are crowded with many visitors who queue up in each stand to taste
the famous “calcione”.
In the same occasion visitors can taste also the “calcione” cooked in
different versions: as pasta ( ravioli in half-moon shape stuffed with
white unsalted cheese made from sheep’s milk, eggs and spices), fried or
baked “calcioni” stuffed with ricotta and sugar.
At present there are many
recurrences in which “calcione” is the protagonist and for
tourists, who visit this beautiful village,
to taste this typical recipe is a “must”.
This product together with
“cicerchiata” has became also the typical cake of Carnival.
The most important
acknowledgement given to “calcione” of Treia for its natural
quality comes from the Ministery of agricultural politics which has
accepted the proposal from the Region to include this speciality on the
list of marchigian products that need to be preserved for their typical
characteristics . This is a form of protection against any possible
imitation in the whole Europe.
© 2001 Liberation Ventures Ltd.
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