Atlas of taste by Claudio Valeriani

AtlAs of tAste A GUIDE TO THE EXCELLENT PRODUCTS IN THE TERNI PROVINCE

Authorization of the court of Terni n. 09/09 of 06.08.2009 Publication organised by Terni Chamber of Commerce Editorial project Promotion and Development Office Texts Danca Caccavello and Mara Quadraccia Graphics and Translations Lingua SĂŹ srl Photos Pasquale Comegna, Danca Caccavello, Stefano Fabi, courtesy of Alessandro Geraldini.

AtlAs of tAste A GUIDE TO THE EXCELLENT PRODUCTS IN THE TERNI PROVINCE

tHe VICtUAleR of soUtHeRN UMBRIA THE CUCINA POVERA OF FARM TRADITION

ust as a person is more familiar to us after having shared a meal, thus a territory is better understood when we search for local products and enjoy typical dishes in their places of origin where the traditional recipes are preserved and renewed. Dishes with the same basic ingredients (olive oil, legumes, garlic, onion, fresh herbs, pork, chicken, eggs) are made throughout the territory, yet with different names and different secondary ingredients: the various dishes are the kaleidoscope of what we produce. The list may seem limited in quantity but it is a guarantee of quality and seasonal freshness. The Terni province countryside is impressive because of the variety of morphological elements that arouse curiosity about a land where what is produced has the flavour of its history, a masterly blend of nature and culture. The prevalence of calcareous hills covered with woods, streams, basins and springs, clayey terrain, and the Mediterranean climate are the right conditions for developing a deep-rooted rural environment and a renewed source of wealth. The products from livestock breeding and crops are the tangible, tasty forms of a widespread memory repository made from stratified knowledge of the processing, ageing and preservation procedures. 2

The shape of the territory has directed the agricultural choices, the seasonal harvest of herbs and spontaneous fruits and the work connected to making the most of natural resources. There are still obvious signs of crops that formed the cultures, leading to identifying a place and its inhabitants with their prevalent work. The basket of the area contains products with the pure taste and authentic flavour of simplicity where one recognises the fragrances and magic of the land they come from. The hills and dales covered in olive groves yield a fragrant, fruity, very low acid DOP (PDO Protected Designation of Origin) extra virgin olive oil while the rows of vines outlining the hillsides give their best to DOC and IGT (TGI Typical Geographical Indication) wines and in superior quality products such as late harvesting, muffato, passito and sparkling wines. The hilly and mountain pastures feed cattle for the production of prized Chianina IGP (PGI Protected Geographical Indication) beef and sheep for the production of meat and cheese; the production and consumption of pork meats are the most widespread of a typically Apennine food tradition, the skilful transformation into cold cuts having been invented in Umbria. In the cities and in the villages one smells daily the

fragrance of freshly baked bread that is enriched with the aromas of seasonal and ritual foods such as the pizza di Pasqua (Easter cake), panpepato (cake flavoured with spices, honey, almonds, orange peel and candied citron), biscuits with must; and more, with good types of flour even a simple dough made with water becomes a substantial, tasty homemade pasta. Farming cereal and legume crops is supported by terrain that holds water; springs of particularly light waters make this primary element an important industry. The widespread mantle of woods protects wild boar, favours mushrooms and hides one of the treasures of this soil: the white and black truffle, the prince of the most refined food. Spontaneous flora offers its essences for herb liqueurs prepared with the alchemy of age-old recipes.

superfluous for pleasures and luxuryâ&#x20AC;?. The spread of rural Roman villas near the main waterways and the presence of ports with large warehouses mean that we can reconstruct a history in which the territory plays an important role for supplying Rome with foodstuffs: oil, wine, spelt, legumes, wheat, dried fruit, mushrooms and truffles.

HISTORY

he characteristics of the Terni province cuisine are not easily traceable in other nearby areas because it developed independently with its own roots, preserving the cultural elements of the local populations.

UMBRIANS, ETRUSCANS AND ROMANS

ven in its culinary tradition the territory epitomises the two historical roots: Umbrian and Etruscan. The Umbrians, shepherds and farmers, had no knowledge of the ritual wealth of the refined Etruscan banquets with meat, game, legumes and fruit. Diodoro Siculo noted â&#x20AC;?they live in an incredibly fertile land that, properly cultivated, provides not just what is necessary, but even the

CHRISTIANITY AND THE MONASTIC ORDERS

ating habits changed with the spread of Christianity, when certain foods took on a sacred, symbolic value: oil, wine, bread and lamb. The early Benedictine communities became a safe reference for the populations threatened by the barbarian invasions thanks to technical innovations for increasing agricultural production and food processing, such as pork preserved for annual consumption. The therapeutic properties of the natural water springs, sacred element and food since the most remote cults, are combined with the miraculous capabilities of saints such as Saint Francis, for the Amerino spring and San Gemini for his namesake spring. The diffusion of the Franciscan rule introduced frugal dietary habits marked by daily 3

and calendar rhythms, with strict observance of Lent, and a prevalent consumption of cereals, oil, bread, cheese and fruit. FREE COMUNES AND THE STATUTES

he use of uncultivated land is regulated by the comunes with the institution of the Agrarian Communities or Collective Domains, for the right of pasture, wood cutting and grass. It was material support for people who had no income, and also developed a form of social solidarity that still exists today in the areas with a wealth of woods and game. The statute of each comune established the specific rules for managing the land, bread making, raising farmyard animals and the public indication of measures used in the marketplaces.

RENAISSANCE AND COURTYARDS

he end of the struggle between comunes and the widespread supremacy of families bound to papal power encouraged the people to return to the land with use of soil for extensive farming at the expense of woodland. The courts became places where any art, even cuisine, must excel; the banquet of the renaissance lord is the sign of his power entrusted to the farrier or court cook. The first recipe books appear, such as “Il Saporetto” by Simone Prodenzani, from the Prodo court near Orvieto, and there is no lack of innovations following the arrival of spices and new animals after the discovery of America. The dining table is enriched with the meat of animals, whether bred or wild, and more elaborated dishes seasoned with exotic spices.

HISTORIC MODERNISM

ince the 17th century there has been a certain lack of movement in this land protected by the power of the church: the land belongs to the families connected to the papal court or to the large convent communities. Basic foods and their derivatives continue to be produced, but there is an increase in the gap between what is on the dining table of the rich and what is available to the poor. The availability of food, as well as curiosity, induces alchemic experimentation, as in the case of Federico Cesi and Mastro Girolamo with the Orvietan, therapeutic liquor that in the end can even be found in Molière’s France. The arrival of the Grand Tour travellers makes the cultural value of our products evident, even the most simple ones such as bygone fruits. The scene of tables laden with wine, cold cuts, bread and fruit is immortalised by Flemish or local painters on canvas or frescoes. At the end of the nineteenth century, with the industrial revolution, the birth of the first large scale food production (pasta, Amelia figs, sweets) is recorded. Mineral water starts to become a precious marketing product, thanks to bottling, and it gains fame beyond regional borders. With the introduction of mechanisation, the production panorama changes. It is no longer limited to just household use and an exchange economy. When companies are set up, production moves on to the transformation of products for marketing purposes.

INdex CeReAls

sAlAMI ANd Cold CUts

Spelt Barley

7 8

BReAd

Sausage Mazzafegata Salami Head cheese Prosciutto Capocollo/Loin Lombetto Bacom Guanciale Lard Porchetta

Bread with must Easter pizza or cake

12 13

pAstA

Egg pasta Ciriole

15 16

sweets

Amelia figs Tortiglione or torcilione Pan pepato

18 19 20

olIVe oIl

Extra virgin olive oil DOP Umbria

tRUffle

Black and white truffle

27 28 29 30 32

Beef

Chianina beef

leGUMes

Lentils Broad beans Cicerchie beans Common beans

36 37 38 39

lIQUeURs

Bitter liqueurs and herbal liqueurs

CeReAls

ereals – wheat, barley and spelt – are members of the grain family. They take their name from Cerere, divinity of grain venerated by the Romans, for whom they were the basic daily diet. In the Bible they are quoted as “the grass that produces seed”, hence considered an excellent food. The Greeks adored Demeter because she had brought wheat farming to earth, allowing humankind to move from the wild state to the civilised state. Latin shepherds ate “puls”, polenta made of spelt, barley and buckwheat. Widespread cultivation is due to easy adaptation to various environmental and climatic conditions, being rich in starch they are easy to digest and preserve, even after milling for flour.

spelt DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS Spelt, a herbaceous plant of the gramineae family, is the oldest variety of wheat farmed by man. It adapts itself to poor soil, resists cold and drought and parasite infestation, therefore it is especially suited to organic cultivation. It is called “covered wheat” because the seed is covered by a protective hull (cariosside), which is eliminated by hulling and peeling. Presence of the methionine amino acid distinguishes it from the other cereals that are deficient. It is highly antioxidant due to selenium and phytic acid that inhibit the formation of free radicals. BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS This cereal can be classified in three varieties of the genus Triticum: small or monococcum spelt, medium or dicoccum spelt, large or spelta spelt. ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES This is different from durum and soft wheat because of the pericarp around the kernel, as in barley and oats. The kernel is long and tapering, colour between light brown and white, with a slightly rough surface and a hard, compact consistency. The starch odour and flavour can be perceived after cooking, when a straw odour is given off. NUTRITIONAL VALUES Protein Unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats Vitamins A, B, C, E Phytic acid Mineral salts (potassium, phosphorous, calcium, iron, sodium, magnesium, manganese, copper, selenium and cobalt) ORIGIN Spelt is the oldest cereal, grown as early as the Neolithic times in Asia Minor, then in Egypt where it was used for soups and rudimentary flatbreads. Spread nomadically in the Mediterranean area, it is the common crop of the people living on the Apennine ridge in our peninsula. The Romans used it as provisions for the legionnaires and for making «puls», soup of boiled cereals, or unleavened flatbread. Used as an offer in religious ceremonies, with the ‘confarreatio’ rite, the offer of a spelt flatbread eaten by newlyweds consecrated the passage of the woman into her husband’s family. This was progressively replaced by the greater yield of durum

and soft wheat, until it was nearly abandoned in the Middle Ages when it was destined for livestock feed and grown in order to produce straw. Increasing attention to organic and natural products has led to the recent rediscovery of spelt farming, introduced again in a more healthy daily diet and entered in local menus. WHERE IT IS GROWN Throughout the province, above all in marginal agricultural areas. GROWING CYCLE Sowing in autumn/winter, harvest in the summer, then packaging. DESCRIPTION OF WHERE IT CAN BE GROWN High hill or mountain areas in cold, calcareous terrain, rooms or silos for storage, laboratories for processing and packaging. PROCESSING PROCEDURES AND VARIATIONS Cultivation is done with the “covered seed” which is bedded out in autumn/winter and harvest is done in the summer. After being stored, the spelt is screened, then hulling, decorticating and pearling is done. Spelt can be used whole or crushed for soups, or boiled for other hot or cold dishes. BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY The ancient Umbrians offered the iron cake to the war gods. The Romans considered spelt, symbol of the generosity of the land, to be the wheat of Umbria. Moving along the Tiber it reached the warehouses and the tables of Rome. Cultivation of it was never completely abandoned, and it was the supporting food of the poorer classes and the economic power of the landowners. The great abundance of kernels in the ear made it the symbol of abundance, shown in the iconography of numerous frescoes and in the coats of arms of noble families such as Amelia’s Farrattini family.

BARleY DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS Barley, one of the most ancient grasses used to feed humans and animals, has an ear rich in caryopsis, kernels covered in their hull. It was the first cereal used for making an unleavened type of bread because it was gluten-free. Mixing the flour with wheat, which keeps better, is suitable for making bread. There are two varieties of barley: nude or clean which naturally loses its hull, and barley that goes through the pearling process. The first type maintains intact all the characteristics of the whole kernel, mineral salts, fibres and vitamins, whereas the second type, which during processing loses its nutritional elements, is more digestible. BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS Whole grain, pearl and hulled barley is used for food: malt is extracted from tender barley to produce beer or whisky. Toasted barley is used to substitute coffee; it is nourishing and non stimulating due to the absence of caffeine. It is found commercially in the form of flour and flakes, and can be used in baking and for making drinks. ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES The oval kernel, with a more or less marked longitudinal line, is yellowish in colour that in some cultivars could tend towards white or dark red. The odour and flavour of starch can be perceived after cooking, whereas after toasting it is similar to coffee. NUTRITIONAL VALUES Protein, lipids, glucides, iron, calcium, phosphorous, vitamins B1, B2, B3 ORIGIN Barley is a plant grown in the Middle East in the Neolithic epoch and came to Europe before wheat. In the Old Testament, wheat and barley were mentioned as an offering of first fruits or a gift with oil and wine. The Greeks and Romans ate mostly barley, with which they made bread and soups. Pliny the Elder told that the gladiators ate barley, nourishing and digestible. This is why they were called "hordearii" (barley eaters). In the middle ages, country food was based on minor cereals such as barley until corn was introduced after the discovery of America. Preference began for wheat, more suited for bread-

making, therefore barley was considered coarse food to be given to the lower classes. The shape of the host consecrated in mass for communion recalls the shape of the unleavened barley flour loaves used by the early Christians. WHERE IT IS GROWN Throughout the province, in areas that are not particularly fertile. GROWING CYCLE It is sown and bedded out in late autumn, threshing starts in June, then it is stored and packaged. DESCRIPTION OF WHERE IT CAN BE GROWN Planted in lean, loose, well drained soil, it resists temperature ranges, therefore it can be grown on flatland as well as in the mountains. After harvest it is put in dry warehouses or silos for storage, then processed and packaged in suitable environments. PROCESSING PROCEDURES AND VARIATIONS It is sown and bedded out in late autumn, for some varieties in March, and threshing is done in June. After storage, barley is sorted, hulled and, if necessary, pearled. Before consumption, this cereal must be washed and drained. The wholegrain is left to soak for one day, then cooked for more than one hour, whereas pearl barley, without soaking, cooks in less than one hour. Barley can be used whole or crushed for soups and other foods, ground for flour, or toasted for “barley coffee”. BONDS WITH THE LAND Growing barley was done traditionally everywhere in the province since it is a very adaptable cereal, both for soil and various types of climate. In the food habits of our countryside it has become a common food due to the possibility to preserve and transform it, with the widespread presence of watermills for cereals. From the 19th century to the second half of the 20th century, “barley coffee” was a companion to milk and day-old bread at the farmer’s breakfast table. Every family did their share in the small rite of toasting barley by turning the metal container over the fire in the fireplace. Barley bread was the bread of the poorest farmers between May and June, when the provisions of durum wheat were finished and the new harvest of wheat was not yet available. Barley sweets were always in the glass jars of the pharmacies or in Granny’s pockets as a gentle remedy for a sore throat.

BReAd

BReAd DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS White bread of the rural tradition, double rising with natural agents and without salt; its shape is a long loaf, roll or filetto depending on the weight; the lack of salt is due to environmental, historic, economic and food reasons. VARIATIONS loaf, half loaf, roll, thin roll focaccia, acciaccata, schiacciata (flattened bread dough with a little salt and olive oil on the top) Wheatmeal bread, cereal bread, bread with olives, bread with nuts “Calendar” bread: Saint Anthony’s bread, savoury or sweet Easter pizzas also called cakes, anise bread or biscuits for threshing, bread with must during grape harvest Bread baked in a wood-burning oven, ordinary bread, Terni bread, Stroncone bread, Amelia bread BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS White bread: 0 type white flour, water, brewer’s yeast or natural yeast Wheatmeal bread: 0 type white flour with the addition of bran, water, brewer’s yeast or natural yeast Cereal bread: 0 type white flour with the addition of cereals (rye, barley, oats, spelt, millet) ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES Sourdough bread with double natural rising has aroma and flavour easy to detect due to the formation of organic compounds that determine longer preservation and greater digestibility. As soon as the bread comes out of the oven it has a characteristic sweet smell, a golden crisp crust and a soft alveolated crumb. To enjoy the fragrance it should be eaten the same day, though bread baked in a wood-burning oven can be eaten even after a few days when the crust softens and the crumb becomes firmer. NUTRITIONAL VALUES Water, gluten, unsaturated fats, sugars, calcium, phosphorous, sodium, potassium, iron and magnesium. Wheatmeal bread: vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, PP and H White bread: vitamin E ORIGIN Bread, a basic food, has undergone various transformations over the centuries, but the dough made of flour and water hasn’t changed. Wheat was imported from Egypt by the

Romans who introduced its cultivation in Etruria, the granary of Rome. A flatbread was made, cooked under the ashes and used as a plate to put food on. The double natural rising, with natural yeast, led to the production of a higher bread, wheel-shaped with eight radius lines marked on it, corresponding to the soldier’s rations. The symbolic value of bread for Christianity introduced the habit of marking the dough with a cross. In the Middle Ages the term companage was spread because bread was something to eat with other foods. The poverty of most of the population led to the habit of mixing less noble flours with wheat, for example acorn flour, therefore white bread was only for the few. In Umbria, a region far from the sea, finding salt was very costly; farmers got used to not using it in bread making, preferring to use it in the preservation of pork. Pope Paul III’s salt taxation led to the “salt war” and people finally stopped using it, consolidating the tradition of flavourless bread that brings out the flavour of cold cuts. In the city archives it is shown that the bakers had to provide “good bread… well done”, seven and a half ounces for a Papal copper, except for the “pan busfetto”, fine bread, sold freely. Bread had monetary value. The Middle Ages saw the first form of a “bank” deposit with the Monti Frumentari: in the agrarian contracts, bread was part of the rental of the “bread lands” and the produce of the fields was called “bread harvest”. The wood-burning ovens, whether in families or collectively, and knowing how to make bread, were a community asset. They are still preserved and used in some of the farmhouses and villages. BAKING CYCLE Traditional bread baked in a wood-burning oven was made once a week, taking care to leave a portion of leavened dough in the “ark” for the next batch. At certain ritual times of the year, when bread was given specific shapes and meanings (Saint Antonio’s bread, baptism bread) there was an increase in production. Today’s eating habits mean fresh bread made

daily, therefore bakers work at night so that their fragrant goods reach the table every day of the year. WHERE IT IS BAKED Since it is an essential food, bread baking is widespread. In every comune there are artisan types of ovens and in some places there is an industrial type of production. Some types of bread are identified by where they are made, such as the Terni, Stroncone, Amelia and Orvieto breads, different in shape and type of processing. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCTION LOCALES It is baked in artisan or industrial ovens. They must have common tools, work surfaces and leavening surfaces, electric or wood-burning ovens for baking. BREAD MAKING METHODS AND VARIATIONS Bread making is done with the technique of double natural rising linked to the use of leavening agents such as brewer’s yeast or natural yeast. Brewer’s yeast dissolved in warm water is added to type 0 flour, or natural yeast is added. The dough is covered with a cloth to keep it damp and warm, leaving it to rise in a warm, damp place. When the dough has doubled in size, it is kneaded again shaping it to sizes and forms that will be scored on the top to aid the next

rise, then covered with a cloth and set to rest until it has doubled in size. The bread is baked at a very high temperature and baking will be complete when the surface is a golden brown. Today the use of kneading machines and other technical means have accelerated production times, not always to the advantage of quality. Bread dough is a basis for adding ingredients and the production of many derivatives with seasonal and local variations: white, red and “sfrizzoli” pizzas, bread with nuts and olives, cresciole, pizzole, tortucce (bread dough fried and sprinkled with sugar or salt), Orvieto “lumachelle” bread, Amerino anise bread, Terni fat bread rings. BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY The widespread cultivation of soft wheat (which yields excellent flour), the presence of fine waters, the consolidated tradition of artisan processes, the special care throughout industrial production, make this product an important item in the province economy. The widespread network of bread-making in the whole area completely meets the local needs and the commercial diffusion in the bordering territories. It gives the population work and income. Some of the fine types of bread in particular, above all cooked in wood-fired ovens, are sold in the Rome area and on the Tyrrhenian coast of central Italy.

BReAd wItH MUst DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS Bread with must is a sweet made during grape harvest, when must is available. It is shaped like a ring or a bun high in the centre and thinner at the edges, to be eaten fresh. Sliced and dried in the oven, it then becomes rusks to be eaten at breakfast. Variations: maritozzo, a long oval sweet currant bun biscuits with must, must bread sliced and returned to the oven for toasting to rusks BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS Flour, sugar, salt, brewer’s yeast, must, oil; optional: anise, raisins, eggs. ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES This is a fragrant bread with a light golden brown crust, soft and well leavened with a scent of must. NUTRITIONAL VALUES Carbohydrates, sugars, vegetable fats, vitamin B1 ORIGIN The end of the grape harvest, one of the country jobs that needed a lot of labour, was celebrated with a meal, at the end of which a sweet was offered. This sweet was made by adding a little must to the bread dough. Even the Romans made sweet bread, adding honey and raisins; in the farm tradition women prepared sweet rolls for their husbands to put in their haversacks, hence the term “maritozzo” (marito=husband). WHERE IT IS MADE These are baked by local artisan companies and by small food industries that also handle distribution. BAKING CYCLE Must bread only between October and November, “maritozzi” all year round.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCTION LOCALES It is made in artisan bakeries and pastry shops, and also in small food manufacturing companies that manage distribution. There must be tools in common and an oven for cooking BREAD MAKING PROCESSES AND VARIATIONS Take the bread dough and add must, sugar, raisins and grated lemon rind. The dough is kneaded well, making small long loaves, oval buns or rings to place on a greased oven sheet, not too close together, covered with a cloth and left to rise for two hours. Then place in the oven and bake for 20 - 30 minutes. BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY The intense winegrowing and wine production vocation of the area, with its 2,500 years of grapevine cultivation brought by the Etruscans, has linked the agricultural seasons to the foods that have embraced the basic food – bread - with other ingredients. Enriching bread with must and raisins was a food integration need for the people who went to work in the fields. The tradition is present in the areas of the province where winegrowing production is concentrated.

eAsteR pIZZA oR CAKe DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS A traditional cake during the Easter period, long rising, round and tall in the sweet and cheese variations. The sweet version, particularly fragrant due to the spices used, can also be eaten with pieces of chocolate or ricotta cheese. The cheese version, accompanied by eggs or cold cuts, is the typical Easter morning breakfast.

WHERE IT IS MADE

BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS

BAKING CYCLE

Sweet version: flour, brewer’s yeast, water, oil, milk, sugar, eggs, cinnamon and bitter almond rosolio (a sweet cordial), vanilla, cinnamon, grated orange and lemon peel, nutmeg. Cheese version: flour, brewer’s yeast, water, milk, eggs, oil, pecorino cheese grated and in pieces, grated parmesan cheese, pepper and salt.

ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES The top of the sweet cake is a shiny intense brown, at times rounded, the inside is golden yellow with diffused, regular alveolation, a definite intense aroma, delicate spicy flavour and soft crumb. The top of the cheese cake is golden yellow and the inside soft, characterised by diffused alveolation with evident white parts due to the cheese, which releases its intense aroma.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES Sweet version: carbohydrates, proteins, vegetable fats, sugars, iron, calcium, potassium, vitamins A-B-E-D, phosphorous, alcohol. Cheese version: carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, iron, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, vitamins A-B-E-D, sodium.

ORIGIN In rural tradition the Easter holidays, which at the end of Lent mark the rebirth of nature, were characterised by the collective preparation of sweet or cheese cakes. They were eaten until Ascension; the long preparation was accompanied by ritual gestures, conciliatory for success, and even after baking they were blessed by the priest along with the eggs used for Easter breakfast. In the Orvieto area, part of the leavened dough was fashioned into “pucciarelle”, shaped like a doll or a cockerel with an egg on their stomach, to give to children.

These are made by local artisan companies, pastry shops and small food industries who also handle distribution. Once made only for Holy Week, today it is found even several months before and after Easter. The industrial cheese pizzacake is found a good part of the year.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCTION LOCALES Once prepared only in the home, today they are made with similar, but not identical, recipes by artisan and industrial laboratories and by pastry shops that guarantee market availability.

BAKING PROCESSES AND VARIATIONS As for bread, the process is the double rising technique. Warm water with brewer’s yeast dissolved in it or natural yeast is added to the flour. Cover with a cloth to keep in moisture and heat, leaving it to rise in a fairly warm damp room. Then all the other ingredients are added, depending on whether it is the sweet or cheese version. The dough is then placed to rise in the typical deep moulds and left to rise until the dough reaches the edge. It is then put in a hot oven for about an hour.

BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY The traditional Easter cakes, sweet and cheese, were an enrichment of the rural diet during the period when the Lent food limitations were abandoned. They were made at home and baked in the community ovens with a rite the whole family took part in: preparation was duties were divided and followed recipes where the housewives competed with each other.

pAstA

bandoning nomadic life and early agricultural work, including growing wheat, gave rise to pasta: ground wheat mixed with water, then rolled out and cooked on a red-hot stone. The first documents of pasta making are found in the bas-reliefs of an Etruscan tomb in Cerveteri, decorated with knives, rolling pins and pastry wheels similar to those used today, which they used to prepare even spelt lasagne. Apicius, a popular Roman cook, speaks of làgana: strips of thin pasta made from flour and water, the forerunners of today’s lasagne. The first pasta recipe is found in "De arte Coquinaria” for Sicilian vermicelli and macaroni dating back to the year one thousand, and Palermo was the first place to make dried pasta. Jacopone da Todi speaks of pasta in his ranting against Boniface VIII and Boccaccio relates in “The Decameron” that in the land of milk and honey where "… there was a whole mountain of Parmigiano cheese all finely grated, on top of which stood people who were doing nothing but making macaroni and ravioli..." After the discovery of America pasta began being seasoned with tomato, surpassing the traditional sweet-and-sour and sweet-and-salty seasoning. Macaroni, made industrially, became the synonym of a linguistic mixture called macaronic poetry. Pasta has always been the main course of the poor classes and, until the invention of the four-tined fork in the 17th century, was eaten with the hands. In the 19th century, development of large landed estates led to extensive wheat farming with a widespread increase of mills and food industries for making dried pasta. Production today, done prevalently by artisan companies, uses the combination of good water, flours and the hill air to make a high quality product.

eGG pAstA DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS Egg pasta, called “sfoglia” because it is rolled thin, if rolled by hand or by an artisan appears as long strips of varying widths; if it is made industrially it is rolled into a nest shape or small tangle. They have different names depending on the width of the strips: lasagne 10/15 cm, pappardelle 1/1.5 cm, tagliatelle 0.7 cm, fettuccine 0.3 cm, tagliolini 0.2 cm, angel hair 0.1 cm., small squares.

BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS Fresh pasta: soft wheat flour and eggs Dried pasta: durum wheat and eggs

ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES Straw yellow colour, thin and slightly rough consistency, flavour and odour of flour and egg.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES Carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

ORIGIN The custom of kneading flour with water to create a very nourishing food has ancient and persistent origins at the Italian table. Introducing egg in place of water establishes the social difference between the rich and the poor, the poor using egg pasta only on festivities or special occasions.

WHERE IT IS MADE Throughout the province there are artisan and industrial pasta shops and factories for preparing fresh and dried pasta.

PRODUCTION CYCLE All year

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCTION LOCALES Laboratories for fresh pasta equipped with mixer-kneader machines, a compressor roller and a cutter, whereas for dried pasta a drying machine is needed.

PROCESSING METHOD AND VARIATIONS Pour the flour on a wooden pastry board and make a well in the centre, put the eggs in the well and beat them, then blend them into the flour. Knead the pasta for about ten minutes, then cover it and leave it to set for 10-20 minutes. On a lightly floured pastry board roll out the pasta with a long rolling pin, starting from the centre, until the ideal thickness is reached (the thinner the pasta, the better it is; thickness should be no more than 0.3 cm or even less). Cut it in the desired shape after letting it set for at least 15-20 minutes. BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY In the limited resources of rural economy, eggs were a source of income, therefore eating egg pasta was synonymous with a table laid for a festivity or special event. Rolling out the “sfoglia” and preparing fettuccine was a task that all women learned very early in life; it was important to know how to cook a rich substantial meal with the few ingredients available. The classic Sunday lunch was made up of a plate of fettuccine with chicken giblet sauce followed by the roast chicken.

CIRIole DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS Fresh or dried pasta of the rural tradition obtained with a blend of soft wheat flour, or partly durum wheat, and water. It is shaped like short spaghetti, square rather than round, irregular length. In artisan production there are size variations with differing names, according to the area where it is made: umbrichelli in the Orvieto area, vesciarelli in the Alviano area, manfricoli in the Amerino territory, strengozzi in Valnerina Basic ingredients and variations Water, flour, a pinch of salt

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCTION LOCALES

Fragrance of flour, flavour similar to bread dough, white, and good consistency.

Laboratories for fresh pasta equipped with mixer-kneader machines, a compressor roller and a cutter, whereas for dried pasta a drying machine is needed.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES

PROCESSING METHOD AND VARIATIONS

ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES

Carbohydrates, water, proteins, mineral salts, vitamins.

ORIGIN The mixture of flour and water is one of the oldest preparations of traditional cucina povera documented in the whole Mediterranean area. In the diet of the Romans there was often a dish of strips of a thin mixture made of water and flour. The Ciriole could derive from the Latin cereus (waxen), for the light colour of the pasta prepared without egg, or from the resemblance of their shape to the eel of the same name found in the waters of the Tiber.

WHERE IT IS MADE Throughout the province there are artisan and industrial pasta shops and factories for preparing fresh and dried pasta.

PRODUCTION CYCLE All year

Handmade: mix the flour only with warm water and salt and leave it to set for half an hour. Knead small pieces of the pasta, giving it the shape of large spaghetti half a centimetre thick. Cut it with the special rolling pin or roll it up and cut it with a knife.

BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY In the persistent rural atmosphere, the basic ingredients have become a widespread dish on all tables. The simplest of condiments - garlic browned in oil â&#x20AC;&#x201C; enhances the taste of pasta, while the variations with tomato and basil, truffles, mushrooms or meat sauce, and maybe adding pecorino cheese, turn this food of rural tables into an elegant traditional dish.

sweets

Dark chocolate: carbohydrates, lipids, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, vitamins D and A.

ORIGIN As early as the Roman age, Amelia was famous for the production of “siccum”, sundried fruit. According to the Statutes of the 14th century, every year the Amerino inhabitants had to bring the Pope "centum pignatuli ficum" (one hundred small pots of figs). Since 1830, due to the initiative of a local company, the product was enriched with other ingredients and was sold under a brand known outside Italy, and it then became the symbol of the city.

AMelIA fIGs DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS Dried figs, stuffed with nuts and chocolate, pressed into a brick shape or covered with chocolate.

BASIC INGREDIENTS Dried figs, dark chocolate, nuts. Variations - candied orange rind, sugar, cocoa, vanillin - toasted almonds, sugar, cocoa, vanillin - dried figs covered with dark chocolate

ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES Dried figs, round and crushed, are light brown/nut colour and have an intense sweet nutty taste; they are rich in sugar, energetic and toning. The dark chocolate is shiny brown, with an intense fragrance and a bitter note slightly persistent at the end.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES Figs contain simple sugars, minerals and fibres. They are rich in potassium, calcium, carbohydrates, iron, phosphorous, proteins and sodium. Nuts contain lipids, potassium, calcium, phosphorous and magnesium.

WHERE IT IS MADE Artisan laboratories.

PRODUCTION CYCLE The cycle begins with harvesting the figs, which are then dried and bleached. From October to February/March they are prepared with the other ingredients and packaged, mainly by female labour, in an artisan laboratory in the historical centre of Amelia.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCTION LOCALES The laboratory has areas for processing, packaging and storing the raw materials and the finished products.

PROCESSING METHOD AND VARIATIONS The dried figs are carefully selected and opened; they are filled by hand with toasted almonds, nuts, candied fruit, cocoa, and crushed and put into a wheel shape with the aid of a tool called a ”torchietto“ (press).

BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY The Amerino area, typically hilly, encouraged a widespread rural development with the typical farmhouse where there were many fruit trees. Fig trees didn’t need special care and since all their fruit couldn’t be eaten fresh, it was dried, forming an excellent, economic food supplement.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES Proteins, unsaturated fats, carbohydrates and fibres. Vitamin E, magnesium, iron and calcium.

ORIGIN The shape of the coiled snake embodies vital strength and represents the cyclic nature of the year that ends and begins. Almond trees, which don’t require special care, give nuts that keep for a long time and are easy to use for the imaginative preparation of sweets.

WHERE IT IS MADE Prevalently homemade production is typical of the province, in particular Fabro, Castel Giorgio, San Venanzo, Amelia and Penna in Teverina.

PRODUCTION CYCLE

toRtIGlIoNe oR toRCIGlIoNe DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS This is a dry sweet, based on sweet and bitter almonds, in the shape of a coiled snake, traditionally prepared for the New Years holidays.

VARIATIONS Tortella: it has the same shape, made with a very simple dough, stuffed with spiced dry fruit; it is a Christmas sweet, production being limited to the areas of the province closest to Spoleto.

BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS Sweet and bitter almonds, egg whites, sugar, candied fruit, flour. Variations: pine nuts, rum, dark chocolate.

ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES It has a scent of almonds and a prevalent delicate taste and oiliness of dried fruit that makes the dough compact yet crisp.

Throughout the province, at Christmas time and in August, the Madonna della Neve feast day in Penna in Teverina.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCTION LOCALES It is produced in bread-making laboratories or pastry shops with ordinary tools: a steel worktop, oven plate, kneader, mixer and oven.

PROCESSING METHOD AND VARIATIONS The almonds are blanched, drained and skinned, dried in a ventilated oven, then they are ground and combined with the chopped citron and sugar. The egg whites are beaten until stiff but not dry, mixed with the other ingredients and the mixture is shaped like a snake on an oven pan covered with oven paper. It is baked in the oven at 130° for about 20 minutes.

BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY The presence of almond trees has been deep-rooted in the territory ever since Roman times, to the extent of giving the name to some of the places, such as Avigliano (from Avellanum); since the trees don’t need special care, they have always supplied a readily available food.

pAN pepAto DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS Panpepato is round with a dark brown irregular surface, compact and quite heavy considering its size; the traditional shape is reminiscent of the skullcap, the pontiff’s headdress: Panpepato was prepared as a gift to the hierarchs.

BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS Nuts, raisins, cocoa, honey, almonds, hazelnuts, cooked must, candied fruit, pine nuts, lemon, sugar, flour, dark chocolate, pepper, dry Marsala wine, cinnamon; Variations Strong coffee, whole cloves, grated orange rind, nutmeg, jam and salt.

ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES It gives off mixed scents deriving from predominantly chocolate aromas. The flavour is very sweet, with a strong sense of honey and cinnamon, and is tempered by the contrast with pepper that gives it a long-lasting taste on the palate.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES Proteins, carbohydrates, iron, calcium, phosphorous, lipids and glucides Vitamins C, E, D

ORIGIN It is one of the spicy cakes with aromas from the Orient, so it could have its origins in the middle ages, when only honey, raisins, cooked must and pepper and cinnamon were used. Prepared in the Christmas period and not containing animal fats, panpepato could be eaten on the “day of bread” – meaning Christmas Eve. It is known in both the Terni and Ferrara provinces. The oldest reference is found in the "Libro della Interada della Casa Estense” dated 1465: Duke Borso d'Este had a gold ducat placed inside each panpepato for his guests. The tradition could have come to our area following Beata Lucia Broccadelli da Narni’s presence in Ferrara, accompanied by several noblewomen from Narni. In renaissance, chocolate and coffee were added. When aphrodisiac properties were attributed to cocoa, the name of the sweet was corrected from "PAMPAPATO" to "PAN PEPATO", and to avoid accusations of heresy the recipes kept in the monasteries were destroyed. The name was a contraction of Pan del Papa (the Pope’s bread), then Pan papato and then Panpepato, with reference to the public where it was originally destined because of its skull cap shape. The cook Guido Ghezzi

made it world famous by presenting it at the Paris Exposition in 1908. Today it is recognised as a typical Umbrian sweet.

WHERE IT IS MADE Production is concentrated in the area between Terni and Narni and is quite widespread in the neighbouring territories too.

PRODUCTION CYCLE From November to December

DESCRIPTION OF PRODUCTION LOCALES It is made in artisan bakeries and in pastry shops, as well as small food manufacturing companies that also distribute it. Ordinary utensils and a baking oven are necessary.

PROCESSING METHOD AND VARIATIONS Walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts are toasted in the oven then put in a bowl where pine nuts, raisins, candied citron and orange, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg are added, and last of all flour. In another bowl honey, cooked must, dark chocolate and coffee are blended warm, then mixed with the other ingredients. The ‘pampepati’ are shaped into loaves of about 810 cm in diameter and weighing about 250 g each, then put in a baking tray leaving enough space between them and, once they have cooled, are put in a 180°C oven for 20 minutes. .

BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY The fact that it was along a central route to Rome led to the use of spices from the Orient, through Venice and Ravenna, finding a good alliance with local products. One characteristic element is the use of cooked must - ‘sapa’ - previously known to the Etruscans and Romans, an ingredient linked to ingrained wine growing and producing, and present in very few typical recipes, above all in central Italy.

olIVe oIl 足

extRA VIRGIN olIVe oIl dop UMBRIA DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS Umbria is the only region in Italy where the production of oil is DOP protected (Protected Denomination of Origin) throughout the country. In the province of Terni there are three sub-zones of DOP Umbria referring to types of oil obtained from different cultivars mixed is specific quantities, established by the disciplinary procedures. Extra virgin olive oil: COLLI AMERINI (Alviano, Amelia, Attigliano, Avigliano Umbro, Calvi, Giove, Guardea, Lugnano in Teverina, Montecastrilli, Narni, Otricoli, Penna in Teverina) Variety: Raio, Leccino, Frantoio max 85% - Moraiolo at least 15% - other varieties at least 10% Maximum acidity in oleic acid, by weight not above 0.65 g per 100 g of oil. COLLI ORVIETANI (Allerona, Baschi, Castelgiorgio, Castel Viscardo, Fabro, Ficulle, Montecchio, Monteleone d’Orvieto, Montegabbione, Orvieto, Parrano, Porano, San Venanzo) Variety: Leccino max 60% - Frantoio max 30%, Moraiolo min 15% - other varieties max 20% Maximum acidity in oleic acid, by weight not above 0.65 g per 100 g of oil. COLLI ASSISI – SPOLETO (Acquasparta, Arrone, Ferentillo, Montefranco, Polino, Stroncone, Terni) Variety: Moraiolo 60% - Leccino and Frantoio 30% - other varieties 10% Maximum acidity in oleic acid, by weight not above 0.65 g per 100 g of oil. Variations: olive oil, sansa oil.

BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS Olives: Moraiolo, Leccino, Frantoio, Raio

ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES COLLI AMERINI Colour: from green to yellow – Smell: medium fruity – Flavour: fruity with medium or light bitter and spicy sensation COLLI ORVIETANI Colour: from green to yellow – Smell: medium fruity – Flavour: fruity with medium bitter and spicy sensation COLLI ASSISI – SPOLETO Colour: from green to yellow – Smell: strong fruity – Flavour: fruity with a strong bitter and spicy sensation

NUTRITIONAL VALUES Saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, Vitamins E and K

ORIGIN “Olea… prima omnium arborum est” (Columella, Res Rustica) The olive tree, a centuries-old plant, hands down traditions for cultivation techniques: the combination of usefulness and harmony of the trees created the enchantment of the Umbrian countryside. The olive plant came to our country thanks to the Etruscans who learned how to grow it from the Greek farmers, who used it for cooking, for cosmetics, for games and even for funerals. Widespread consumption of this oil began around the 7th century BC. Therefore the Romans spread this plant throughout the peninsula, guaranteeing its farming and preservation with special laws which is why it became a symbol of prosperity and power; oil was widely used for all seasonings. The coming of Christianity increased the symbolic importance, identifying peace with the olive branch and the oil with the element of spiritual seal in some rites. Umbrian oil was considered among the most prized and, preserved in the oil amphora, was sold widely.

WHERE IT IS PRODUCED Throughout the province

PRODUCTION CYCLE From October to January

DESCRIPTION OF PRODUCTION LOCALES The oil mills, oil milling houses and olive presses get this name from the pressing of olives, and there are large rooms with four processing sectors with cold or hot cycles: the sector for washing and removal of leaves, the crushing and kneading sector, the centrifuge or mechanical press in traditional oil mills and lastly the centrifuge separators.

PROCESSING METHOD AND VARIATIONS To obtain high quality oil the olives must be harvested, by hand or mechanically, at the right moment of ripeness; they must be taken the same day to the oil mill to avoid an increase in acidity and oxidation of the fats. After being cleaned and washed, they are crushed, kneaded, then centrifuged or pressed to extract the oily liquid that becomes oil after being centrifuged to eliminate water and other residues. The remaining olive paste is treated with a solvent, resulting in sansa oil.

BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY This oil, deep-rooted in both ancient and modern culture, is synonymous of quality due to geomorphologic and climate conditions of the province: slow fruit maturation guarantees low acidity. The numerous rural villas along the Tiber river, from the Roman period guaranteed a substantial supply to the tables of the capital city. The oil amphora were loaded at numerous river ports, in particular Otricoli, called the “Oil Port”. The olive symbol is very much present in the blazonry of noble families. The fame of our oil hasn’t changed since Roman times, as it is used widely in cooking, and today is recognised as a particularly healthy food in the Mediterranean diet.

tRUffle

BlACK ANd wHIte tRUffle DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS Prized black truffle “good truffle” TUBER MELANOSPORUM BITTADINI White truffle TUBER MAGNATUM PICO “Scorzone” truffle AESTIVUM and UNCINATUM TUBER (other species shown in Regional Law 6 dated 28/02/1994) The truffle is a mushroom that grows at a depth of about 40/50 cm, from the symbiosis between a particular mould and the roots of certain forest plants in the woods between 200 and 1000 m altitude (oak, Turkey oak, hazel, hornbeam for black truffle – poplar, willow and harrier for white truffle). Its shape is a round, irregular tuber, with an internal mass and a wrinkled external shell, varying in size from 1 to 15 cm.

BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS The truffle is completely edible after the earthy parts that are deposited on the cortex have been carefully eliminated.

ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES The prized black truffle is black and wrinkled on the outside and on the inside it is violet-black with thin white veining; it has a definite consistency and a very intense, acute fragrance. It can be eaten slightly warmed with a little oil and with no cheese added. The white truffle has a smooth light yellow exterior and the inside is tan with very thin white veining; its strong odour is not easy to define and is superior to any other truffle species. It’s excellent flavour alters when cooked, so it should only be eaten raw. The summer and winter truffle is black and warty on the outside, on the inside it is whitish tan (summer) and tan (winter), with light marbling; the fragrance is pleasing and the flavour tasty, more pronounced in the winter.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES Proteins (lysine, cystine, methionine), mineral salts, unsaturated fatty acids and fibre

ORIGIN Black gold – is another name for the truffle. Because of its high gastronomic and economic value, it has always been considered a precious food and desired also for its aphrodisiac aspect, hence the Romans placed it under the protection of Venus and Apicius put it in his De re coquinaria In ancient times it was already considered a food of the gods, a sign of nobility and power for those who could offer or eat it. The first news of it dates back to the Sumerians who used it, mixing it with barley, lentils and chick peas. Galeno, the famous Greek doctor, pointed out its aphrodisiac power, hence anyone who invented new recipes for it was granted the rank of citizen. To the contrary, for this very reason it was removed from the table in the middle ages, as it was considered food of witches. Umbria has always had a wealth of this prized food to the point where it was in the lists of goods sent to the most important cities. In 1831 Carlo Cittadini scientifically classified the various species.

PRODUCTION CYCLE The production cycle depends on the seasonal climate, different among the various species. Rain, above all in the summer, is a determining factor for the development of the spores, hence the aroma. The black truffle is gathered from November to March. The white truffle, typical of upper Orvieto, develops completely between October and December when the shell is yellowish and the pulp varies from tan to brown depending on the degree of maturation. The summer truffle is gathered in July and August, having a pleasant flavour but a lighter fragrance.

WHERE IT IS PRODUCED This tuber matures in spontaneous vegetation areas where there are arboreal species suitable for mycorrhization and the soil is water permeable. The white truffle is gathered along riverbanks and at times in flatland and medium hilly woods. The black truffle is gathered in the high hills and mountains known to the truffle-hunters who hand down this knowledge as a family tradition: Stroncone Acquasparta, Amelia, Guardea, Fabro, Ficulle, Orvieto, Porano, Montecchio, Castel Viscardo, Allerona, Castel Giorgio, Parrano, Montegabbione, Monteleone.

DESCRIPTION OF PRODUCTION PLACES In the woods, the expert eye of the searchers recognises the “pianelli” (circular areas with almost no vegetation around the trees) where the roots hide their fruit.

Searching and gathering truffles must be done so that there is no damage to the truffle beds and must respect regional legislation. The truffle-hunters with a regional license and accompanied by a dog trained to search for truffles, recognising the tuber only when it is ripe, extract the precious fruit from the earth using the spade with a blade no longer than 15 cm and no wider than 8 cm.

PROCESSING METHOD AND VARIATIONS The truffles are sorted by hand according to size, ripeness and species. They are cleaned with a special brush and a quick wash under warm running water to eliminate dirt, then they are dried with a cloth. They are divided into super extra truffles, first choice truffles, second choice truffles, truffle pieces and truffle scraps. The superior categories of truffles are vacuum packed and quickly frozen.

All the other truffle categories and all preparations such as sauces, creams, and pâtés are put in glass jars, sealed and sterilised at 120°-130°C for 30 minutes.

BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY Already used on the tables of the Romans, it has always been a complementary food for the people who had to live from the products of the land. In the middle ages even pigs, a source of animal protein, were used to search for this tuber and today, in addition to household use, gathering can add to family income while processing and marketing have become business. “I have something with neither roots nor flowers that sits on the tables of lords”.

sAlAMI ANd Cold CUts

here are various breeds of swine, among them the sus mediterraneus. Farming this animal has been documented among the Romans, Greeks and Egyptians. In the Grotta Bella in Avigliano Umbro traces were found of pork consumption dating back to 6000 BC. The holm-oak and oak woods had always been the ideal habitat for pasturing this animal. The Romans made extensive food use of pork, preferring to use bovines for work in the fields. Emperor Vespasian had the pigs he kept in Umbria cared for by a group of Jews who refined the sectioning and preservation techniques, since they couldn’t eat this animal for religious reasons. Pliny the Elder celebrates the qualities of pork: “No animal is so useful in cooking, its meat has fifty flavours”. Experience in pork slaughtering and knowing the animal’s organs meant that the Preci villagers were able to learn medical art from the Benedictine monks, founders of the school of surgery. From the 12th to the 17th century the arts of processing pork were developed, and a “norcino” – someone who lived in Norcia and had such skills – became a synonym of this type of work. “The year is long and the pig is short”, this saying well interpreted the need to have meat available as long as possible, not only for home use but also for trade. This omnivorous animal, which could be fed with table leftovers, has been raised ever since the middle of the last century by families who had enough space for a food reserve that was available all year. The rite of pig slaughtering, between December and January, became a festivity for the families who helped each other in cutting up the meat, preparing and salting it for making sausages; a grand dinner with the meats not destined for preservation was the conclusion of this work. Consumption of the pieces was regulated by a strict calendar linked to the festivities and the cycles of agricultural work: the capocollo couldn't be opened before Easter and the prosciutto was reserved for reaping and threshing, while salamis were left for the harvest. Some of the farmers reintroduced traditional pig raising systems, with a short feeding period, to recover local species such as the Umbrian pig or the prized Umbrian “cinturello” pig. 27

Corallina is a typical Umbria salami. It’s name comes from the fact that it is put in the ‘corallo’, the soft intestine where the blend is preserved at length, characterised by fat holes and black peppercorns. Mule testicles HEAD CHEESE: a sausage made from the parts of the head, rind and flesh removed from the boiled bones, shaped in a cylindrical form, pressed on two sides and eaten in slices or cubes.

BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS SAUSAGE: lean and fat pork, salt, pepper, garlic and a little wine Variations: fennel, chilli peppers and truffle. MAZZAFEGATA: lean and fat pork, pluck (liver, lungs, kidneys, heart, spleen), salt, pepper, garlic, and in some areas pine nuts and raisins are added SALAMI: lean and fat pork, salt, pepper, garlic and sometimes wine. HEAD CHEESE: meat and rind from the head of the pig and lean flesh off the bones, salt, pepper, chopped garlic, orange/lemon rind. Optional: chillies, nutmeg and cinnamon.

ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES

sAUsAGe MAZZAfeGAtA sAlAMI HeAd CHeese DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS The parts of the pig that cannot be used in whole pieces are ground and processed in various ways, obtaining sausages of various shapes and sizes. SAUSAGE: pork meat and fat put into the intestine and tied with string at 7-8 cm intervals; sausages can be both fresh or aged. MAZZAFEGATA: it is similar to sausage, but longer and darker due to the presence of liver, and can be either sweet or savoury. SALAMI: pork meat and fat, ground fine or large and put into a larger intestine and approx. 40 cm long Variations:

SAUSAGE: when fresh it has a definite aroma with garlic in predominance, pink to red colour, definite flavour, accentuated by the aroma of pepper. Ageing gives a more definite character to the flavours and fragrances. MAZZAFEGATA: the presence of liver gives this intense dark red salami a particularly persistent, lightly astringent taste that sets well on the palate, softer in the variation with sugar where bittersweet prevails. SALAMI: Salami has a very decided soft, intense flavour with a predominance of garlic, an intense red colour made darker with maturing, and with a very persistent taste. HEAD CHEESE: Its slice is shiny and variegated due to the presence of rind, fat, lean and pieces of orange peel that with pepper and other spices gives an intense smell and a flavour where the fatty part predominates.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES SAUSAGE: animal protein, carbohydrates, fats, sodium, iron, calcium. MAZZAFEGATA: animal protein, carbohydrates, fats, sodium, iron, calcium, sugars SALAMI: animal protein, carbohydrates, fats, sodium, iron, calcium HEAD CHEESE: animal protein, carbohydrates, fats, sodium, iron, calcium, vitamins

ORIGIN Martial, a Latin poet, speaks of “sal insicium, pork that is minced and preserved inside the pig’s intestine”. Emperor Vespasian entrusted the care of his pigs to the Jews who had reached Italian shores after the conquest of Jerusalem, since for religious reasons they wouldn’t have eaten the meat. The name “mazzafegata” comes from “mezzo fegato” (half a liver) that recalls the mixed ingredients, whereas the presence of the corallina salami in paintings shows that it was always on the food tables. Processing head cheese witnesses the skill and creativity in using all the parts of the pig, as mentioned in the medieval “Testamentum Porcelli”, where the pig lists the bequest of every one of his parts to man.

WHERE IT IS PRODUCED Throughout the Terni province

PRODUCTION CYCLE Artisan production from October to February Industrial production all year round

DESCRIPTION OF PRODUCTION PLACES There are both artisan laboratories and small industrial companies where processing requires rooms with steel work benches and rooms for drying and ageing.

PROCESSING METHOD AND VARIATIONS SAUSAGE: the meats left after dissecting the more consistent parts of the pig are spiced, ground, put into the intestine and tied with string. For dry sausages a further phase of ageing is necessary. MAZZAFEGATA: the “pluck” must be cut and minced, then parts of the pig are added following the same packing procedure as for the sausage,. SALAMI: Fat and lean pork is minced, in both fine and coarse pieces, seasoned, then put into intestines and left to mature in a well ventilated place. HEAD CHEESE: the parts that are used are all boiled until they leave the bone; once the bones are removed the rest is seasoned then placed in a cloth sack, a weight put on it, and left for a few days to drain excess liquid. This is not aged and is eaten after a few days.

BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY In the Grotta Bella in Avigliano Umbro traces were found of pork consumption dating back to 6000 BC. The holm-oak and oak woods had always been the ideal habitat for pasturing this animal.

pRosCIUtto DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS Prosciutto is the back leg of the pig: ham and shank; when excess fat has been trimmed it takes on its typical shape, with the hard brown rind on one side and the black (peppered) flesh side. The pig’s front leg, treated the same way, is called the shoulder: the meat is less substantial, therefore it can be eaten before the prosciutto is ready.

BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS Pork, salt, pepper, chillies and garlic. ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES Prosciutto must be sliced by hand, with a special knife, to keep its characteristic flavour. The long slice must have the fatty part thin and white, and the lean part compact red, not too dark, with slight veining in the centre. It’s fragrance is dominated by pepper and garlic and a salty taste.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES Animal protein, fats, iron, calcium.

ORIGIN The Romans defined the whole pork ham , dried from the salt and the long ageing with the adjective "perexsuccus", very dry, from which the work prosciutto is derived. Both Cato and Columella illustrated how to preserve pork hams with salting and seasoning similar to what is done today. This food was sold in the markets and eaten with bread, and was particularly useful as a food reserve for the Roman soldiers during their conquest campaigns.

WHERE IT IS PRODUCED Throughout the Terni province

PRODUCTION CYCLE The ham is covered with rock salt. After about 20 days it is washed in warm water or wine, then it is seasoned with pepper, at times with minced chilli and garlic; then it is to dry in a suitable room; the hole of the main bone is covered with a mixture of lard and it is then left to mature in a cool damp place for about one year.

DESCRIPTION OF PRODUCTION PLACES Today hams are produced by salami factories, pork butchers and butcher shops that at times work on a short production line, using locally raised pork. They must have rooms suitable for salting and ageing, in addition to the equipment for sectioning and processing the meat. The best tasting prosciutto hams are those processed in the hill or mountain areas where the air is drier.

PROCESSING METHOD AND VARIATIONS After the ham has been trimmed of fat it is dry-salted with sea salt and left under salt for 2 or 3 weeks with a weight on it to drain the liquids. After the salting process, the ham is washed with warm water, then completely covered with black pepper, and minced chillies and garlic, taking care to seal the bone with a mixture of lard, flour, salt and pepper. Maturing the product takes at least six months.

BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY Pork has been the main food source for the people living in the hills and mountains. Due to the scarcity of agricultural products during the winter, they developed the skill of using every part of the pig. In the middle ages pigs could graze freely in the woods full of acorns and their presence on the table was so important that their name was given to several towns: Porchiano or Portaria. Outside some of the small hamlets one can still see the brick pig shelters – “mandrioli” – where the people living between the walls could raise pigs for their own use.

CApoCollo loIN loMBetto (sMAll loIN) BACoN GUANCIAle lARd DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS These are the parts of the pig having a more substantial mass of muscle. Capocollo/Loin: the muscle between the head and neck, made up of lean meat laced with fat and having a cylinder shape. Lonzetto/Lombetto (loin/small loin): Lean meat in the lower dorsal, lumbar part shaped like a small cylinder. Guanciale (jowls): the irregular triangle shape of the jowl muscle. Bacon: part of the stomach muscles, rectangular and flat, with rind on one side and covered with pepper on the other side, or else rolled up and without rind. Lard: the fatty part, between the muscle and the rind, its shape rectangular and flat. All these pieces are called affettati (sliced cold pork meats) since they are eaten after being thinly sliced.

BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS Various cuts of pork meat Salt, pepper, chilli, garlic

ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES Capocollo: the slice is round, slightly crushed, with large areas of quite red lean meat in a network of fat; it smells of pepper, garlic and is slightly salty. Lonzetto/lombetto (loin/small loin): the compact lean part in the centre, light red in colour, delimited by a small crown of fat, the flavour is quite delicate in spite of the spices used. Guanciale (jowls): the surface of the slice has longitudinal strips of meat, quite veined, alternating with fat; it is used almost always cooked due to the prevalence of fat.

WHERE IT IS PRODUCED Throughout the Terni province

PRODUCTION CYCLE Artisan production from October to February Industrial production all year round

DESCRIPTION OF PRODUCTION LOCALES These sliced salamis are produced by salami factories, pork butchers and butcher shops that at times work on a short production line, using locally raised pork. They must have rooms suitable for salting and ageing, in addition to the equipment for sectioning and processing the meat.

PROCESSING METHOD AND VARIATIONS

Bacon: meat with small strips of lean meat with prevalence of fat, flavour definitely salty and spicy. Lard: the least prized part of the animal, made up of a strip of white fat, the slice must be compact and shiny but not oily; it is used cooked, as a base for preparing other dishes.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES Capocollo, lombetto, bacon, guanciale (jowl) contain: proteins, fat, minerals, vitamins. Lard: fats

ORIGIN The custom of processing pieces of pork into salami comes from the need to have a reserve of animal protein available the year around. Consumption of salami followed a precise calendar linked to religious festivities or to the end of work in the fields and was, as it still is, easy to take advantage of while migrating.

When pork is sectioned, the more compact parts of the meat are selected for the salting process which can vary in time depending on the weight of the meat; after salting, the pieces are seasoned with spices and lonza, lombetto and rolled bacon, are rolled up in straw paper, tied tightly with string to keep their shape, then hung for maturing.

BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY Capocollo and lombetto were the first salamis to be opened and eaten with a cheese bread for Easter breakfast, Easter Monday and May picnics. Pigâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cheek lard cooked with sage and vinegar was a tasty alternative to the lack of more prized meats, whereas bacon has always been used in preparing sauces or residual juices and condiment for certain meats. Lard was greatly appreciated in cooking as an alternative to olive oil as a condiment base and for many other practical daily uses.

poRCHettA

(RoAst sUCKlING pIG) DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS Porchetta is made with a whole suckling pig weighing no more than 90 kg, with only the knuckles and insides removed, deboned, then stuffed and roasted in the oven.

BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS Pig, entrails, salt, pepper, rosemary and fennel.

ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES It smells strongly of pork and has a herb fragrance; both the crunchy crust and the fat and lean meats of the pig are eaten. The aromas of rosemary, fennel and pepper lend a special flavour that is well accompanied with salt-free bread.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES Proteins and fats

ORIGIN Porchetta is a young pig that was sacrificed for religious rites, rites of initiation to the cult of Venus, and ceremonies where eating it served to stipulate peace treaties or nuptial agreements; eating the sacrificed pig was a way of communicating with the divinity, attract attention and arouse goodwill. The use of a whole roast pig was widespread among the populations of the Apennine ridge in central Italy, among the Umbrians as well as the Etruscans. For Roman banquets it was stuffed with various kinds of meat, then roasted. The ritual use of this food has been preserved over the centuries and has continued to accompany social and festive moments. It is still present today in fairs, in country parties and in festivities where at times it is handed out free of charge as an ancient sacrificial food.

WHERE IT IS PRODUCED Throughout the Terni province

PRODUCTION CYCLE All year round

DESCRIPTION OF PRODUCTION PLACES Butcher shops, pork butchers and small industrial companies equipped for cleaning and preparation and at times roasting in a wood-fired oven.

PROCESSING METHOD AND VARIATIONS Once the pig is butchered and washed, it is opened, the intestines and bones removed, then filled with salt, pepper, garlic, liver and spleen (cut into chunks), rosemary and/or fennel. Once the animal is stuffed with seasoning and turned into porchetta, it is skewered on a stick from the mouth lengthwise, bound with string then put in the oven. Roasting lasts from two to five hours, depending on the size of the pig, and is checked now and then to see how it is browning. Traditional porchetta is roasted in a wood-burning oven.

BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY The geomorphological characteristics of sub-Apennine Umbria have promoted pig husbandry and the consumption of this meat in various ways. Offering a roast suckling pig is synonymous with a great feast, whether religious or not; a suckling pig sandwich accompanies social moments above all when summer weather starts. Until the middle of the last century the lunch of the country people who brought their goods to the market consisted of a sandwich of suckling pig wrapped in paper that they ate in the wine shops or pubs. Today it is the most widespread, typical street food that is easily found at the itinerant â&#x20AC;&#x153;porchettaâ&#x20AC;? stands or where there are fairs and markets; it is eaten sliced on salt-free bread and its flavour is enhanced by the full-bodied local wines.

Beef

CHIANINA Beef DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS Chianina is an Italian bovine breed raised exclusively for the production of beef. It is certified and guarantees food safety for the consumer; each animal must be registered in the genetic register. The characteristics of this bovine are a porcelain white coat and harmonious conformation that lend elegance and dignity to these animals called the “white giants” of the Apennine ridge. This breed has a unique genetic patrimony: rapid growth, precocity, resistant in difficult environmental conditions, commercially superior meats because they are lean and have excellent organoleptic characteristics. This meat is certified and guarantees food safety.

BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS Chianina beef

ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES The meat, from which prized cuts are obtained, is light red, tender fibre, fine and with white, not very abundant perimuscular fat. These characteristics mean that Chianina beef is considered one of the best beef breeds in the world.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES Protein, fats, starches-sugars, cholesterol. Lean meat with a modest calorie intake, richer in iron than white meats; it has important nutritional elements such as Q10, carnosine and zinc . It contains very little cholesterol and a modest quantity of linoleic acid that, associated with a polysaturated fat, is an immunostimulant and antioxidant therefore recommended for growing children, during pregnancy and for the elderly.

ORIGIN Documented in prehistoric graffiti and in the Umbro-Sabine area, the Chianina breed descends from the “vastus et albus” bovine mentioned by Columella and by Pliny the Elder in the Naturalis Historia and known as “Etruscan bovine”. The Etruscans and the Romans considered it most suited for triumphal processions and sacrifices to the gods because of its white coat, its beauty and its majestic appearance. In renaissance frescoes it is often present in depictions of processions and in Nativity. In our countryside it was usually used for farm work but with the coming of mechanics it risked extinction. Because of the characteristics of its high quality meat, productive recovery came about from breeders who had carefully followed the genetic selection of their head of cattle.

WHERE IT IS PRODUCED Farms throughout the province of Terni

PRODUCTION CYCLE Since 1998 this breed has been protected by the IGP disciplinary procedure and by the "5R" meat consortium, a quality mark managed by the C.C.B.I. (Consortium for Producers of High Quality Italian Beef). From birth to weaning, following raising systems may be used: pasture, free stalling, fixed stalling. Following weaning and up to slaughter, the animals must be raised exclusively in free or fixed stalling. Production disciplinary regulations contemplate that the calves be suckled by their mothers until they are weaned, followed by a diet of fresh or preserved forage from grassy crops typical of the farming area. Slaughter takes place between 12 and 24 months of age in the authorised centres within the production area.

DESCRIPTION OF PRODUCTION PLACES Raising should be in fixed or free stalling, with a low concentration of head per hectare in fields rich in medicinal plants, with company forage and concentrated feeds prevalently derived from cereals produced by the company to guarantee genuine quality.

PROCESSING METHOD AND VARIATIONS Animals ready for slaughter must have reached high weight while young. The meat, divided into 18 cuts with the logo marked on them, must be preserved at a temperature that will maintain colour and consistency; they are put on sale by the slice or package in authorised points of sale that sell exclusively beef with the IGP mark.

BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY Historical sources and ancient sculptures and paintings seem to support the theory that the Chianina breed is native or at least existing from time immemorial. Of likely Umbrian-Etruscan origin, for centuries it has been raised in the middle Tiber Valley and in the Val di Chiana.

leGUMes

egumes, edible seeds of leguminous plants, are one of the oldest resources for human food in temperate climate areas. Chick peas, lentils, fave or broad beans and the small cicerchie beans are found dried; beans and peas are also eaten fresh. These products are the basis of Italian cucina povera and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why they were abandoned when wellbeing came to be; they were reinserted in more balanced diets as well as in more refined cuisine because of the high protein content and the absence of fats. The combination of legumes with cereals for preparing soups means that a complete, healthy food can be eaten.

leNtIls DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS Lentils, genere lens culinaris, come from pods containing two round flat seeds; rich in protein, they are also called the poorman’s meat, considered a highly nourishing legume; there are many varieties and they are a symbol of abundance and wellbeing. They can be classified in two groups: small-seeded and large-seeded.

BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS The most common varieties of lentils are: brown, green and spotted.

ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES Lens-shaped seeds of various sizes and variegated colour. The smaller lentils, with a thin skin, are higher quality; the grassy smell reminiscent of straw comes out during cooking; the flavour is delicate with a floury consistency on the palate.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES Protein, carbohydrates, vegetable oils, phosphorous, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium and vitamins A and the B group.

ORIGIN This plant, which has its origin with the first agricultural work in Mesopotamia, is mentioned in Genesis when Jacob asks Edom to exchange his birthright for a plate of lentils, which even today is a proverbial way of indicating a disadvantageous exchange. It was a dish the Greeks and Romans had in common: Cato wrote the rules for cooking it, while Galeno pointed out its therapeutic virtues. In the 16th century, the Umbrian doctor and botanist Castore Durante recommended to cook it always with mint “to avoid wind”. The typical shape of the seed gave its name to the piece of glass with two convex sides called a lens. The particular climatic conditions of the mountain made the Castelluccio di Norcia lentils prized, with their reddish green streaked seeds, and with IGP recognition. Lentil starch has been used as a natural dye for cloth, while cultivation residues are still used for livestock forage.

WHERE IT IS GROWN Hilly terrain or tablelands in the clayey province, rich in organic or volcanic sandy substances.

PRODUCTION CYCLE Sown in autumn or spring, summer harvest depending on the type and the climate conditions where it is grown.

DESCRIPTION OF WHERE IT IS GROWN Cultivation resists in areas without a tempered climate and in the mountains, in limited highland areas where the climate and terrain give a high quality product, and it is flavourful and easy to cook.

PROCESSING METHOD AND VARIATIONS After preparing the land and sowing, the fields are rolled to aid germination; threshing is done in the summer, not after the month of August. Depending on the altitude and climate of the growing area, cultivation can be long or short.

BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY The prevalence of hilly areas and highlands in the mountainous zones allowed progressive reduction of woods in favour of agricultural crops. The humble lentil that needed no special attention provided a good food reserve for the farm table, where animal proteins were scarce. The small round shape of the lentil reminds us of coins and according, to widespread superstition, eating a plate of them at New Year’s meant prosperity for the coming year.

BRoAd BeANs DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS Seed of the grassy leguminous plant Vicia faba with its typical kidney shape and several varieties in colour and size: vicia faba maior, for human consumption, minor or horse bean for livestock feed. In the foothill area of the Amerini Mounts, growers between Guardea and Amelia have selected over the years a small ecotype that grows on clayey soil, with no active limestone: the ‘fava cottora’ an old type of broad bean also called ‘half bean’ that in 2010 received the Slow Food recognition.

BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS Fresh or dry seed of the vicia faba maior species and dry seed of the fava cottora

ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES Vicia faba maior: typical kidney shape about 3 cm long with good consistency; green with a grassy fragrance if fresh, nut colour if dry, with a definite fragrance that is released when boiled. Vicia faba, horse bean rather squat in shape, small size and colour from green to tan.

is grown by an association of farmers in the area north of the Amerini Mounts, between Amelia and Guardea

PRODUCTION CYCLE The legume is farmed from November to June/July and sold all year round.

DESCRIPTION OF FARMING PLACES Medium or low hilly terrain, preferably clayey and with little active limestone.

PROCESSING METHOD AND VARIATIONS

Vegetable proteins, carbohydrates, fats, fibre, iron, calcium, vitamins In dry beans the values are considerably higher.

After summer ploughing and soil cultivation work, in early November a few seeds are placed in the holes prepared at regular intervals. Fresh beans are harvested in May and sold with vegetables, to be eaten cooked. The plant, left to dry, is gathered and beaten or threshed, the broad beans must be selected according to size before packaging. Preparation for cooking is laborious and they must be left to soak overnight, then they are boiled over a slow fire until they are done.

ORIGIN

BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY

NUTRITIONAL VALUES

Broad beans originated in the Mediterranean area during the iron age and were widely used until the introduction of beans after the discovery of America. In ancient cults, the gods were consulted by lot, using broad beans, and it was believed that they contained the souls of the dead, therefore it was advised against eating them in order to avoid bad dreams. It was customary to toss broad beans in tombs to give energy to the defunct: even today it is customary to make sweets based on almond paste called beans of the dead. At the beginning of June the Romans ate puls fabata, a puree of broad beans; this is the origin of the custom of eating broad beans and pecorino cheese during this period. In the medieval times, as reported in the municipal statues, voting was done using a black fava for a positive vote, and a white one for the negative vote.

WHERE THEY ARE GROWN Throughout the province, excluding the municipalities where cultivation is prohibited due to the presence of persons affected with favism. The fava cottora bean, according to the indications for Slow Food,

In the spring, in nearly all the vegetable gardens and fields of the province one can see green rows of broad bean plants, a first produce along with other vegetables that announce the summer harvest. The strong bond with the land as Mother Nature, which gives nourishment without the benefit of the sea, has preserved the cultivation of this archaic legume, ever present on the table, even in small communities. In the integrated seasonal cycle of rural economy, each small piece of land had to be used for crops. In the olive groves, where it wasn’t easy to add a crop that didn’t damage production, growing broad beans combined three distinct requirements: weed control, obtaining food or forage, and supplying fertiliser. Recognition of the fava cottora broad bean as a select ecotype and setting up an association of farmers was the basis for recovering this product from oblivion at the Slow Food occasion in the province of Terni.

CICeRCHIe BeANs DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS The cicerchia bean, Lathyrus sativus, (popularly known as chickling vetch) is a legume of the Fabaceae family, known also by the name of grass pea, Indian vetch, Indian pea, white vetch, its pods containing small crushed seeds similar to pebbles. Cultivated above all in certain areas of central Italy, it is also called an insurance crop because it gives a good yield even in arid areas.

BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS Dry seed of the herbaceous plant

ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES

WHERE THEY ARE GROWN Marginal, arid areas, even mixed with other more valuable crops.

The colour of the seeds is between white and hemp, smaller and more crushed than peas, with a rough irregular surface; the flavour is a mixture of chick peas and peas with a grassy aroma while being boiled.

PRODUCTION CYCLE

NUTRITIONAL VALUES Protein, calcium, phosphorous, fibre, vitamins B1, B2 and PP

Arid stony soil for cultivation, well ventilated warehouses and laboratories for preservation and packaging.

ORIGIN

PROCESSING METHOD AND VARIATIONS

The plant, native to the Middle East, spread in the Mediterranean area because it was easy to grow in areas that weren’t particularly fertile. For the Latin it was the cicercula – small chick pea - that, combined with other legumes and cereals, was the basis of the poor people’s diet. Since the middle ages it has been used for soups and purees that during the renaissance appeared even on wealthier tables as can be seen in the texts of important gastronomists. “You have eaten cicerchie" was a popular saying that meant loss of lucidity: in the 19th century it was discovered that excessive consumption caused lathyrism, a disease of the lower limbs. Today, with the general recovery of local crops, the chickling vetch has been reintroduced with a peremptory indication for consumption: after soaking for 24 hours, throw out the water to avoid toxicity.

BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY

Sowing from February/March, harvest between July and August, and storing

DESCRIPTION OF PRODUCTION PLACES

Sowing, during February and March, is done in rows; the plant does not need fertilisers or pesticide treatment. After mowing, the plants are gathered into piles and left under the sun to complete drying; later comes the scamatura – separation of pods and seeds – which can be done manually or with machines. The dry seed is sold granulated or as flour. We still remember the generosity of the chickpea workers and the abundance of the harvest even on steep terrains. Even today there is a typical cicerchie soup, but making someone eat cicerchie means offering something not very refined to people incapable of appreciating the value of things. In the typically Umbrian tradition of preparing the crèche, the cicerchia bean was used to mark the way of the shepherds.

CoMMoN BeANs DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS The common bean, phaseolus vulgaris, is a leguminous plant, very productive, grown for its small beans, a whole fresh legume, and for the fresh or dry seeds that have a variable shape, size and colour. Variations: the second bean, cultivated on the volcanic soil of the Orvieto area, the yellow bean and shell bean or green bean to be eaten fresh. BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS Semi-fresh or dry

ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES Typical ovoid or roundish shape, various sizes and colours depending on the variety, hard consistency with a more or less thin husk, intense grassy smell while boiling and a tasty delicate flavour. The second bean is white or yellow, a full oval shape, it cooks quickly so it keeps its nutritional properties and flavour.

Long cycle: sowing in May and June and harvest in August Short cycle: sowing in June and July and harvest in September

NUTRITIONAL VALUES

Level land preferably in areas bordering waterways, and well ventilated warehouses for storage, and laboratories for packaging.

Protein, carbohydrates, iron, phosphorous, calcium, vitamins A, B and C.

ORIGIN The Romans called this legume “phaseolus” and it was considered of little worth. In the 18th century two species were identified: the dolichos (long) and the Vigna. The discovery of America brought the phaseolus volgaris, with more meaty seeds sown in the Vatican vegetable gardens. Due to its abundant production, high nutritional value and the pleasant flavour, the new species spread. Its presence on all tables is documented even in works of art and in antique recipe books where it is presented along with chestnuts. The custom of cultivating the second bean was linked to taking advantage of soil after harvesting, offering the possibility of a second crop on wheat stubble.

WHERE IT IS GROWN Throughout the province: terrain that is fertile and poor in lime, with good irrigation.

PRODUCTION CYCLE

DESCRIPTION OF PRODUCTION PLACES

PROCESSING METHOD AND VARIATIONS After hand sowing in the “postarelle” (holes) or with a sowing machine in the furrows, the soil is hoed and irrigated. The harvest of dry pods is done by mechanical threshing or by hand mowing and beating. The beans are left to dry in spacious ventilated rooms, then are packaged for the market.

BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY The bean dish was deeply linked to the rite of pig slaughtering: while waiting for the meat to be cut up, small pieces were cut away in order to cook the padellaccia, a stew where the excess fat was used as a sauce for the beans. An Umbrian proverb says ”legumes that boil must not go in haste”: this is advice to put them to boil in cold water over a low fire. Beans are an indispensable ingredient for good minestrone. Playing ‘tombola’ (a bingo type of game) during the Christmas holidays, beans were used to cover the numbers drawn. “Nun me sfaciola” is a frequent dialect expression (with reference to beans) saying that something isn’t quite right.

lIQUeURs

BItteR lIQUeURs ANd HeRBAl lIQUeURs DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS Liqueurs are a mixture of natural alcohol with essential oils obtained by steeping medicinal herbs or fruit, then diluted with sugar syrup and at times adding colouring. The predominant presence of medicinal herbs is a characteristic of the bitter liqueurs. Grappa is obtained from the marc extracted exclusively from grapes produced and transformed into wine in Italy. VIPARO: well known bitter obtained from infusions of herbs, roots and aromatic woods. NOCINO: liqueur obtained from unripe walnuts steeped in pure alcohol for more than a year. AMARO AL TARTUFO NERO: liqueur obtained by steeping the black truffle. AMARO VECCHIA UMBRIA: liqueur made with the bark, flowers and leaves of medicinal plants. SVINNERE OR VISCIOLATO: spicy liqueur based on red wine and aromatic sour cherries. GRAPPA: variety obtained from the marc of the various local grape varieties; truffle grappa is made by distilling select marc with black truffle in infusion.

BASIC INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS Liqueurs made by steeping: alcohol; spices, medicinal herbs or fruit, sugar, water or wine. Liqueurs made by distilling: grappa made by distilling marc.

ORGANOLEPTIC PECULIARITIES Liqueurs and bitter liqueurs have a very intense, persistent odour according to the type of herbs or fruit of the infusion. The taste is balanced, full, intense and persistent with a strong perception of sweet. In bitter liqueurs the strong bitterness of the herbs is predominant, whereas the definite aromas of fruit emerge in the other liqueurs.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES Alcohol, sugar, mineral salts.

ORIGIN The Romans spiced wine with the seeds of anise, coriander and myrtle and sweetened it with honey (mulsum), but only in the 11th century was alcohol, called fire water, distilled by an Arab. In the middle ages, the monks in monasteries began using herbs and stills. This was the origin of alchemy research to provide curative remedies or long-life elixirs for the rich. So it came to be that potions were attributed nearly magical powers, such as the case of

the Orvieto liqueur that went as far as France with a comedy and was even quoted by Moliere. In the 18th century continuous cycle distillation guaranteed industrial production: liqueurs left exclusive consumption to become habits of normal people.

PRODUCTION LOCALES Bitter liqueurs: Terni - Svinnere: Orvieto - Grappa: the entire province

PRODUCTION CYCLE Seasonal for artisan production and all year for industrial production

DESCRIPTION OF PRODUCTION LOCALES Artisan and industrial laboratories with metal equipment, worktops and utensils.

PROCESSING METHOD AND VARIATIONS Bitter liqueurs and liqueurs are prepared by infusing herbs, roots, bark, leaves or fruit in a hydroalcoholic solution and left to steep for the time necessary according to the product to be obtained. The preparation is decanted, filtered, then added to the sugar and water syrup. A variable amount of maturation time is needed to obtain a liqueur based on fruit with a more intense, mellow and harmonic taste.

BONDS WITH THE TERRITORY Umbria is a land of charms, sibyls and deep bonds with the natural elements. Spontaneous herbs and fruits have always provided food and health remedies. At the end of the 1500’s, in Dunarobba a woman called Ursina was known for the medicines, syrups and potions she used to cure diseases considered incurable. In 1873 the marquis Giovanni Eroli, intellectual and gastronomist in Narni, invented Erolina, a tonic liquor awarded a prize at the Philadelphia exhibition in 1876. At the beginning of the last century, the pharmacist Morganti in Terni created a remedy based on herbs, roots and aromatic woods to treat digestive problems: Viparo. According to its name, it “fortified and gave energy”, it was used by the workmen in the steel mills before each work shift. The custom of preparing and offering homemade liqueurs was a tradition of our grandmothers who kept the secrets of the family recipes to hand down to their daughters.

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