Marche Region offers a wide range of local products due to the presence of the mountains, the hills and the sea and also thanks to the territory management strictly linked to agricultural cultivations.
Pig has always been considered a valuable property for all the family. After nearly one year breeding and feeding him with acorns and a mash prepared with what's left, the pig was and still is butchered in the middle of the winter when temperatures are low so butchery activities are facilitated.
Nothing is wasted from pig butchery, fat included. The most famous Marche sausages are produced with pig's meat; the “ciauscolo” a local salami (also called “Ciavuscolo”), the Fabriano salami or the Carpegna ham.
The “ciauscolo” is made with less valuable parts of the pig such as bacon, chops and shoulders all these mixed with fat. Once the mixture is prepared this is seasoned with garlic, salt, pepper and cooked wine and than smashed fine. The preparation is made into sausages smaller or bigger which are then smoked for some days. The sausages are seasoned in fresh and cool rooms for 2 or 3 months. When fresh the sausages can be spread on home-made slices of bread or they can be used for sauces preparation or with grilled vegetables and legumes. If the sausages are seasoned they can be eaten same way of “cotechino” (kind of big boiled pork sausage). The “Ciauscolo” production is typical in Ascoli Piceno, Ancona and Macerata.
Carpegna ham, famous also abroad, has reached “Dop” (Denomination of Protected Origin ) certification since 1996 and now it is a typical product not only of Marche (originally in Montefeltro area) but it is also produced in Emilia Romagna and Lombardia Regions through the same pigs breeding coming from the same area. Carpegna ham production techniques are strictly linked to old times tradition. Only selected heavier pig's legs are chosen to produce Carpegna ham and they are left resting for three weeks in a cool room. After this resting time they are cleaned, washed with white wine, dried and massaged with ground pepper. Next step is the “sugnatura” which means that the leg is covered with pork lard, flour and pepper. The seasoning phase lasts 14 months.
Fabriano salami is produced in the towns of High Esino Valley Mountains Community and it is produced also with the pig's legs meat which is seasoned with salt and pepper and left seasoning. Fabriano salami has got a cylindrical shape whose weight is changeable after the seasoning that can last till 150 days.
Talking about cheese, “pecorino” is of course the Marche selected cheese even if the so many microclimates in Marche region, from the coast areas till the inland valleys, contribute to have different processings of “pecorino” cheese. In these areas sheeps have been always preferred to cows for cheese production since they can be tended much more easily than bigger animals.
“Pecorino” is obtained from sheep's milk which is curdled, cooked, salted and put into the moulds.
Production processings change from one area to the other. For example in Pesaro, Ancona and Macerata areas soon after it is salted, the “pecorino” cheese is half-cooked with the whey so that the cheese will not remain too light in its colour and to make its maturation slow. In the Sibillini mountains areas rennet is obtained in a different way; rennet usually is prepared with spiced herbs: sweet marjoram, basil, wild thyme, bramble buds, nutmeg, cloves, grated “pecorino”, yolk, pepper and olive oil. The more traditional makers in “percorino”cheese preparation require that it is made only during limpid days, when there is not wind and on the wane. In some areas, such as in Monte Rinaldo, the rennet is prepared with the milk lamb's stomach where all aromatic herbs are then added. There are also several and different “pecorino” cheese maturation techniques.
“Casciotta” (a sort of soft cheese) from Urbino got Dop (Denomination of Protected Origin) Certification since 1982 and in 1996 it also got the Doc (Denomination of controlled Origin) Certification.
It is a soft cheese produced with a mixture of ovine milk (80%) and cow milk (20%) whose colour is straw-coloured white and its taste is definitely mild.
There are also particular cheeses which sometimes are not easy to be found and they are not available on the market. For examples the “cagiolo”, available only in some shepherds from Osimo areas, it is like “pecorino” but its consistency is in the middle between pecorino cheese and “ricotta”(cottage cheese made of skim milk) which can be eaten in the hand palm.
The “Bazzott” is a cheese not fully matured yet but it cannot be defined fresh cheese. The “raviggiolo” is another special cheese made during spring time with sheeps or goats'milks. It has got a round shape and it looks like a “focaccia” (flat bun).
Pasta from Marche is one of the most famous not only in Italy but also abroad. Fresh pasta, such as dry pasta, is well-known since it is strictly linked to the rural traditions and it is similar to pastas from Emilia Romagna Region. Those Companies that are producing pastas now, are using selected and top quality raw materials, bronze draw-plates and they are following the long and right dry-process times.
The “maccheroni” are also called Angels'hair, they are long pasta. They are made following a particular method which makes them delicate but consistent at the same time, this is due to the ingredients: wheat flour and a double quantity of eggs if compared to the standard recipe for production of egg pasta. Maccheroni are usually served with lamb meat sauce, or with vegetable or fish sauces. The most famous maccheroni come from Campofilone.
Tortelli from San Leo are big “ravioli” which are stuffed with a filling made with aromatic herbs coming from the nearby country area, these herbs are mixed with vegetables or with Ricotta cheese or with some other cheeses.
During the past times the métayer system had a big development and this deeply impressed the countryside landscape, in Marche region we have a particularly luxuriant production of fruits and vegetables.
Further to the “olive ascolane” (fried green olives stuffed with several type of minced meat) and to the truffles, there is also a wide range of mushrooms which are the base for several sauces preparation, typical from Marche, to be added to meat and to “polenta”: blackthorn mushrooms, morels, “leccini”, “galletti”, “mazze di tamburo”, cornels mushrooms, “geloni” and porcini (edible pore fungus).
The typical olive from Ascoli Piceno defined “picena” has been always considered the best variety among table olives for direct consumption since it is tasty, savoury and highly digestible. It seems that “picena” olive is the result of a natural selection which takes place directly on the olive-tree so only one, among several flowers, will become “picena” olive. Ascoli Piceno area has got also the ideal climate for “picena”olive plantations even if it is now cultivated in a wider area.
Considering this product richness, the “Olive Ascolane” recipe has become very famous. The typical “oliva all'ascolana” preparation phases are the following: remove the stone from the olive, stuff it with a mixture of several types of meats and then fry it.
In Marche Region you can also find both types of Truffles varieties: the white truffle which is more valuable and it is picked in Pesaro area between October and December and the black variety.
Among black truffle varieties there is the more valuable one which is picked during winter from December till February in Pesaro (Acqualagna), Ascoli Piceno (Acquasante terme, Roccafluvione, Comunanza, Montefortino) and Macerata (Camerino,Visso), the other varieties are “bianchetto” or “marzuolo”, which grows under pine-forest and it can be found only at the end of the winter, the “scorzone” typical in summer and the “ubiquitari”. Among sweets Marche Region claims a lot of typical products. The majority of them are home-made, not expensive to prepare them and containing not much sugar which in the past times was substituted with honey, these sweets are also linked to some particular Feasts. One of the sweets is based on almond paste, white of the eggs and butter, having a snake shape, rolled up and placed on a wafer, baked into the oven after having glazed it with sugar or chocolate.
The figs “salame” is prepared with dried figs, walnuts, almonds, Mistra' (a type of home-made anisette) and “sapa” (concentrated cooked must). This is one of the most typical sweet since linked to the rural traditions, it was made at the end of summer and was eaten during the following months thanks to its long shelflife. The so called “funghetti” are typical sweets made in Offica, today you can find them in several confectioneries, they are made with a mixture of sugar and flour (half sugar and half flour) and then anise; this mixture is shaped in small balls, left them dry for a few days and then baked into the oven after having placed them in some particular moulds. When baking the softer internal part of the balls comes out so that all the balls are linked together. Another typical sweet from Ascoli Piceno is the “Ciambelle al mosto”(ring-shaped cakes made with must) and they are made during the grape-harvest. “Cicerchiata” is the name of a typical cake made during Carnival in Macerata and Ascoli Piceno nearby provinces areas. It is made as follows: knead the flour with sugar, eggs and some mistra' (a sort of home made anisette) which is the typical Marche liqueur. Once kneaded prepare some small balls which are fried with vegetable oils or with refined pork lard and after that they are linked together by honey to have them in a cake shape, it can also be garnished in several ways.
“Frustingo”,“frustenga”, “pistingo” or “frostenga” are the several names given to a cake which is prepared during Christmas, and besides its name whose translation means “poor”, as a matter of fact it is a very rich cake for the ingredients used, there are several different types of “frustingo” depending of the family traditions.
Basic ingredients are dried fruits, candied fruits, orange juice, currants, lemon juice, spices, olive oil, coffee, cooked must kneaded with wholemeal. This cake is very similar to the so called “bostrengo” which is made in Loreto for the Virgin Mary's Day.
The “pizza di Pasqua” is the typical Easter cake which is produced not only in Marche Region but also in other Regions in central Italy. It has a sweet and soft dough similar to the panettone's one and it used to be made at home. Further to the sweet type there is also the savoury type of “pizza di Pasqua” which is made of flour, eggs, parmigiano cheese or cheese pieces. This cake is eaten during different parts of the days but in particulr it is traditional to have breakfast on Easter day with “pizza di Pasqua”, sliced salami and hard-boiled eggs. Among savoury and traditional preparations “piconi” or “caciuni” are worth to be mentioned, they are similar to “ravioli” but they are made with the same dough of bread and they are filled with fresh or seasoned “pecorino” cheese, yolks, sugar, lemon skin and then they are baked into the oven.
Among Marche typical products, liqueurs and distillates are also worth to be mentioned due to the several monasteries where monks have distilled for several centuries.
For example anisette originates from the practice of flavouring the alcohol exctracted from the grapes. There is a big cultivation of aniseeds in Ascoli Piceno area, so it is not strange that the owner of the historical café located in Piazza del Popolo Square in Ascoli Piceno, Silvio Meletti made his clients accustomed to drink anisette, this very delicate liqueur, even in the morning.
Among bitters liqueurs there is the “balsamo Cagliostro” (cagliostro balsam) whose legend attributes to this historical personage but he has not been the inventor. Cagliostro balsam is made with liquorice roots and no other artificial ingredients.
Another famous Marche liqueur is the so called “Caffé Sport Borghetti”, but of course the most typical one is “mistra”, whose origins belong to the herborist Giacomo Varnelli, founder of the famous and namesake distillery which still have several productions.
“Mistrà” is obtained from the infusion of green aniseeds having an alcoholic base and sometimes chinese “stellato” is added. Mistra can be served directly or added to the espresso coffee, as refreshing drink if diluted with water or it can also be used in several confectionery applications or to marinate meat or to singe roasted rabbits. Another product which is strictly linked to countryside traditions is the “cooked wine” which used to be prepared for important occasions during the past times. For examples at the male child' s birth, the wine was put inside a barrel, the same wine could be opened only at the son's wedding. Cooked wine was also used to massage the babies' legs and arms to strengthen them. It is made pressing several types of grapes so doing must is obtained and then it is put into a big copper pot and let it boil till only 20% of its starting volume is left. While boiling it is skimmed to eliminate impurities and still hot it is poured in small barrels where it is preserved for several years.
In Marceh Region there are 12 different wines having Doc Certification (Denomination of Controlled Origin): Bianchello Del Metauro, Bianco Dei Colli Maceratesi, Colli Pesaresi Doc, Esino Doc, Falerio Dei Colli Ascolani, I Terreni Di Sanseverino Doc, Lacrima Di Morro D'Alba, Offida Doc, Rosso Conero, Rosso Conero Riserva Docg, Rosso Piceno, Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi, Verdicchio Di Matelica e Vernaccia Di Serrapetrona.
Association Comeacasa
B&B Gal Centro Italia info@comeacasa.com - infoline 334.7265968
Marche Region offers a wide range of local products due to the presence of the mountains, the hills and the sea and also thanks to the territory management strictly linked to agricultural cultivations.
Pig has always been considered a valuable property for all the family. After nearly one year breeding and feeding him with acorns and a mash prepared with what's left, the pig was and still is butchered in the middle of the winter when temperatures are low so butchery activities are facilitated.
Nothing is wasted from pig butchery, fat included. The most famous Marche sausages are produced with pig's meat; the “ciauscolo” a local salami (also called “Ciavuscolo”), the Fabriano salami or the Carpegna ham.
The “ciauscolo” is made with less valuable parts of the pig such as bacon, chops and shoulders all these mixed with fat. Once the mixture is prepared this is seasoned with garlic, salt, pepper and cooked wine and than smashed fine. The preparation is made into sausages smaller or bigger which are then smoked for some days. The sausages are seasoned in fresh and cool rooms for 2 or 3 months. When fresh the sausages can be spread on home-made slices of bread or they can be used for sauces preparation or with grilled vegetables and legumes. If the sausages are seasoned they can be eaten same way of “cotechino” (kind of big boiled pork sausage). The “Ciauscolo” production is typical in Ascoli Piceno, Ancona and Macerata.
Carpegna ham, famous also abroad, has reached “Dop” (Denomination of Protected Origin ) certification since 1996 and now it is a typical product not only of Marche (originally in Montefeltro area) but it is also produced in Emilia Romagna and Lombardia Regions through the same pigs breeding coming from the same area. Carpegna ham production techniques are strictly linked to old times tra
dition. Only selected heavier pig's legs are chosen to produce Carpegna ham and they are left resting for three weeks in a cool room. After this resting time they are cleaned, washed with white wine, dried and massaged with ground pepper. Next step is the “sugnatura” which means that the leg is covered with pork lard, flour and pepper. The seasoning phase lasts 14 months.
Fabriano salami is produced in the towns of High Esino Valley Mountains Community and it is produced also with the pig's legs meat which is seasoned with salt and pepper and left seasoning. Fabriano salami has got a cylindrical shape whose weight is changeable after the seasoning that can last till 150 days.
Talking about cheese, “pecorino” is of course the Marche selected cheese even if the so many microclimates in Marche region, from the coast areas till the inland valleys, contribute to have different processings of “pecorino” cheese. In these areas sheeps have been always preferred to cows for cheese production since they can be tended much more easily than bigger animals.
“Pecorino” is obtained from sheep's milk which is curdled, cooked, salted and put into the moulds.
Production processings change from one area to the other. For example in Pesaro, Ancona and Macerata areas soon after it is salted, the “pecorino” cheese is half-cooked with the whey so that the cheese will not remain too light in its colour and to make its maturation slow. In the Sibillini mountains areas rennet is obtained in a different way; rennet usually is prepared with spiced herbs: sweet marjoram, basil, wild thyme, bramble buds, nutmeg, cloves, grated “pecorino”, yolk, pepper and olive oil. The more traditional makers in “percorino”cheese preparation require that it is made only during limpid days, when there is not wind and on the wane. In some areas, such as in Monte Rinaldo, the rennet is prepared with the milk lamb's stomach where all aromatic herbs are then added. There are also several and different “pecorino” che
ese maturation techniques.
“Casciotta” (a sort of soft cheese) from Urbino got Dop (Denomination of Protected Origin) Certification since 1982 and in 1996 it also got the Doc (Denomination of controlled Origin) Certification.
It is a soft cheese produced with a mixture of ovine milk (80%) and cow milk (20%) whose colour is straw-coloured white and its taste is definitely mild.
There are also particular cheeses which sometimes are not easy to be found and they are not available on the market. For examples the “cagiolo”, available only in some shepherds from Osimo areas, it is like “pecorino” but its consistency is in the middle between pecorino cheese and “ricotta”(cottage cheese made of skim milk) which can be eaten in the hand palm.
The “Bazzott” is a cheese not fully matured yet but it cannot be defined fresh cheese. The “raviggiolo” is another special cheese made during spring time with sheeps or goats'milks. It has got a round shape and it looks like a “focaccia” (flat bun).
Pasta from Marche is one of the most famous not only in Italy but also abroad. Fresh pasta, such as dry pasta, is well-known since it is strictly linked to the rural traditions and it is similar to pastas from Emilia Romagna Region. Those Companies that are producing pastas now, are using selected and top quality raw materials, bronze draw-plates and they are following the long and right dry-process times.
The “maccheroni” are also called Angels'hair, they are long pasta. They are made following a particular method which makes them delicate but consistent at the same time, this is due to the ingredients: wheat flour and a double quantity of eggs if compared to the standard recipe for production of egg pasta. Maccheroni are usually served with lamb meat sauce, or with vegetable or fish sauces. The most famous maccheroni come from Campofilone.
Tortelli from San Leo are big “ravioli” which are stuffed with a filling made with aromatic herbs coming from the nearby country area, these herbs are mixed with vegetables or with Ricotta cheese or with some other cheeses.
During the past times the métayer system had a big development and this deeply impressed the countryside landscape, in Marche region we have a particularly luxuriant production of fruits and vegetables.
Further to the “olive ascolane” (fried green olives stuffed with several type of minced meat) and to the truffles, there is also a wide range of mushrooms which are the base for several sauces preparation, typical from Marche, to be added to meat and to “polenta”: blackthorn mushrooms, morels, “leccini”, “galletti”, “mazze di tamburo”, cornels mushrooms, “geloni” and porcini (edible pore fungus).
The typical olive from Ascoli Piceno defined “picena” has been always considered the best variety among table olives for direct consumption since it is tasty, savoury and highly digestible. It seems that “picena” olive is the result of a natural selection which takes place directly on the olive-tree so only one, among several flowers, will become “picena” olive. Ascoli Piceno area has got also the ideal climate for “picena”olive plantations even if it is now cultivated in a wider area.
Considering this product richness, the “Olive Ascolane” recipe has become very famous. The typical “oliva all'ascolana” preparation phases are the following: remove the stone from the olive, stuff it with a mixture of several types of meats and then fry it.
In Marche Region you can also find both types of Truffles varieties: the white truffle which is more valuable and it is picked in Pesaro area between October and December and the black variety.
Among black truffle varieties there is the more valuable one which is picked during winter from December till February in Pesaro (Acqualagna), Ascoli Piceno (Acquasante terme, Roccafluvione, Comunanza, Montefortino) and Macerata (Camerino,Visso), the other varieties are “bianchetto” or “marzuolo”, which grows under pine-forest and it can be found only at the end of the winter, the “scorzone” typical in summer and the “ubiquitari”. Among sweets Marche Region claims a lot of typical products. The majority of them are home-made, not expensive to prepare them and containing not much sugar which in the past times was substituted with honey, these sweets are also linked to some particular Feasts. One of the sweets is based on almond paste, white of the eggs and butter, having a snake shape, rolled up and placed on a wafer, baked into the oven after having glazed it with sugar or chocolate.
The figs “salame” is prepared with dried figs, walnuts, almonds, Mistra' (a type of home-made anisette) and “sapa” (concentrated cooked must). This is one of the most typical sweet since linked to the rural traditions, it was made at the end of summer and was eaten during the following months thanks to its long shelflife. The so called “funghetti” are typical sweets made in Offica, today you can find them in several confectioneries, they are made with a mixture of sugar and flour (half sugar and half flour) and then anise; this mixture is shaped in small balls, left them dry for a few days and then baked into the oven after having placed them in some particular moulds. When baking the softer internal part of the balls comes out so that all the balls are linked together. Another typical sweet from Ascoli Piceno is the “Ciambelle al mosto”(ring-shaped cakes made with must) and they are made during the grape-harvest. “Cicerchiata” is the name of a typical cake made during Carnival in Macerata and Ascoli Piceno nearby provinces areas. It is made as follows: knead the flour with sugar, eggs and some mistra' (a sort of home made anisette) which is the typical Marche liqueur. Once kneaded prepare some small balls which are fried with vegetable oils or with refined pork lard and after that they are linked together by honey to have them in a cake shape, it can also be garnished in several ways.
“Frustingo”,“frustenga”, “pistingo” or “frostenga” are the several names given to a cake which is prepared during Christmas, and besides its name whose translation means “poor”, as a matter of fact it is a very rich cake for the ingredients used, there are several different types of “frustingo” depending of the family traditions.
Basic ingredients are dried fruits, candied fruits, orange juice, currants, lemon juice, spices, olive oil, coffee, cooked must kneaded with wholemeal. This cake is very similar to the so called “bostrengo” which is made in Loreto for the Virgin Mary's Day.
The “pizza di Pasqua” is the typical Easter cake which is produced not only in Marche Region but also in other Regions in central Italy. It has a sweet and soft dough similar to the panettone's one and it used to be made at home. Further to the sweet type there is also the savoury type of “pizza di Pasqua” which is made of flour, eggs, parmigiano cheese or cheese pieces. This cake is eaten during different parts of the days but in particulr it is traditional to have breakfast on Easter day with “pizza di Pasqua”, sliced salami and hard-boiled eggs. Among savoury and traditional preparations “piconi” or “caciuni” are worth to be mentioned, they are similar to “ravioli” but they are made with the same dough of bread and they are filled with fresh or seasoned “pecorino” cheese, yolks, sugar, lemon skin and then they are baked into the oven.
Among Marche typical products, liqueurs and distillates are also worth to be mentioned due to the several monasteries where monks have distilled for several centuries.
For example anisette originates from the practice of flavouring the alcohol exctracted from the grapes. There is a big cultivation of aniseeds in Ascoli Piceno area, so it is not strange that the owner of the historical café located in Piazza del Popolo Square in Ascoli Piceno, Silvio Meletti made his clients accustomed to drink anisette, this very delicate liqueur, even in the morning.
Among bitters liqueurs there is the “balsamo Cagliostro” (cagliostro balsam) whose legend attributes to this historical personage but he has not been the inventor. Cagliostro balsam is made with liquorice roots and no other artificial ingredients.
Another famous Marche liqueur is the so called “Caffé Sport Borghetti”, but of course the most typical one is “mistra”, whose origins belong to the herborist Giacomo Varnelli, founder of the famous and namesake distillery which still have several productions.
“Mistrà” is obtained from the infusion of green aniseeds having an alcoholic base and sometimes chinese “stellato” is added. Mistra can be served directly or added to the espresso coffee, as refreshing drink if diluted with water or it can also be used in several confectione
ry applications or to
marinate meat or to singe roasted rabbits. Another product which is strictly linked to countryside traditions is the “cooked wine” which used to be prepared for important occasions during the past times. For examples at the male child' s birth, the wine was put inside a barrel, the same wine could be opened only at the son's wedding. Cooked wine was also used to massage the babies' legs and arms to strengthen them. It is made pressing several types of grapes so doing must is obtained and then it is put into a big copper pot and let it boil till only 20% of its starting volume is left. While boiling it is skimmed to eliminate impurities and still hot it is poured in small barrels where it is preserved for several years.
In Marceh Region there are 12 different wines having Doc Certification (Denomination of Controlled Origin): Bianchello Del Metauro, Bianco Dei Colli Maceratesi, Colli Pesaresi Doc, Esino Doc, Falerio Dei Colli Ascolani, I Terreni Di Sanseverino Doc, Lacrima Di Morro D'Alba, Offida Doc, Rosso Conero, Rosso Conero Riserva Docg, Rosso Piceno, Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi, Verdicchio Di Matelica e Vernaccia Di Serrapetrona.
