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Italy Gourmet food and wine information - Index | Aosta Valley | Piedmont | Lombardy | Trentino-Alto Adige / Südtirol | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | Venetia (Veneto) | Liguria | Emilia Romagna | Tuscany | Umbria | Marche | Abruzzo | Lazio | Campania | Molise | Basilicata | Apulia | Calabria | Sicily | Sardinia

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The capital of Umbria is Perugia, and the town we visit most often with A La Carte Italy Tours is Assisi. This inland location is the reason why most popular foods are game, berries and other inland specialties. The region produces olives, grapes and wheat. The production of olive oil is around Spoleto and Trevi, and wine near Lake Trasimeno and Montefalco. On your gourmet tour to Umbria, your tour guide will introduce you to the following culinary specialties and recipes, and to the following wines and liqueurs:

Black Truffles of Norcia, Cascia, and Spoleto, full of an earthy, distinct and strong flavor

Honey from Valnerina, a mixed flower type with a delicate fragrance and flavor

Budellaccio salami from Norcia, a sausage flavored with salt, pepper, and fennel seeds, dried fireside

Porchetta: pork, cooked on a spit over a wood fire, it is previously stuffed with minced liver, heart and lungs, pepper, garlic, salt, and wild fennel

Colli Perugini (DOC); Red and White wine

Torgiano Rosso Riserva (DOCG); Red wine

Sagrantino (DOCG); Dry dessert wine

Mushrooms are utilized in many Umbrian recipes. The pride of Umbrian mushrooms is the Boletus edulisor (funghi porcini in Italian). They have a rich, musty taste ideal for side-dishes, sauces, soups and risotto. Olive trees are believed to have been brought to central Italy by Greek settlers as long ago as the seventh century BC; in various parts of Umbria there are trees up to a thousand years old. Truffles are found mainly in the eastern part of Umbria. Norcia. Freshwater fish make up part of the traditional Umbrian diet. River and lake fish such as trout, carp and catfish, eels, tench, crabs and freshwater prawns are prepared mostly fresh. Wine-production has taken place in the region since Etruscan times and is still an important industry today. If you wish a private Italy tour customised to include Umbria gourmet foods and wines, please enquire; at A La Carte Italy Tours we will be delighted to design a special itinerary for your privately guided tour.