WINE AND FOOD Umbria (in english) by Umbria OnLine

WINE AND FOOD - Typical Umbrian food

Umbria is a region that has kept its ancient traditions alive, and this is clearly visible today in the quality of life of its inhabitants, the freshness of the produce available, the unspoilt nature and the magnificent cities steeped in art, history and culture.

When looking to understand Umbrian food and wine it is best to have an idea of this region’s history, starting with the Etruscans and the Romans, who were influential in introducing vegetables and cereals – particularly spelt – to the local diet.

During the Middle Ages the cuisine remained essentially simple, influenced by the frugality of the monasteries that made much use of vegetables, aromatic herbs and freshwater fish from the lakes.

Much of the essential simplicity of these traditional cooking methods has survived to this day and Umbrians still rely heavily on the freshness and quality of their produce, be it wine, olive oil, meat, sweetmeats, cheese, truffles, lentils, saffron or freshwater fish.

The enormous variety of soils present in Umbria and the abundance of water with which the region is blessed make it ideal for growing a broad variety of produce, from olives to vines. The more mountainous areas offer ideal summer grazing ground for cattle and sheep, thereby providing all kinds of dairy produce and cheeses.