Lake Trasimeno
Food and wine
A tour in Umbria to discover its tastes and flavours can be started from the Trasimeno Lake. This is an extraordinary environment of water and smooth hills. Cultivation of vines, therefore, has ancient roots and it has been renovated during the last years with the production of excellent wines, both red and white, in the ambit of the AOC Colli del Trasimeno.
In this part of Umbria, an extra-virgin olive oil is produced. It is light and flavoursome with a delicate aroma that only the lake's climate can create. It is worth remembering the "Fagiolina del Lago", a small legume that requires remarkable care and attention during its cultivation and that is proudly cared for. It is very tasty and it has been cropped here since the Etruscan Times. Beyond the "Fagiolina del Lago", spelt, barley and chickpeas are characteristic legumes, as well.
This is a land of fresh-water fishermen, but, above all, it is a land of farmers and hunters. Therefore, excellent roasts of home-bred goose, pigeon, lamb, rabbit, and also of wild boar, living in the surrounding woods, can be enjoyed. The typical dishes of local kitchen are very simple and they are linked to the surrounding territory. The "Pici", the "Gnocchi", the "Tagliatini", the "Ribollita", the "Panzanella", the goose and the duck are among the dishes that it is often possible to taste in the local agritourism restaurants. Among the desserts there are the "Strufoli" and the "Torcolo della Nonna", accompanied by the "Vino Santo".
As said above, the whole territory has a strong tradition of fishing; therefore, dishes with fishes from lake Trasimeno can be eaten often, such as Spaghetti with fish sauce, Risotto with tenches, "in porchetta" carp and the Tegamaccio (a sort of quite flavoured fish soup similar to the "calico").
Fresh water crabs, trouts, carps and pikes that have a hard and tasty flesh cooked in an original and delicious fashion can be eaten, too.