Umbria
Umbria is a mountainous region in central Italy, bordering Tuscany to the west, le Marche to the east, and Lazio to the south. It is a fairly small region, with a population of about 900,000. Its capital is the city of Perugia.
In his book A Cook’s Tour of Italy, author Joe Famularo describes the cooking of Umbria as “honest and natural, somewhere between the extroverted gusto of nearby Lazio (Rome) and the refined simplicity of Tuscany (Florence).” The region is blessed with a few culinary treasures, including the black truffles that grow in its forests, and the famous Umbrian lentils, prized for their small size and tenderness.
In terms of meat, the region specializes in porchetta, a whole pig flavored with garlic and herbs and slow-roasted for hours. The signs of perfect porchetta are tender, juicy meat, melty fat, and crispy skin, and its best to include all three of these in a mouthful to enjoy the different textures and flavors.
Although the region is landlocked and does not enjoy the bounty of either the Mediterranean or Adriatic Seas, there are some freshwater fish available to the Umbrian cook, including trout, pike, and perch.
