Le Marche is the only Italian region written with a plural form and, like its name, also its territory offers a variety of landscapes: from the sea to the gentle rolling hills, up to the Apennine mountains. You can see this variety also on the Marchigiano tables, where the culinary tradition of fishermen skillfully matches with the one of farmers, as well as with the more substantial and fragrant mountain cuisine.
Le Marche is a region with a thousand facets and many shades. In this land every hill has its own wine and every different landscape corresponds to aromas with different intensities. The predominantly hilly and sometimes mountainous grounds, as well as the temperate climate, made milder by the sea breeze, contribute to create optimal conditions for the production of excellent wines. As a matter of facts, in these lands the cultivation of the vine has a millenary tradition dating back to the ancient Greeks, who founded the city of Ancona.
The cuisine of the Marche is mainly of humble origin, characterized by the interpretation of the excellent products that the area provides during the seasons. The most used seasoning is olive oil, while butter is not so common in the marchigiano cuisine.
The typical dishes are so many and they vary according to the different areas, that it would be difficult to list them all. We list you the most characteristic, that you just can’t not taste when you will be in this splendid but still little known region.
1. Ciauscolo
Ciauscolo is a spreadable salami, with a rosy color and a delicate fragrance. It is often eaten as a snack during an aperitif or as an appetizer to be spread on crostini, slices of bread and bruschetta. It goes well with local cheese and wines. It is part of the farmers’ tradition of the Marche and it is an IGP product.
2. Vincisgrassi
Please, don’t call them Lasagne! This is very important for Marchigiano people. Vincisgrassi do not have the béchamel, but at least seven layers of pastry. The ragù is prepared with mixed meat, including chicken and chicken livers, coarsely chopped and not ground. It is all flavored with nutmeg and cloves. It is said that this dish was prepared in honor of the Austrian general Alfred von Windisch-Graetz (from whom the name derives) who would have fought and won in the siege of Ancona in 1799.
3. Maccheroncini from Campofilone
Maccheroncini (IGP) is a kind of very thin spaghetti, that you can top with a savoury ragù. They are made in a small borgo in the province of Fermo.
4. Brodetto
Brodetto is one of the many fish dishes that belong to the Marche tradition. Each seaside town has its own variant of this fish soup.
5. Rabbit “in porchetta”
The rabbit is stuffed with its minced and browned offal (liver, heart, lungs), fresh pork belly and a mixture of aromatic herbs such as rosemary, thyme and wild fennel. The raw roll is bound and left to flavor for a few hours before baking.
6. Ascolana Olives
The gastronomic excellence of the Marche region finds its highest expression in the Ascolana olives. Green olive is used in brine and then stuffed with meat. Afterwards it is breaded and then fried. The olives used for the preparation belong to the “Ascolana Tenera” variety. They are often prepared for festivities and anniversaries.
7. Acqualagna Truffles
When we talk about Acqualagna truffles we mainly refer to the exquisite white truffle, even though in Acqualagna we find almost all the truffle varieties in Italy. Thanks to the type of climate and grounds that surround the whole area it is possible to taste the different types of truffles all year round.
8. Wines
From Verdicchio to Rosso Conero, there are fifteen Doc and five DOCG wines that accompany the typical dishes based on fish or meat from the local cuisine.
We can certainly state that there are many good reasons to visit and discover Le Marche. One of them is the variety and authenticity of its cuisine, which is able to satisfy all tastes, even the most sophisticated.
The journey to Marche is an experience that involves all the senses. Are you looking for a typical house in the Marche countryside, where you can spend your holidays or live in peace, savoring all the excellent cuisine of the area?
Contact us and you will have a team of professionals ready to help you discover Le Marche and support you to find your dream home. Let yourself be fascinated and amazed by this surprising region, which has preserved its traditions unaltered over time.
You can call us, send us a message or come and see us at our office in Civitanova Marche. We are waiting for you!
