Gastronomy
Umbria is known for its excellent cuisine with its delicious white and black truffle in pasta dishes and on bruschetta. Other regional specialties are cushat, wild boar stuffed with fennel, pearl hen, quail and pecorino. In the restaurants around lake Trasimeno you find often trout, carp or eel. All dishes are accompanied by the local wines. Definitely try the dried figs or the Umbrian chocolate if you are into sweets!
Wine
The soft rolling hills, the sun, the many rivers and the clayey limestone ground is ideal to produce excellent wine. Italian wine lovers can enjoy the most famous wines of the world in our region. You have the region of Colli del Trasimeno as well as the Chianti, the Grechetto of Orvieto, the Sangrantino, the Nobile di Montalcino and of course the Brunello which was for a long time 1 of the 5 best wines of the world. We like to offer you one of the tastings in the area.
Oil
Most famous is the bruschetta: roasted bread with salt and a little ‘extra virgin’ olive oil. For centuries the Umbrian hills are dominated with olive trees. In 1997, 90% of the oil of Umbria is ‘extra virgin’, certified by the EU with PDO (Protected Destination of Origin). Based on the regional characteristics, the different flavour nuances and the colour, you find 5 production zones in Umbria: Colli Assisi-Spoleto, Colli Martani, Colli Amerini, Colli Orvietana and Colli Trasimeno. All Umbrian oil has a low acidity, a typical green tint and a mild fruity taste, ideal for the local kitchen. There are different oil museums to visit: Museo della civilta dell’ ulivo in Trevi and Museo dell’olivo e dell’olio in Torgiano.
Ceramics
The most ancient craft in Umbria is the manufacturing of ceramics. The most famous places to find typical ceramic nowadays are Deruta and Gualdo Tadino. In the more classic Deruta-Majolica you see little figures painted with blue, yellow and brown red tones. The best known enamelled ceramics come from Orvieto, Todi and Città di Castello. Orvieto is also famous for its Etruscan ceramics, black shiny and elegant.
Textile and lace
If you like medieval and renascence decorations you should check out the typical lace of Orvieto.
In Assisi you have the typical punto d’Assisi, cross stitch embroidery. You find it in tablecloths dresses and blouses. Lace bobbing is already for centuries fabricated by women of Lago di Trasimeno and, best known, Isola Maggiore. Even the Vatican buys its linen from Laboratori Tele Umbra in Città di Castello. Women make tulle with great patience, which is a typical product of Panicale. Perugia is famous for its table cloth, white linen with a blue border and geometric decorations, ‘occhio di pernice’.
Truffles
Another glorious Umbrian product is the truffle. The black truffle is found in the regions Norcia, Cascia and Spoleto and is used in their most traditional dishes. More difficult to find is the white truffle with its strong unique taste. They are mainly found above the Valley of Tiber, around Gubbio and on the Gubbio-Gualdo Tadino Apennines.