"L'UMBRIA da visitare e gustare"

Orvieto city of tuff

Orvieto is a city that rises completely on a tuff cliff and dominates the valley of the Paglia river.

This city, located in the southwestern part of the Umbria region, on the border with Lazio and not far from Tuscany, has very ancient origins; the first settlements in fact date back to the Etruscan period, then, like many other Umbrian cities, it experienced Roman 

domination first, then Byzantine and Lombard domination, and precisely this has determined the growth of the city's cultural heritage over the centuries.

Walking through the streets of the city means taking a journey through its three millennia of history: traces of past eras are found in every point. The Cathedral is one of the main attractions of the city, it represents a true masterpiece of Gothic art. The Cathedral of Santa 

Maria Assunta, built between the 13th and 14th centuries, externally has four vertical buttresses with bundles ending in a spire and parallel bundles that divide the area of ​​the base, the reliefs and the loggia. Rocca and the Well of San Patrizio: well-known engineering work of the 16th century, it is characterized by its cylindrical shape and above all by the presence of a double flight of stairs with 488 one-way steps. The well has a diameter of 13.5 meters and a depth of about 62 meters, is illuminated by 72 large windows that give life to a fascinating play of light and shadow.

This wonderful town is the favorite destination of those looking for quality tourism, it offers its visitors a rich historical, artistic and gastronomic heritage (for lovers of good food you can taste excellent typical dishes of the area, listed below).

One of the most popular dishes is the 'mbriaca' hen. As understandable from the name, one of the main ingredients of this dish is a wine, Rosso Orvietano DOC, with an intense ruby ​​red color and sometimes purple reflections.

This is not the only oenological excellence of the region: in Orvieto you can also find Orvieto DOC white wine, to which the soil rich in tuff gives it a characteristic softness.

Meats are of considerable importance in Orvieto cuisine. In fact, in addition to pork, poultry, rabbit and game dishes are very popular.

Of particular note are the pigeon and the dogfish, which are among the most classic dishes that can be tasted in Orvieto. The "palomba alla leccarda" and the "chicken alla cacciatora" are among the oldest and most typical dishes of the city.

As for the very widespread and appreciated game, it is the processing of wild boar meat in its most diverse variations, from cured meats to stews, up to the delicious cooking on the grill.

Orvieto cuisine is also found in the preparation of pasta and first courses. Among the most typical dishes in this sense are the umbricelli with black truffle or all'arrabbiata, a type of pasta made with water and flour, and the "tagliatelle al ragù". Umbricelli, like many other first courses, come from the “poor” tradition of the city of Orvieto which, in times of war, like many other Italian cities, saw a real lack of raw materials.

Other first courses typical of Orvieto cuisine are spaghetti with tuna, tagliolini with tench broth and chickpea and chestnut soups.

Other flour-based processes include "tortucce" (pizza dough fried and seasoned with salt and rosemary or sugar in the sweet variant), "Lumachelle" and savory aniseed biscuits.

As for the confectionery traditions, the tozzetti with almonds, the “frittelle di San Giuseppe”, the donuts in wine and the Easter pizzas (savory with cheese and sweet, cinnamon-based) are very common in Orvieto.

We like to end our article by quoting what is probably the most popular Carnival dessert in Umbria, the "Umbrian strufoli", take note:

Ingrediants

500 g Flour 0

100 g Manitoba flour

4 medium eggs

150 g Sugar

5 tablespoon Sunflower oil

100 g Rum

60 g Mistrà

20 g Grappa

1 pinch Salt

50 g Citrate (like brioches) to dissolve in two fingers of milk

2 teaspoon Bread of the Angels yeast

1 Vanillin sachet

1 grated lemon

1,5 l Sunflower oil for frying

Preparation

- first dissolve the Brioschi in the milk

- Put the oil, liqueurs, vanilla, lemon and part of the flour in a bowl and emulsify everything.

- in the mixer with whips, work the eggs with the sugar and a pinch of salt. Work for a long time until the mixture is swollen and fluffy. Finally add the brioche.

- change the whips and insert the leaf. Insert the remaining flours and then the mixture with the liqueurs. Finally add the yeast.

- cover the bowl with cling film and let the dough rest for 30 minutes onwards.

-in a large pan heat the oil that will be at the right temperature when dipping a toothpick, bubbles are formed around it (temperature about 170 degrees).

With a teaspoon take some dough and let it fall into the oil. Fry a few pieces at a time, the dough will swell during cooking and when the strufoli are golden on both sides they will be cooked.

Place them on absorbent paper to absorb excess oil and, once cooled, dip the strufoli in the melted honey and then place them on a serving dish.

See you soon ... stay tuned !!!