The region Marche has a strong relationship with the territory and its richness, generations of men and women profited exclusively from what the land could give them, so that the cuisine of the Italian region Marche is vast and powerful, calling on ancient tastes and distant preparations, using raw materials that come from farming.
It is necessary to remember that Marche is a lucky region, in Italian its name comes in plural since several landscapes are mixed together: seaside, mountains, hills and valleys. With such natural resources and a hint of skillfulness, the hardest season, even in uncomfortable times, could be lived effortlessly.
Despite the progressive improvement and the vocation of local companies to internationalization that distinguishes food industry together with its recipes, the cuisine of the Marche – just like its landscape and its small borgos – has kept a typical characteristic, so-called “poor dishes” that you can find in regional recipe books, but also other dishes that are well known and famous across Italy. Especially the backcountry areas of the Marche it is common to find old restored farmhouses now used as agritourist or restaurant where you can enjoy the traditional recipes.
Casale dell’Angelo, immersed in the stunning countryside surrounding Jesi, ideal for agritourist or a Country House facility
Crescia sfogliata typical of Urbino
The sitting room with fireplace at Villa Poggiobello upon the hills of Poggio San Marcello
Today’s cuisine of the Marche respects tradition: legumes, poor vegetables, wild fennel, are the basic products. Recipes like “Maltagliati ai ceci (pasta with chickpea)” and “Coniglio in porchetta (Rabbit à la porchetta)” are still very common and appreciated, even though not everyone knows their ancient origins. Maltagliati pasta with chickpeas for instance is a recipe that was created by accident: old-time housewives used to cut in squares the remaining pasta, since it could not be wasted; it is called now “maltagliati, i.e. chopped in an un-regular shape”, and then it was served together with a classic legume like chickpea. Legumes are easy to find and easy to use for farmers, and they are inexpensive like wild field vegetables, and they are nutritious, that is why they were commonly used in cooking. Bread is a basic product of every dish and in the region Marche you can find the “crescia sfogliata” a typical bread that used to be cooked in ancient stone oven / fireplace always available in country-houses. It looks like a halfway between pizza and piadina, being it thicker or thinner in accordance to the province of the region, but still it characterizes the cooking spirit of the Marche.
And also “Passatelli in brodo (pasta formed of bread crumbs, eggs and parmesan cheese in chicken broth)”, “Quaglia al forno (Baked quail)”, “Fava n’greccia (Crumpled broad beans)”…the Marche is a stunning region with its thousands of facets, even when talking about cuisine. Tastes, especially in winter, become more intense and complex, smells and perfumes prevail and you can heat by eating exquisite food, reminding of tradition in each bite.
