"WINE AND FOOD" ITINERARIES |
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Castelli Romani
The cuisine of the Castelli Romani is known for the union of genuine products with the characteristic taste of local wines influenced by the volcanic nature of the area. This combination characterizes all fifteen municipalities that make up the protected area of the Regional Park of Castelli Romani. Among the products, in addition to wine, include the oil, the porchetta, the various sausages and bacon. Are also listed among the traditional dishes, a variety of appetizers: the coppa of wild boar (cold cut), smoked bacon with balsamic vinegar, the coppiette (dried meat), the ricotta sheep with pink pepper, fresh pecorino romano cheese and various preparations preserved in oil.
Even the bread, which usually accompanies the food, has a particular taste: a recipe typical of Grottaferrata is the bread with raisins prepared with cornmeal porridge flour. All dishes are accompanied by local sparkling wine the romanella.
To taste the local delicacies, the Castelli Romani offer a varied choice of traditional restaurant – Fraschette.
In ancient times the clients found the romanella wine served in special glass containers – the fojette (means liters) - and they could consume snacks brought from home.
Some typical recipes:
PORCHETTA
The Porchetta is obtained by cooking a whole pig, filled with spices. It is cut into slices and normally consumed as a second dish or in sandwiches.
MOSTACCIOLI
Crispy cookies compound of honey, almonds and walnuts.
Ciociaria
Ciociaria is the name of a traditional region of Central Italy
The name Ciociaria comes from the primitive footwear of its inhabitants called "ciocie".
The ciocia is an ancient kind of shoe, with a simple and primitive form, that doesn't wrap completely the foot, because the upper part is open.
Among the recipes typical of the region recall the provatura fried. The provatura is a kind of mozzarella: the name derives from “evidence”, that is the tasting to control the cheese. This dish is frequently present in Rome with appetizers as the omelettes with ricotta, flavoured by some aromatic spice or the omelette burina that is made with hearts of lettuce mixed together with eggs and pieces of cheese.
Typical of this area are: the garlic omelette made only with fresh garlic and pancotto, a soup made with bread. From Ciociaria comes an another soup "poor" the soup of beans and onions, main ingredients along with bacon. The lamb in this area is cooked in many ways, especially the lamb soup, cooked in a pan with ham, fresh herbs and white wine and enriched with a special sauce made with egg yolks, parsley, marjoram and lemon juice.
In Ciociaria don’t forget to taste the abbacchio allo scottadito: pieces of lamb cooked with the bone that the Romans loved eat with hands.
A typical product is the mozzarella di bufala: produced mainly with buffalo's whole milk, this kind of soft cheese is undoubtedly the most popular in Italy.
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THE WINE ROAD
Castelli Romani
The itinerary La Strada dei Vini dei Castelli Romani goes through the towns of Albano, Ariccia, Castel Gandolfo, Colonna, Frascati, Genzano, Grottaferrata, Lanuvio, Marino, Montecompatri, Monte Porzio Catone, Rocca di Papa, Rocca Priora and Velletri.
Coming from Rome, on the road SS.7 Appia, towards Ciampino Airport, at the cross with Via dell'Aeroscalo, follow Via Appia which continues until the location Frattocchie, near the town of Santa Maria delle Mole.
The Via Consular goes up to Genzano, where you can admire the remains of the Temple of Diana Cacciatrice and the Museum of Roman ships on the shores of Lake Nemi. Returning in the center, continue in the direction Lanuvio.
La Strada dei Vini dei Castelli Romani is characterized by important elements of archaeological interest, churches and shrines and outings in the green.
In Monte Porzio Catone there is the popular museum of wine.
The Denominations of this area are: Doc Frascati, Marino, Doc Montecompatri Colonna, Doc Colli Albani, Doc Velletri, Doc Zagarolo and IGT of Latium , the regional denominatition that includes white, red and rose wine and specific labels of Bellone, Bombino, Chardonnay, Malvasia, Trebbiano, Cesanese, Ciliegiolo, Merlot e Sangiovese.
Cesanne ok
One of the most widespread cultivations in the Ciociaria countryside is the vineyard. Even if the production of wine in this land has always be made for household consumption, in recent times, the wines of Ciociaria have obtained a great success thanks to the DOC marks granted to many labels.
The Ciociaria, large portion of the Lower Lazio, has a patchwork of proposals that can reflect the wide variety of land, climate, and the resulting wealth of crops.
It is a land of robust and structured wines born from the vinification of Cesanese, the land of Passerina Frusinate wine and the extra virgin olive oil obtained from the rosciola, a noble quality olive oil, almost extinct in the rest of central Italy.
These places have been for centuries a crossroads of traffic (here the Romans built villas, theaters and roads) and poles of economic activities as the processing of wool, wood, marble, arts and crafts.
You can learn about sites of great charm and historical importance such as: the Abbey of St. Benedict, the highlands of Arcinazzo, the Trevi Castle and the Cathedral of Anagni called "the city of the Popes".
THE OIL ROAD
The Oil Road
The olive oil has ancient origins dating back about 8,000 years ago, when the olive tree was already cultivated in the Middle East.
With the Greeks the olive crops became ever more numerous, but the Romans tried to cultivate in each conquered territory these multipurpose fruits, that once became oil, were accepted as a form of payment of taxes.
The olive tree and its fruit have been always present in the history: the oil was used not only to enrich food, but also for massages and cosmetics.
Where taste an excellent oil: Sabina, Soratte, Tivoli, Castelli Romani and Tuscia.
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