The abundance of white and black truffles has greatly influenced the cooking of this stretch of the Apennines.Nearby
Acqualagna is one of Italy's main marketing centres for a considerable variety of truffles. The major Fiera Nazionale del Tartufo (the National Truffle Fair) takes place over the last week of October
and the first ten days of November, while the Fiera Regionale del Tartufo Nero (the Regional Black Truffle Fair) is held on the third Sunday of February.
The area is also rich in mushrooms and its delicious turini and spignoli, favourites for dressing pasta dishes (particularly tagliatelle), make excellent companions for the more famous
porcini. The high point of the mushroom season is the Mostra Mercato del Fungo (Mushroom Exhibition and Market) in nearby Piobbico in October.
Polenta, a traditional dish made from
maize flour, is served in many ways, though in this area the most popular sauces are carbonara (with pork) or lumache (snails cooked in herbs) - in June, snails dominate the menu at Pianello's
annual Sagra. Another traditional Cagli dish is papparadelle alla lepre, strands of pasta served with a thick hare sauce.
For secondi or main courses, fine quality
marchigiano meats are the area's culinary attraction. As well as beef (the area has its own label, cinque erre, as a guarantee of quality), you will find agnello (lamb), capretto
(kid) and castrato (mutton), generally cooked alle brace (over charcoal), or in padella (sauteed) with tomato. Alternatively, the area is well known for its salumi (
cured pork or wild boar) which go well with piadina or crescia, (unleavened bread cooked over the fire) and pecorino (sheep's cheese, of which "casciotta di Urbino" is
well known). Alternatively, in nearby Cantiano, you can try their speciality, horse meat.
When it comes to sweets, each town has its speciality - Cantiano's "Amarene", Apecchio's
"bostrengo", Cagli's "lattarolo", as well as "bastoncelli" and "straccapensieri", all of which go well with Visner (a cherry liqueur) or vin santo.
During the chilly winter months vin brulé (hot red wine punch) and moretta (rum-laced coffee) are the favourites.
Buon Appetito!
