COOKING

At the basis of Umbrian cooking is tradition, tradition that isn’t always tied to poor or “people’s” dishes but makes up the solid foundations of a culinary culture of the highest level.  It is mainly based on  meat and produce of the earth that is suitable for both great and simple occasions, it is simple, and in order to respect the taste of the raw ingredients, never over elaborate. 
To find the roots of Umbrian cooking you have to go back to first  Umbrian and then Roman civilization which used primarily pulses and vegetables.
One of the most typical traits of Umbrian cooking is certainly linked to the preparation of pork and the consequent production of salami and sausages, particularly in the Norcia area, from which comes the term “norcino” to denote the producer and seller of “salumi”.
As well as “norcineria” type products you can find other “noble” ingredients, which are frequently present in Umbrian tastes, such as truffle and extra-virgin olive oil without which Umbrian cooking is lost. 
The dishes that typically go to make up this cuisine include: Appetizers: starter courses that go from salami of various kinds, cheeses, toasted bread with truffle, oil and chicken liver paste to panzanella (stale wet  bread with tomatoes, onion, basil, olive oil vinegar and salt)- First courses: these usually  consist in a great number of  different types of pasta and home-made sauces from
gnocchi, cappelletti, pappardelle, strangozzi, tagliatelle with truffle, meat sauce, goose sauce or hare

- Second courses, the important part of this cuisine, goes from lamb (fried or grilled), marinated pheasant, roast goose, roast chicken, stuffed pigeon, pork; accompanied by wild salad, parmisan
bake, roast potatoes- 

- Desserts: for those with a sweet tooth,  these are usually a great assortment of dry and fresh sweats that include: fave dei morti ; a kind of sweet pasta, ciaramicola ; a cake, maccheroni with
nuts, sweet Easter pizza,  rocciata  ; a cake rich in fruit and nuts,  frappe ; fried batter cakes, struffoli ;  fried batter balls, torcolo  ; a sponge cake, and zuppa Inglese ;a kind of trifle.
This tradition is preserved thanks to demand by the Umbrians themselves who don’t usually desire a sophisticated menu, but, even for important occasions, prefer home cooking,  made with
good, genuine, local ingredients.