Le Marche, "Italy in miniature"
“The first thing you need to do to promote the Marche is tell people how to pronounce it properly,” quipped Tony May during one of the many events on a recent tour of the Marche region of Italy which I participated. May is the founder of Gruppo Ristoranti Italiani, a New York-based organization that promotes authentic Italian food. Pronounced “MAR-kay,” this region lies north of Rome and south of Venice on Italy’s eastern coast.
I knew very little about it. My ignorance was typical of our group of two dozen that included a number of Italian natives and a few seasoned travel and wine writers; the Marche is one of the most anonymous regions of Italy.
The lack of knowledge was less excusable for me. I have a friend from there who has endlessly promoted it. A Houston restaurant run by a chef from the region, Simposio, was a favorite of mine for years. Since 2008 I have been diligently researching Italian food for a book project. And, about a century ago, my great-grandfather, Natale Riccetti, immigrated to America from a town in the Marche.
A phrase we heard during the trip was that Marche was “Italy in miniature.” It made sense after an event-filled week encompassing just part of the region.
The first thing noticed is the striking and diverse landscape. Slim, sandy beaches on the coast front the blue Adriatic, and quickly give way to steep hills. Prosperous coastal cities incorporating handsome recent construction with their medieval and ancient cores – all with reddish-tiled roofs – are joined inland by scores of villages, churches and castles topping hills that provide the expected Italianate scenery. Even near the sea, the Apennine Mountains make for a dramatic backdrop throughout. This range has a few deep gorges and many more green valleys, the latter often punctuated with neat rows of vines and olive trees.
Like the rest of Italy, the natural beauty is complemented by attractive towns with rich histories and artwork. This includes the Renaissance treasure, Urbino, a Unesco World Heritage site and the hometown of the painter Raphael. The Etruscans and Romans made their mark, too, such as a road tunnel – still in use – completed in 77 AD. Not incidentally, the food is also terrific.
The cuisine of the region is divided neatly between the interior and the coast. We had both traditional cooking and innovative modern fare at two-star Michelin restaurants. What each dish had in common was strict use of the bountiful seasonal, local products. We were served several types of pasta dishes and a variety of cured pork items like salami and the renowned Prosciutto di Carpegna. Near the coast there were many types of seafood; inland, pork and wild boar; and almost everywhere, truffles, the highly aromatic fungus that has excited gourmets for centuries.
A testament to the lack of publicity the region receives, a small town, Acqualagna, is responsible for two-thirds of the production of truffles in Italy, dwarfing that of Alba in the northwest, which is famous for them. Uniquely, Acqaulagna offers truffles year-round. Our various hosts, eager to impress, plied us with dish after dish featuring the black truffles that were in season. These added an enjoyable earthiness, and richness, to most preparations: pastas, crostini, potatoes, rabbit, shrimp, fish, etc.
Complementing the foods, the wines were generally good, and plentifully poured. The whites here are generally much better than the reds. Our two experts were both surprised and impressed with Verdicchio, a white, in several of its styles.
Though Italy boasts numerous destinations for the tourist, lightly visited Marche is a gem that deserves consideration. It’s likely someplace that even your well-traveled friends have not been.
I knew very little about it. My ignorance was typical of our group of two dozen that included a number of Italian natives and a few seasoned travel and wine writers; the Marche is one of the most anonymous regions of Italy.
The lack of knowledge was less excusable for me. I have a friend from there who has endlessly promoted it. A Houston restaurant run by a chef from the region, Simposio, was a favorite of mine for years. Since 2008 I have been diligently researching Italian food for a book project. And, about a century ago, my great-grandfather, Natale Riccetti, immigrated to America from a town in the Marche.
A phrase we heard during the trip was that Marche was “Italy in miniature.” It made sense after an event-filled week encompassing just part of the region.
The first thing noticed is the striking and diverse landscape. Slim, sandy beaches on the coast front the blue Adriatic, and quickly give way to steep hills. Prosperous coastal cities incorporating handsome recent construction with their medieval and ancient cores – all with reddish-tiled roofs – are joined inland by scores of villages, churches and castles topping hills that provide the expected Italianate scenery. Even near the sea, the Apennine Mountains make for a dramatic backdrop throughout. This range has a few deep gorges and many more green valleys, the latter often punctuated with neat rows of vines and olive trees.
Like the rest of Italy, the natural beauty is complemented by attractive towns with rich histories and artwork. This includes the Renaissance treasure, Urbino, a Unesco World Heritage site and the hometown of the painter Raphael. The Etruscans and Romans made their mark, too, such as a road tunnel – still in use – completed in 77 AD. Not incidentally, the food is also terrific.
The cuisine of the region is divided neatly between the interior and the coast. We had both traditional cooking and innovative modern fare at two-star Michelin restaurants. What each dish had in common was strict use of the bountiful seasonal, local products. We were served several types of pasta dishes and a variety of cured pork items like salami and the renowned Prosciutto di Carpegna. Near the coast there were many types of seafood; inland, pork and wild boar; and almost everywhere, truffles, the highly aromatic fungus that has excited gourmets for centuries.
A testament to the lack of publicity the region receives, a small town, Acqualagna, is responsible for two-thirds of the production of truffles in Italy, dwarfing that of Alba in the northwest, which is famous for them. Uniquely, Acqaulagna offers truffles year-round. Our various hosts, eager to impress, plied us with dish after dish featuring the black truffles that were in season. These added an enjoyable earthiness, and richness, to most preparations: pastas, crostini, potatoes, rabbit, shrimp, fish, etc.
Complementing the foods, the wines were generally good, and plentifully poured. The whites here are generally much better than the reds. Our two experts were both surprised and impressed with Verdicchio, a white, in several of its styles.
Though Italy boasts numerous destinations for the tourist, lightly visited Marche is a gem that deserves consideration. It’s likely someplace that even your well-traveled friends have not been.
