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Flavors of Italia > Cuisine of Lazio
The cuisine of Lazio is made up of strong and intense flavors, as well as simple and genuine dishes. Discovering this food is a delight for the palate: there are 'first dishes' like gnocchi, spaghetti all'Amatriciana, enhanced by the taste of lard and pecorino cheese, spaghetti Carbonara, with eggs, pecorino and bacon, and rigatoni alla pajata, just to mention a few of them. Then, there are main courses like spring lamb with vegetables, Trastevere tripe, oxtail stew (Vaccinara style) and saltimbocca alla romana, the most typical local dish that can be tasted in one of the many restaurants of the region.
Making up the pride of Lazio are Roman artichokes, that can be tasted at several different sagre or dedicated fairs; porchetta (delicious roasted pork), particularly that of the Roman Castles; the black olives of Gaeta; the olive-oil of Sabina and the chestnuts of the Cimini Mountains.
In Lazio, several quality wines accompany the tasty traditional dishes. Some of these wines are Aprilia, Aleatico di Gradoli, the wines of the Castelli Romani and of the Albani Hills, and the Montefiascone Est!Est!!Est!!!, which is named after a very old story. The story goes that an abbot, during his travels, gave a servant the task of marking all the inns with the best wines by writing the word “Est” on the walls of the buildings. At the inns of Montefiascone, the servant, impressed by the wine, wrote Est ,Est, Est, (three times) to highlight the excellent quality of the drink.
The gardeners of Latium who produce the most delicious peas, zucchini and beans, specialize in artichokes tender enough to be eaten raw, or fried in the style of the Roman Jewish ghetto, where they're known as "carciofi alla giudia." The local variety of arugula makes fantastic salads, as does "puntarelle," a cousin of endive, which is seasoned with garlic and anchovy.
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