TYPICAL DISHES
Nice path... but when do you eat?
Don't worry, the wonders of Vitorchiano don't end with the adventure inside its ring, but continue with the tasty dishes typical of this area. After all, who would be satisfied on an empty stomach?
Here is a brief guide to the most famous delicacies, what are you waiting to try them?
VITORCHIANO'S CAVATELLI
The cavatelli of Vitorchiano are born from the expert hands of the masseuses of the homonymous commune, who made this format of pasta so important and characteristic to make it one of the typical products of the tradition of Lazio. In fact, in 2017, the cavatelli were included in the official list of the MIPAAF (Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies) as a PAT (Traditional Food Products) product of the same region.
To prepare this pasta it is enough to mix water and flour, then work the mixture with the palm of your hand, until you get a kind of long spaghetti (you notice a similarity with the Umbrian-Tuscan pici or with lombrichi from Lazio).
The Cavatelli from Vitorchiano have such a reputation that every year, in the month of August, the Pro Loco of Vitorchiano organizes the Sagra del Cavatello, and on this occasion are presented huge tables in honor of this typical product that will make you live the medieval era!
Try them again and send us your recipes!
ST. MICHAEL'S DOUGHNUTS
The birth of this typical product of Vitorchiano is not due to the intervention of a saint, but to the intuition of a parish priest from San Michele in Puglia. The priest, once transferred to Vitorchiano, decided to teach his parishioners how to make the "tarallucci" typical of his country of origin, whose peculiarity was the presence of wild fennel. If this ingredient was extremely easy to find in the south, it was different for the village of Vitorchiano and it was decided to replace it with the anise seeds, giving the new product its own peculiarity, which will make it the successful product it is today.
The local committee is working to obtain the recognition of this specialty of the PAT denomination, as it has already happened for the “cavatelli”.
The doughnuts are not very easy to reproduce independently, as they require a laborious preparation and a double cooking (first boiled, then passed in the oven) that only expert hands are able to carry out successfully.
Luckily you can come and taste them in the town that witnessed their creation, maybe accompanying them with some excellent local sweet wine!
TRAPPIST
JAM
If you’re wondering, no: we’re not talking about jams that are part of the latest generation of singers, but about high quality jams that are produced inside the Trappiste Monastery in Vitorchiano.
For about 40 years the Trappist nuns have dedicated themselves to the creation of these sweet delicacies, through the use of a very high percentage of fresh fruit and the only addition of sugar, without additives such as pectin.
The good news? The production includes around 30 different types of jam, from pears, to "autumn fruits" (plums, pears and cotogne apples), to more particular flavours such as red currants, and finally to the timeless cream of browns.
Moreover, their production does not end here, but you can also find wines, beers, liquors, and even herbal products.
If you come to Vitorchiano, you can't miss these gourmets!
TOZZETTI
FROM VITERBO
When it comes to Tuscia, can we not name the infamous hazelnuts?
There are three types: the nocchione, the Giffoni round and the Roman gentile round.
The most widespread is certainly the latter, which represents about 90% of the production in turn used mainly in the confectionery market.
If hazelnuts are famous, so are the so-called "Tozzetti Viterbesi": dried biscuits with irregular cut, embellished with local hazelnuts.
Perfect as the final course of a meal, perhaps accompanied by a sweet wine, the Tozzetti always turn out to be a fantastic idea.
So easy to prepare that you can also do it independently and bring a little flavors of the Tuscia between the home walls!
Don't be afraid to dare and customize your Tozzetti: hazelnuts, almonds, chocolate... Whichever way you decide to prepare this typical Viterbese dessert, the quality will be guaranteed!
