Appointment in Umbria a San Terenziano of Gualdo Cattaneo to celebrate one of the tastiest protagonists of Italian street food, The porchetta. Come back indeed from 19 to 21 May Porchettiamo, the pork festival of Italy which will offer the best Italian productions: it will be possible to get to know and taste the different porchettas of Italy, through the continuities and differences in the ingredients and production, increasingly selected in terms of quality, craftsmanship and authenticity of the product.
Historically, porchetta was cooked in winter and eaten for a festive banquet at the beginning of summer. There the date of the event is therefore always chosen precisely to underline a relationship still alive between a product so representative of the territory and the popular traditions that identify and animate it. In fact, May has always been considered the month of the pig, and takes its name from the Roman divinity Maia, goddess of fertility and the awakening of nature, and from "sus maialis", the pig that was sacrificed in her honor.
Three days of festival and a gastronomic itinerary from the "cru" of Umbrian porchetta to those of the regions of central and southern Italy
The formula of "Porchettiamo" is the consolidated one, with three days of festival and a gastronomic journey from the "cru" of Umbrian porchetta to those of the regions of central and southern Italy, with the surprise of new guest territories. Therefore, one of the tastiest, oldest and most popular foods of the Italian gastronomic tradition always remains in the spotlight: the porchetta. The gluten-free porchetta sandwich is also confirmed and "In Punta di Porchetta" is back, the stand where the chefs' gourmet sandwiches will be prepared.
Space also ai twinnings, with the now consolidated local one with the Cicotto di Grutti (Umbrian Slow Food Presidium), and the international one. Also in 2023 there will be a guest nation, for an international twinning.
In the field of pairings there will still be the best Italian craft beersand non, selected by Fermento Birra in the Craft Brewery, in addition to local wines. Without forgetting, however, the other quality street food and the "Porchettiamo&Friends" section. Among the "friends of Porchettiamo" there will be, as usual, a select list of special products, from Umbria and beyond. And there will be no shortage of news, with a section dedicated to food trucks.
Porchetta is a typical dish of central Italy and a few northern regions. It consists of a whole pig, emptied, boned and seasoned, ideal for snacks in the cellar, typical of the wine production areas. His consumption is traditionally associated with itinerant vendors who go where a significant influx of people is expected (country festivals, fairs, markets, festivals, etc.). The method of preparation can also be applied to other meats (lamb, rabbit, porcupine) or fish (carp), from which, for example, the "porchettato rabbit" or "porchetta rabbit".
The birth of the recipe disputed between the inhabitants of Ariccia, in Lazio, and those of Norcia in Umbria
The place of elaboration of the porchetta recipe is still uncertain today. The inhabitants of Ariccia, in Lazio, claim the paternity of the original recipe. In Umbria it is claimed that she was born in Norcia, famous since Roman times for raising pigs (hence the noun "butcher"). In Upper Lazio it can be traced back to Etruscan times. The tradition of the Campli porchetta in the province of Teramo is very ancient, where evidence has been found in the nearby Piceno necropolis of Campovalano.
In Abruzzo in Campli the municipal statutes of 1575, renewed by Margherita of Austria, already contained numerous indications on the use, sale and cooking of porchetta. Similar claims of primogeniture can be found in places in the Marche region. Porchetta is also widespread in Romagna and in the Ferrara area. There are many sources that porchetta actually originates in the municipality of Poggio Bustone, in the province of Rieti.
Even on the condiment Italy is divided: fennel for Umbria, Marche and Romagna, rosemary for Tuscany and the Castelli Romani
There are two basic types of seasoning and therefore of taste, dictated by tradition. In Tuscia, Umbria, Marche and Romagna it is flavored with wild fennel, which gives it an absolutely unmistakable aroma and taste. Typical of this tradition are the porchetta that is prepared in Costano, in Umbria, in Cellere (F.lli Forati), Soriano nel Cimino, Bagnaia, Vignanello, Vallerano and Sutri (Tuscia in the Viterbo area).
In southern Tuscany, in the Castelli Romani in the south, in Sabina and in other areas of central Italy, it is instead flavored with rosemary (ramerino in Tuscan). Typical are those in Lazio of Selci (PAT) and that of Ariccia (IGP): "the pig with a forest of rosemary in de la panza", as Carlo Emilio Gadda wrote in Quer pasticciaccio ugly de via Merulana. Just as in the Castelli Romani area and in particular in the villages of Ariccia, Cecchina and Marino there are characteristic places, called "fraschette", where you can taste porchetta and local wine. In addition to the traditional kiosks where Genzano bread and Ariccia porchetta dominate with their fragrances.
A curiosity: in the twentieth century the porchetta also landed in Veneto, spreading to Treviso and Padua, becoming a familiarly local product for Veneto consumers.
Other curiosity: in a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci a porchetta similar to today's was found, complete with signs of binding.
