Taste the typical delights of Le Marche

Italy is a gastronomic delight and Le Marche is no exception. Italian food varies from region to region, and in Le Marche you will find many regional specialties worth sampling. In Ascoli Piceno, the most popular snack is olive all’ascolana – fat Ascolana olives, pitted and stuffed with minced meat, and then crumbed and deep-fried. Migliori, at Piazza Arringo is the best place to grab a paper cone filled with these flavourful morsels. Another Marche delicacy is the ciauscolo – a smoked pork sausage, flavoured with fennel, garlic and vino cotto (a non-alcoholic ‘cooked wine). You may have had several lasagne, but the Marche version, called vincisgrassi is quite epic. Soft pasta sheets are interspersed with veal ragu (sauce), liver or sweetbreads, truffles and béchamel sauce. The long coastline means there’s an abundant supply of seafood, especially mussels. Another staple of the coastline is Brodetto all’Anconetana – a decadent, tomato-based soup with 13 types of fish and shellfish. Inland, rabbit and lamb are most popular, and meat grilled alla brace (on wood embers) is found all over the region. Le Marche is known for its Verdicchio grape, which yields a dry, citrusy white wine that is very refreshing. Another typical drink in the region is anisetta, an anise-based liqueur. Try it at Caffè Meletti located at the Piazza del Popolo in Ascoli Piceno.