Taste

Mountains over Leonessa Highlands are perfect for gentians.

The gentians are a group of herbaceous plants of about 1 meter high with flowers ranging from blue to yellow and are widespread in the Alpine area and the Apennines.

From the root, there is a common liqueur of Leonessa drunk as a digestive at the end of the day.

In concentrated solutions gentians are found in many pharmaceutical preparations to stimulate intestinal function and cure fever.

The highland pastures of Leonessa are ideal for cattle breeding, and especially for pigs.

Pigs are fed with ‘fruits of the earth’ (such as apples and nuts) and they are transformed into meat and salamis of high quality pork.

Sausages and salami are available directly from producers such as Agabiti, which is a true point of reference where modern technology combines with the ancient traditions of Leonessa

Lentil is a very tasty legume of the Leonessan plateau at 900 metres above sea.

This highlands are ideal for cultivating lentils, which is sown in the autumn between the end of October and the beginning of November.

The Leonessan lentil has a reddish brown colour and the seed has a medium to small size.

It is very tasty and does not get overdone during cooking so there is no separation between peel and pulp.

This legume is rich in protein, vitamins and iron and is low in fat, and is an important food for a healthy and balanced diet.

Organic farming is particularly valued in this area.

Emmer is Hulled (or spelled) wheat is the oldest type of wheat and was cultivated 8000 years ago in the Mediterranean area.

The term flour is derived from its name (farro).

Because of its high protein content the Romans used it to feed the legionnaires and polenta of hulled wheat (puls) was widespread in Rome.

Still today in Leonessa it is consumed with lentils and sausage sauce (lu sfarratu).

In Leonessa, in the plateau area, wheat is grown widely with organic methods and is an ingredient in soups and salads and the flour is used for pasta and bread.

The first producer of organic hulled wheat was Sanitas srl and today it is marketed by Agrisana.

Black truffe

The area of Leonessa is renowned for the quality of its black truffles and Leonessa is one of the Truffle Cities.

The search for truffles also invites many enthusiasts to search in winter under the snow with specially trained dogs.

The truffle is prepared with hulled wheat soup, sprinkled over polenta or seasoned for the famous gnocchi made with Leonessa potato.

The potato represents the leading product of the agricultural land of Leonessa.

Both the yellow and the red pulp variety are considered among the most precious of the entire Italian Pensinsula.

The Petate Leonessana (local term for Potatoes from Leonessa) is a delight in the kitchen that lends itself to many different preparations.

Between these undoubtedly the ‘boiled and refried’ stands out, based on an ancient recipe.

Potatoes are sauteed in a pan with onion and bacon, a temptation for gluttony, a taste which is able to satisfy the most demanding palates and at the same time please lovers of strong and lasting flavours.

Boil the potatoes, cut them into strips and fry them in the frying pan with bacon.

Add oil and salt according to your taste and remove from fire when the potatoes are well golden and then blend with the other ingredients.

The ‘boiled and refried’ potato is one of the main recipes offered during the course of the Petate Leonessana Festival (Sagra della Petata Leonessana).

The potatoes of the Leonessa plateau are particularly precious and tasty.

In the 1930s, the most widespread potato variety was the ‘Berlin round’ but now we use the ‘Desiree’ with red peel and yellow paste, the ‘Agria’ with white peel and yellow paste and the ‘Marfona’ with smooth white peel and yellow pasta.

Potato is mainly used for the preparation of gnocchi (dumplings) and sweet potato donuts (ciambelline).

For french fries, the red variety is used as the very large red peel makes it crisp and golden after cooking.

The second Sunday of October is celebrated with the potato festival (Sagra della Petata Leonessana), an event created by professor Ivo Pulcini in 14.10.90.