Food and Drink excellencies | Marca Fermana - Food & Wine

Among the most famous “primi piatti” (= first course dishes), are most certainly the maccheroncini from Campofilone and the Vincisgrassi, a sort of lasagna of uncertain origins: some say created in the 18th century in honor of the Austrian General Windisch Graetz, others say their invention is attributed to Antonio Nebbia’s treaty of “princsgrass”.

Let’s not forget the coast and the famous “brodetto” (= broth / soup): no universal recipe but a different twist at every bell-tower.  A dish of different types of fish usually with tomatoes. At most of the fish restaurants we find a vast variety of “antipasti” and for the “secondi” (= main courses) grilled and fried fish and oven baked frog-fish.

Also in the Fermano area we can taste excellent olives “all’ascolana”, stuffed and fried, often served with “cremini”: confectioner’s cream, squared into cubes then breaded and fried.

Among the various olive oil produce, worthy of mention is the ‘piantone’ of Falerone. We recommend local wines; among the most famous are the Bianco Falerio from the Ascoli hillsides and the Rosso Piceno, we suggest also to taste the wine of the native grape variety like the Passerina and Pecorino.

The proverb remains: “Every festivity throughout the year has its own ‘dolce’ (sweet). During Christmas time are prepared the “frustingo” or pristingolo and the Serpe; Cicerchiata, frittelle and sfrappe during the Carnival. 

Sweet pizzas and cheese pizzas and the ciambella are dedicated to the Easter festivities. In autumn the various biscuits and ciambelloni are united with chestnuts and vino cotto.