King of Perugian products is chocolate , thanks also to the presence of the Perugina company, producer of the famous bacio chocolate. Every year in mid-October the Eurochocolate is held, an unmissable festival dedicated exclusively to chocolate that attracts thousands of visitors from all over Italy.
However, chocolate is not the only gastronomic specialty of Perugia. The traditional cuisine is full of tasty dishes that stand out for their simplicity and for the use of products from crops and farms in the area. All at 0 km ! Game is also very popular and is cooked in a simple and homemade way. Finally, the protagonist of the tables is the Norcia black trufflewhich is used to flavor first courses and appetizers. Today we want to present you 10 specialties that you absolutely must try during your stay in Perugia .
1 – Gnocchi with goose sauce
A Perugian specialty that has been handed down from generation to generation are potato gnocchi prepared by hand and seasoned with goose sauce .
The condiment based on tomato, garlic, pieces of young goose and semi-seasoned pecorino has a very delicate but tasty flavor. For those who do not like gnocchi, stringhiozzi are usually offered, another type of pasta that goes perfectly with this sauce.
- Recommended for : lunch or dinner
- Average cost : €8.00
- Main ingredients : potato gnocchi (with eggs and flour), goose, pecorino cheese, tomato
2 – Umbricelli al Rancetto
It is a type of homemade pasta similar to spaghetti (but a little thicker) widely consumed in Perugia and in certain areas of Umbria. The name umbricelli is to be attributed to the shape which, elongated and squat, recalls earthworms; in other areas of Umbria, however, they are called “strozzapreti” to commemorate the anticlerical period during the papal domination.
They are seasoned with this tomato, bacon and grated pecorino-based sauce . An ancient dish of the tasty and complete tradition.
- Recommended for : lunch and dinner
- Average cost : €8.00
- Main ingredients : umbricelli, pancetta, tomato, marjoram, garlic, onion, pecorino
3 – Stringozzi with Norcia black truffle
Also called strangozzi, they are a type of handmade pasta with an irregular shape , similar to shoelaces that are prepared only with soft wheat flour, water and salt and cooked in abundant salted water.
The typical condiment is based on melted and grated butter and abundant grated black truffle which must come strictly from Norcia.
In the past they were prepared especially at Christmas and Carnival and seasoned with a spicy tomato sauce, while today it is possible to enjoy them all year round and the tastiest version is with truffles.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €15.00
- Main ingredients : ragu, melted butter, black truffle
4 – Palombacci alla Perugina
Traditional dish are the palombacci, that is the wild pigeons that are cooked in terracotta containers.
Before being cooked, the birds are salted and peppered both inside and outside, stuffed with a filling of eggs and sausage and then wrapped in slices of ham and placed in containers.
In the past, cooking was done on a wood fire, today cooked in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €14.00
- Main ingredients : wild pigeon, ham, sausage, eggs
5 – Gobbi alla perugina
This dish, served both as a side dish and as a single dish, is based on thistles ; These vegetables are marinated in oil, lemon and parsley.
Then, inside a baking dish, layers are formed with thistles, meat sauce and Parmesan cheese, composing a sort of parmigiana where this typical vegetable of the area is put in place of aubergines.
Gobbi alla Perugina are a great classic of Christmas Eve dinner or Christmas lunch in Umbrian families.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €6.00
- Main ingredients : cardoons, meat sauce, parmesan
6 – Brustegnolo
This traditional Perugian dessert has poor origins but is very good and appreciated; once it was prepared exclusively in autumn, but today it is produced throughout the year.
Made from corn flour , an extensively grown cereal, which is processed with olive oil and water and enriched with apples, dried fruit and a drop of liqueur.
The result is a simple but very tasty cake that today is also found in the pastry shops and bakeries of the city.
- Recommended for : breakfast, dessert, snack
- Average cost : € 3.00 per slice
- Main ingredients : corn flour, apples, oil, dried fruit, liqueur
7 – Torta al Testo
Photo by Vincenzo Nicastro.
Photo by Vincenzo Nicastro. It is a very ancient , unleavened bread very common in Umbria that was born as an alternative to bread in peasant families.
The name “testo” derives from the surface on which the focaccia, a brick tile used in ancient Rome, were once cooked.
Based on water, flour, bicarbonate and salt, it is eaten alone or stuffed with ham, sausage, porchetta, capocollo, stracchino, rocket or cooked vegetables.
- Recommended for : snack, always
- Average cost : €2.00
- Main ingredients : flour, water, bicarbonate, salt
8 – Ciarmicola
Photo by WikiO & L1026. It is the typical Perugian Easter cake that knows numerous variations all similar to each other.
The base is a simple red donut (due to the presence of the Alchermes liqueur), on which a white meringue is poured, adorned with colored confetti . Originally this delicacy symbolized Perugia with its 5 districts which were represented with confetti of different colors to put on top of the meringue that represented the city.
- Recommended for : breakfast, snack
- Average cost : € 2.50 per slice
- Main ingredients : flour, eggs, sugar, liqueur, milk, butter, oil, yeast, egg whites, sugared almonds
9 – Torcolo di San Costanzo
Photo of cantalamessa. This donut, which takes its name from the first bishop of Perugia and which is prepared on January 29, for the feast day of San Costanzo, one of the patrons of the city, is a traditional dessert .
The story goes that on the feast day the rich congregations bought many cakes to distribute to the poor while today in the Monteluce district bakers and confectioners donate slices of torcolo to the citizens.
Raisins and pine nuts are added to the dough of the classic donut .
- Recommended for : snack
- Average cost : € 1.00 per slice
- Main ingredients : flour, eggs, sugar, yeast, raisins and pine nuts
10 – Impastoiata
Photo by Dario Zontini. This typical dish dates back to the Middle Ages when peasant families often consumed it, as it was a cheap and quick food to make.
It is a simple corn polenta, served with boiled beans and tomato sauce . It is a tasty and very energetic single dish.
It is often accompanied by slices of stale bread to be dipped in polenta to soften it.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner
- Average cost : €4.00
- Main ingredients : polenta, tomato, beans
11 – Chocolate
Finally, chocolate deserves a special mention. Not only “Perugina”, the historic brand born in 1907 in the city, but over the years numerous other companies, pastry shops and schools have developed, run by master chocolatiers who work and produce this “black gold”.
Of different types, chocolate is the protagonist of the tables: dark, milk, with hazelnuts, stuffed. To eat or drink hot, the important thing is that it is artisanal.
- Recommended for : always
- Average cost : from € 4.00
- Main ingredients : chocolate
Where to eat in Perugia: cheap restaurants, typical bars and street food
If you want to taste the typical cuisine in Perugia you are spoiled for choice.
In the city there are many restaurants, taverns and trattorias that serve traditional dishes, in some cases even revisited, always accompanied by excellent glasses of wine.
Depending on what you want to spend, you can choose different solutions and even street food lovers will be able to satisfy their palate. Here are the best places to eat in Perugia :
1 – Osteria a Priori
- Description : traditional dishes from Perugia at km 0. The restaurant with a romantic atmosphere is the setting for good food
- Specialties : potato gnocchi with Sagrantino, shredded with truffles, a priori platter
- Average price : from € 22.00 per person
- Address : via dei Priori, 39, Get directions; Tel 075 572 7098
2 – The Workshop of Perugia
- Description : it is a sandwich shop where you can taste typical products and cured meats
- Specialties : sandwiches with local psalms, mixed platters, cheeses
- Average price : from € 5.00 per person
- Address : piazza Francesco Morlacchi, 4, Get directions; Tel 075 573 2965
3 – Dal Mi Cocco Restaurant
- Description : this rustic restaurant offers homemade Umbrian dishes with a set menu (which changes every week)
- Specialties : first courses with truffles, game
- Average price : from € 13.00 per person
- Address : Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi, 12; Get directions; Tel 075 573 2511
4 – Osteria i Birbi
- Description : the restaurant offers homemade cuisine, managed by the wonderful Signora Armanda
- Specialties : carbonara cappelletti, taglierini with quail, dried tomatoes and pistachio, crispy duck.
- Average price : from € 18.00 per person
- Address : ia Campo di Battaglia, 12; Get directions; Tel 075 988 9041
5 – Antica Salumeria Granieri
- Description : small kiosk that has been handed down for 4 generations and is also considered by the locals to be the paradise of wood-fired pork
- Specialty : porchetta
- Average price : from € 4.00 per person
- Address : piazza Matteotti Chiosco; Get directions; Tel +39 335 547 3909
6 – Cukuc
- Description : perfect place to taste the Torta al Testo both in the classic version and in the wholemeal one with many fillings
- Specialties : Torta al testo with pork neck chop, Torta al testo with Norcia ham
- Average price : from € 4.00 per person
- Address : via Ariodante Barteri 2 \ c; Get directions; Tel 39 075 500 2437
7 – Big head
- Description : restaurant specializing in al testo cakes, typical focaccia to be filled as desired.
- House specialty : Torta al testo
- Average price per person : € 5.00 – € 20.00
- Address : Piazza Giacomo Matteotti 24; Get directions; Tel. 075 573 2492
8 – Vineria La Fraschetta
- Description : excellent wineries that offer a varied selection of wines to accompany cold cuts and local cold cuts
- Tripadvisor Statistics : 4.5 stars out of 391 reviews
- House specialty : Chianina tartare
- Average price per person : € 13.00 – € 22.00
- Address : Via Antonio Gramsci, 37; Get directions; Ponte Valleceppi – Tel. 075 592 8448
9 – The Workshop
- Description : a place that combines typical recipes and first choice international ingredients.
- Tripadvisor Statistics : 4 stars out of 442 reviews
- House specialty : bluefish sashimi
- Average price per person : € 15.00 – € 30.00
- Address : Borgo XX Giugno, 56; Get directions; Tel. 075 572 1699
10 – Caffe Morlacchi
- Description : great place for quick meals. The aperitif offered by Caffe Morlacchi is satisfying both for the palate and for the wallet.
- House specialty : polenta millefeuille
- Average price per person : € 7.00 – € 15.00
- Address : Piazza Morlacchi, 6/8; Get directions; Tel. 075 572 1760
11 – Ancient Norcineria
- Description : an almost hidden place that offers a wide selection of sandwiches filled with local products.
- House specialty : platters of local cold cuts and cheeses
- Average price per person : € 10.00
- Address : Piazza Danti, 3; Get directions; Tel. 339 859 7010
