Spoleto and Norcia area, Umbria
A two-grain soup unique to the Umbrian hills: emmer farro (Triticum dicoccum, the ancient grain still grown on the hills above Spoleto) and cicerchie (grass peas) simmered together in a pork rind and vegetable broth until both are fully tender and the starch thickens the soup naturally. Finished with olive oil, black truffle shaved over the top in autumn (not spring — wait for the Norcia truffle season), and aged pecorino di Norcia crumbled at the table.
Ancient emmer farro and grass peas in pork broth, elevated in autumn by a few shavings of Norcia black truffle — the intersection of Umbria's prehistoric grain culture and its most modern luxury
{"Farro pearled (perlato) or semi-pearled — whole farro requires 3-hour soaking and is less common now","Cicerchie soaked 48 hours, changing water twice; see the toxicity note in earlier entry","Cook in separate pots (farro: 45 min; cicerchie: 1.5–2 hours) and combine at the end","Pork rind simmered in the broth throughout; removed and chopped fine, returned to the soup","Black truffle grated only over the finished, plated soup — heat kills the truffle character"}
{"Norcia black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) is the winter truffle; the summer truffle (Tuber aestivum) lacks the depth","The soup improves for 3 days — the farro and cicerchie continue absorbing the broth and the flavours deepen","Drizzle of raw Umbrian olive oil (DOP Umbria) at the table is not optional — it provides the fat that balances the starch"}
{"Pre-cooked farro (the instant type) — it dissolves into mush rather than contributing body","Insufficient soaking of cicerchie — under-prepared grass peas are both tough and potentially toxic","Truffle added to the hot pot — the heat destroys its volatile character"}
La Cucina Umbra — Fernanda Gosetti