Porchetta di Ariccia al Finocchietto Selvatico
Lazio — Ariccia, Castelli Romani hills near Rome
The definitive Roman Castelli Romani porchetta: a whole deboned pig (or pork belly) seasoned internally and externally with wild fennel (finocchietto selvatico), garlic, rosemary, black pepper, and salt, then rolled tightly and roasted in a wood-fired oven until the skin is crackling-crisp. Ariccia's porchetta holds IGP status and is sold from dedicated porchetta vans (porchettari) throughout the Castelli Romani. The wild fennel is non-negotiable — cultivated fennel seed has a different, sweeter character that lacks the pungency of the wild herb.