Farro, barley, millet, chickpea, chickling, lentils and beans are among the most important crops grown in the Trasimeno area. They can be purchased directly from the farmers.

Popular ingredients in local cuisine, they are served as accompaniments to fish and meat dishes, but they are also ideal to make creamy soups and are essential elements in a healthy and well-balanced diet.

Are you a hand-made pasta enthusiast?

Here is your chance to use flour made with locally grown products and, why not, try your hand at making Torta al Testo in your own kitchen! Even using a farro flour!

Fagiolina del Trasimeno

The fagiolina is a very tasty small lentil-like pulse that is full of protein and easy to digest. It has an almost sweet flavour and is very tender when cooked. It is used by many gourmet chefs in the preparation of both traditional and innovative dishes. You will find it served on toasted bread as a bruschetta, in soups and even as an accompaniment to fresh pasta dishes.

It is sweet and has a tender consistency, ideal for hot and cold starters. It is also delicious cooked and served on its own seasoned with a drizzle of fine olive oil, some salt and pepper to taste. It is very easy to cook and does not need to be soaked in water over night.

Characteristics

This legume belongs to the species more commonly known as fagiolo dall’occhio (bean with eye). Its colour range goes from white to creamy beige to dark brown. This characteristic underscores its importance in terms of biodiversity: different colours that grace a crop that has remained unaltered since ancient times.

The fagiolina del Trasimeno is one of the few autochthonous European legumes that can still be enjoyed today. The Consortium of the Fagiolina del Trasimeno was founded to safeguard and promote the continued cultivation of this crop around the lake today.  Since 2002 it strives to ensure the cultivation and harvesting of the crop in keeping with strict production regulations, and to promote its sales.

There is even a beer made using mainly Umbrian raw materials, with recipes that include the use of the fagiolina.

Acclaims

The remarkable nature of this crop has been recognised by the Slow Food movement, an association that promotes the culture of fine food, encourages biodiversity and agricultural sustainability. Since the year 2000 the fagiolina was recognized as a item worthy of being safeguarded and promoted.

Production

Production cycle:

• Sown in springtime
• Selectively handpicked every 3 to 4 days from July through October
• Drying
• Husks beaten with pitchforks and sticks to release the bean
• Removal of impurities
• Packaging

We are still able to enjoy this delightful flavour today thanks to the efforts of a handful of farmers who, after it had been completely neglected from the post-war era to the 1980s, brought the cultivation of this crop up to full speed once again. The gradual, sequential hand picking technique, which underscores the importance of manpower in the harvesting of the crop, had actually almost brought it to the brink of extinction as other crops that could be mechanically harvested prevailed.