In Umbria the fair season opens with the “Festa della ciliegia” or cherry festival in May and closes in September with the “Rassegna delle sagre” or review of the fairs. During the summer, you can take your pick of typical country fairs: from the ‘sagra dell’arvoltolo’ (a kind of deep-fried flatbread) to those of the ‘umbricelli’ (pasta) and gnocchi. In the first half of August at Sant’Egidio, a small village close to the airport, the ‘Sagra della Torta al Testo’, a typical product of Umbria, is held. Between 5 – 14 August 2016, if you are in Umbria in the province of Perugia, you can taste the Signora Torta al Testo, still prepared as it used to be, that is, cooked under cinders. The reason for this festival is just that, to preserve the traditional way of cooking this torta, placing it on the typical cast iron tray (testo) made red hot in the fire and covering it with cinders to make it crunchy and unique.
Torta al testo is a kind of focaccia made from a mixture of flour, water, baking soda and salt to be eaten with Umbrian delicatessen meats and cheeses or stuffed with sausage and cooked greens; it can be eaten instead of bread.
Ingredients for a perfect Umbrian torta:
- 1Kg flour
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- Water as required
Buon appetito!!!!!