As many people know, eating lentils on New Year’s Eve is supposed to bring good luck during the year. While any lentils will do, the most famous lentils in Italy are those made in certain areas of the provinces of Umbria and Le Marche in Central Italy known as Lenticchia di Castelluccio di Norcia IGP. Lentils have been recognized with the IGP designation. IGP stands for Indicazione Geografica Protetta.
These lentils are made wholly within the National Park called Monte Sibillini which encompasses parts of the provinces of Fermo, Macerata and Ascoli Piceno in Le Marche and Perugia in Umbria. These lentils can be preserved for a considerable amount of time if conserved correctly in fresh and dry areas. Lentils are not only good luck but are also a very good source of protein.
These lentils have a delicate flavor and have a thin skin. They can therefore be cooked much more easily than many other legumes which need to soak in water for a time before they can be cooked. Lentils are usually harvested during the summer months after a seven to eight month growing season.
December 30, 2009 at 7:19 am |
Yes. We are from Umbria, we love Lenticchie and we are going to eat them for the new year’s eve. The one from Castelluccio is really special and absoulutely lovely, we have been there for the Threshing Process of the Lentil and we tasted them, they were fantastic with a bit of great olive oil and a toasted slice of bread! Gnam. If you are interested we wrote 3 posts about the lentils and about Castelluccio with its particular writings on the houses of the town, find here: http://umbrialoversblog.blogspot.com/search/label/castelluccio
Thanks to have written about!
December 30, 2009 at 2:12 pm |
Thanks for writing and for the great information about the lentils. Looking forward to reading your posts. Buon anno!