The cuisine is definitely one of Umbria's excellences.
The simple country ingredients, skilfully elaborated by the women of the past (and not only), have given rise to traditional dishes that still delight the palates today.

Among the typical regional dishes of Umbria there is the inevitable torta al testo or crescia as it is called in Gubbio. The cake, originally prepared to replace bread, which required longer processing times, is a tasty cake made with water, flour and salt, baked using the "testo" (from the Latin testum) a top made of refractory stone or cast iron that is set on fire on the embers.

In the upper Tiber valley a similar cake is called ciacca, the recipe involves the addition of an egg.

If we talk about Torta al Testo we cannot but mention "la Maria" of Magione (Montebuono). In 1969 with a small kiosk, Maria and Faliero began the activity until they became one of the most famous in Umbria. A tradition that began with the grandmother Pompilia who kneaded the cake by hand every day baking it on the text and who handed down this art to Mary.

Lunches, snacks and snacks d'la Maria to eat "the best cake there is" has become, over the years, a regular appointment for Perugini, Umbrian and all those who go to Lake Trasimeno.

Do you want to taste Maria's cake? See our proposals for Lake Trasimeno

How Do You Eat Torta al Testo?

Cooking on the grill gives a golden, crispy edge and a soft interior.
The cake, about one cm thick, is cut into slices, split in half and stuffed in a thousand ways!

In the oldest tradition, the cake is accompanied with grass and sausages, peasant ingredients that, combined together, give an incredible taste.

You can stuff it with Umbrian pecorino cheese combined with Norcia ham for a decidedly richer taste, with soft cheese and field herbs, with ciauscolo (the typical spreadable cheese) and salted Valnerina ricotta cheese, with a tasty pork, with grilled vegetables and bacon ... in short, who has more!
A cake like this is easy to eat!