Lazio: all roads lead to Rome

 Lazio has a lot of landscape in a limited surface area: a long, sandy coastline, dotted with outcrops of rocks and cliffs crowned with ancient seafaring communities; inland a plain traditionally bountiful in vegetables and fruit rising into volcanic hills ideal for olives and vines; and lastly the Apennine mountains themselves, over 2000 metres high at Terminillo and the Monti della Laga.

With this sort of countryside on their doorstep it is easy to imagine what automatically goes on the menu in Rome. From the market gardens of the city’s hinterland and Tuscia in the north come artichokes, broccoli and a host of other vegetables. From the Alban Hills come whole spit roast “Porchetta di Ariccia”, Genzano loaves and Nemi’s famed strawberries. From south in Ciociaria come the fresh buffalo milk mozzarella cheeses that abound in neighbouring Campania. From the Tyrrhenian sea, and from the lakes and rivers, fish to stew and roast, from the mountains lamb and beef, salamis and Pecorino cheeses, mushrooms and truffles.

Excellent olive oil comes from the Sabine hills and the Viterbo region; from Gaeta, top quality table olives. From the white grapes traditional Frascati wine made in the Alban Hills of the Castelli Romani and the legendary Est! Est!! Est!!! from Montefiascone, both of which have long graced the tables of princes and popes.