Eating as the Romans do
Food traditions in Latium are incredibly strong. Romans adore eating and have loved to do so ever since the days of the ancient Roman banquet. Eating out is a raucous adventure, a beloved social event. But strangely, in the realm of dining, Rome is not the leading force. Instead, many of the region's favorite foods were invented by shepherds and peasants. Sharp, salty Pecorino Romano cheese is one such example. A practical way to preserve fresh sheep's milk, it ended up an indispensable ingredient in Roman cooking. Meat-heavy eating patterns don't usually find a place in poor, peasant cuisines, but they hold a special place in Latium. Years ago, Roman meat consumption had two registers: The rich ate prime cuts of meat, while the poor cooked up everything else that emerged from the city's slaughterhouses. A branch of cooking emerged called frattaglie in romano (Roman-style entrails), still very much alive today. Some of the favorites include trippa alla romana (tripe in tomato sauce with mint) and pajata, the intestine of a baby milk-fed lamb, usually sautéed in tomato sauce and tossed with rigatoni. Pork holds a special status in Latium, as various pork fats play central roles in dishes from spaghetti alla carbonara (unthinkable without little cubes of salty pancetta) to bucatini all'amatriciana, tubular pasta in a tomato sauce flavored with fatty, flavorful pieces of guanciale, or cured pork's cheek. And then there is porchetta, a whole roasted pig stuffed with garlic, rosemary and other herbs. Porchetta is well-known throughout Central Italy, but in Latium it finds its most ardent fans. The town of Ariccia in the Castelli Romani is honored as the dish's original home. Ariccia is riddled with fraschette, casual trattorias situated in cool, cavelike cellars with scarred wooden tables and long, communal benches. The name refers to the frasche, or plant fronds, which were traditionally hung outside roadside taverns in years past. At a typical fraschetta, servers bring out cold slices of porchetta along with small balls of fresh buffalo mozzarella, marinated mushrooms, grilled pork sausages, olives and coppiette (spicy jerky) made of pork or horsemeat. Crusty pane casareccio, or rustic bread, is an important element of these feasts, as well as liter flasks of anonymous local wines.

Latium has its share of specialty vegetables unique to the region. Roman broccoli, or broccolo romanesco, has light-green, cone-shaped, spiky florets used commonly in soups and pastas. Its American counterpart is broccoflower, a hybrid between broccoli and cauliflower. Romans love wild greens, and there are many varieties available. People pick bitter leaves of rughetta (a type of arugula that looks like dandelion greens) on the side of the road and in overgrown, forgotten nooks of the city. One of the greatest treats of a Roman pizzeria is a handful of these greens tossed over a thin-crust pizza as soon as it comes out of the oven. Puntarelle (chicory sprouts) are an early spring specialty, served with a garlicky anchovy dressing. There is even a type of mint specific to Rome: menta romana, which lends itself to savory dishes. Other beloved vegetables (though not necessarily Latium-specific) include fava beans, chickpeas and artichokes. Summer treats include delicious slices of local watermelon sold on the street. For first courses, pasta is the rule of thumb. Many restaurants follow an age-old schedule of which dish to serve on what day. Any tradition-respecting Roman trattoria will serve potato gnocchi with tomato sauce on Thursday. Friday's menu usually includes baccalà (salt cod) or pasta e ceci (a chickpea and pasta soup), since Catholic tradition prohibits eating meat that day. After the enthusiasm swirling around the main courses, there's not much emphasis on desserts. Gelato is the exception to this rule. The region is filled with excellent gelaterias. Meals end with a quick espresso or caffè macchiato and a shot of amaro, a bitter herb liqueur, or limoncello, a sweet, thick lemon liqueur. Rome's coffee bars are known for their freshly roasted coffee beans-look for the sign torrefazione propria to be assured of an espresso that was roasted and ground right on the spot.

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