My favourite food in Assisi
There is the peace that surpasses understanding and then there is the peace of carbohydrates. Italian food is unsurpassed and the pinnacle is rustic Umbrian cuisine. It is the icing on the cake of any visit to Assisi.
Food is an important part of my pilgrimage experience. I find that eating traditional cuisine builds a sense of connection with a place as well as a lineage with the saint who is honoured there.
But things get tricky when the saint was a beggar with a penchant for marzipan biscuits, and one is irresistibly drawn to all types of deliciousness. I try to balance the sacred and profane by eating a very simple breakfast and only one other meal and taking photos of the food in shop windows. And if I am swayed by something sweet I remember that even Francesco liked his biscuits.
Franciscan spirituality asks us to receive with gratitude, humility and attention. He found God in poverty, nature, the elements and the ordinary details of daily life, while his joy was never entirely separate from simplicity and restraint. In Assisi, food becomes part of that way of seeing: bread, beans, vegetables, truffles olive oil and wine are not merely fuel or indulgence, but gifts of the earth and shared in community. To eat local food attentively is therefore to participate, however briefly, in the Franciscan vision of kinship — with the land, with the people who cultivate it, and with the saint whose presence continues to animate these hills.
Every meal I have eaten in Assisi has been delicious. From the humble breakfast in the convent where I start my day, to the cafe selling the traditional red fruit pastry called “rocciata” that chases my morning coffee, and the restaurants serving minestra, insalata, pasta and dolce, every mouthful has been praiseworthy.
There are hundreds of places to eat in Assisi – in the hill town and in the valley – and one can’t go wrong – be brave and don’t trust the tourist apps.
Umbrian cuisine is simple and hearty. I try to eat what is in season and ask for local specialities. If I could only choose one meal to eat in Assisi, it would be bean soup from Ristorante San Francesco. This steaming dish brings together fresh local produce – beans and lentils, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, aubergines and mushrooms – with olive oil and superb bread. I have eaten here a dozen times and the food is always superb.
When I reviewed all my Assisi photos, I had almost as many food shots as images of St Francis. Assisi reminds me that sacred travel is not only about where we pray, but also about how attentively we inhabit a place—its streets, its people, and its food. I hope these pictures give you a nudge to visit Assisi on a sacred journey. If you think I can help you with that, please reach out or visit 8 Pilgrims.
Namaste.
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© Paul McCarthy & Iluminar.au
