Storia e curiosità

Situated in the heart of the old town of Norcia is the restaurant Granaro del Monte, started in 1850. The restaurant was founded on the premises of a pawnbroker’s shop and consists of old rooms with vaulted ceilings, leather chairs, tapestries and a fifteenth century door which is still immaculate. The Granaro del Monte is the oldest restaurant in Umbria.

I nostri piatti per il Menù della Sibilla

Sweet mousse made of mountain honey and chocolate.
This historical dessert from the Restaurant Granaro Monte is made from mountain honey and farro from the Monti Sibillini National Park, with chocolate produced in the traditional way from Norcia.

Cosa c'è nel piatto

The products used...  

Honey, farro and chocolate

...And their producers  

Honey from Il Massaro a Norcia Farro from Agrisviluppo Todianoa Norcia Chocolate from “Cioccolateria Vetusta Nursia” a Norcia

Place of production  

The honey used for this dessert is produced by Silvano Agabiti "the Massaro" who, with his care and patience, is able to approach the bees so that they are docile and not aggressive. This factor is essential to obtain high quality honey. Farro that garnishes the dessert is produced by a local company that has maintained the same traditional methods since the year 900. The chocolate is produced in the traditional way, made in Norcia, using a high quality cocoa and milk from the shepherds of Norcia (therefore 0 kilometre).

Production Method  

Farro is a grain that adapts well to poor, rocky soil in uplands and is resistant to harsh winters as well as conditions of dryness or humidity. Hence, it is generally grown in marginal areas and in small plots like those within the Monti Sibillini. Organic farming represents an added value to both the product and the environment. Each step of the process in organic production is designed to maintain and increase the diversity of plants and animals, whose presence helps to maintain a balanced agro-ecosystem. These cultivation methods create good soil fertility, obtained with the help of the presence of microorganisms instead of chemical fertilizers. Simultaneously this manner of cultivation guarantees protection of the hedges and rows of trees near the fields. This practice is a factor of great ecological importance because these buffer zones provide shelter and food for a wide range of living organisms, as well as being a typical element of the rural landscape. Even bees raised for honey production have a key role in biodiversity by assisting the natural process of pollination of many plant species. The presence of bees, is greatly increased where there is a limited use of pesticides in agriculture, and is also an indicator of environmental health.

These products help biodiversity

Farro is a grain that adapts well to poor, rocky soil in uplands and is resistant to harsh winters as well as conditions of dryness or humidity. Hence, it is generally grown in marginal areas and in small plots like those within the Monti Sibillini. Organic farming represents an added value to both the product and the environment. Each step of the process in organic production is designed to maintain and increase the diversity of plants and animals, whose presence helps to maintain a balanced agro-ecosystem. These cultivation methods create good soil fertility, obtained with the help of the presence of microorganisms instead of chemical fertilizers. Simultaneously this manner of cultivation guarantees protection of the hedges and rows of trees near the fields. This practice is a factor of great ecological importance because these buffer zones provide shelter and food for a wide range of living organisms, as well as being a typical element of the rural landscape. Even bees raised for honey production have a key role in biodiversity by assisting the natural process of pollination of many plant species. The presence of bees, is greatly increased where there is a limited use of pesticides in agriculture, and is also an indicator of environmental health.