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DEPARTMENT HEADER legs are salted twice and air-dried for fourteen months. East of Urbino are the lovely beach towns of Pesaro and Fano. Pesaro is larger and more upscale, but Fano is the busy commercial seaside center. At four a.m. every morning the fresh seafood auction takes place as boats that have been fishing all night deliver their shimmering catch which rolls into the market in plastic bins. It is bid for electronically by buyers seated in an amphitheater grandstand. At around 8 a.m., when the market is over and all the fish is sold, participants repair to local bars for a moretta di Fano—espresso spiked with a brandy- and-sambuca mixture. South of Urbino is the small town of Acqualagna, the epicenter of the Italian truffle industry. Fully two-thirds of all Italian truffles are produced here. Acqualagna is the top market in the world for truffles, with more than six tons of the precious tuber sold each year. The town is surrounded by oak groves, and it is not uncommon to see dogs digging furiously around the tree trunks to unearth the pungent fungi. Rustic Regional Cuisine As in the rest of Italy, regional cuisine is a source of great pride in the Marche. Of course, seafood is an important component of the local cooking but hearty, rustic dishes are also plenti- ful. I was impressed by the stunning roasted rabbit with garlic, wild fennel Above: Prosciutto drying in Carpegna. Right: The famed truffles of Acqualagna. Urbino is a stunning Renaissance city located inland and elevated above the plains. The birthplace of Raphael, it is dominated by a splendid, turreted Palazzo Ducale perched at the highest point in the city. The palace houses the region’s National Gallery featuring works by Tiziano, Piero della Francesca and Raphael. Truffles and More Farther west, almost to the Umbrian border, the town of Carpegna pro- duces an exquisite prosciutto (sweeter, spicier and, dare I say, more flavorful than the hams of Parma). A visit to the plant where the prosciutto is made is a unique experience. The whole 88 / the tasting panel / august 201 1 PHOTO: ANTHONY DIAS BLUE