Easter, a moment of traditions. Regional cuisine, a blend of creativity and simplicity. In the vast tricolor geographical mosaic of typical dishes, our "journey" takes us to beautiful and rich tables set around which the families of the Marches gather. Among savory and sweet dishes, for special occasions.
Not just hard-boiled eggs, a symbol of Easter, cold cuts aged right after Christmas, and sweets that lean towards the classic dove cake and chocolate eggs. However, there is one preparation that stands out for its tradition. It is the cheese pizza with its countless identities: Easter pizza, paschal crescia, cheese crescia. And much more.
In the Pesaro area, it is called "crescia" and seems to refer to the "growth" of the dough determined by the rising that occurs once it is baked. Its origin is lost in history.
To even invoke the Middle Ages, particularly in central Italy, in the Marche region, but also in Umbria, where it is very well known and is truly an institution handed down from generation to generation. Indeed, it is believed that the first recipe was developed in the medieval age by the nuns of the Santa Maria Maddalena monastery in Serra de' Conti, in the Ancona area.
Now widespread everywhere, at its base is a kind of annual "domestic ritual" in which the housewives gather to prepare it in special molds with a tapered shape. It normally takes the form of a panettone and has an inviting warm and crispy color on the outside.
Rich in eggs, flour, yeast, Parmigiano cheese, pecorino, caciotta, and diced Emmental, salt and pepper, in spring it is gladly substituted for the bread that normally accompanies cured meats.
The oldest tradition is found in Fratte Rosa, a village in the hinterland of Pesaro, where it is preferred to be cooked in the traditional "terracotta pot" whose slow cooking preserves the fragrance of the aromas, enhancing the flavors and scents that blend together, with an irresistible taste.
The tradition of sharing the baking of the “crescia” in the village oven still persists today, as was done in times not long ago. Finally, there is not a house, tavern, or local restaurant that does not serve it with the sought-after wines of the area, thus accompanying the long Easter gastronomic rite.
