A pocket of agriculture and industry, central Friuli is characterized by low, flat plains peppered with the occasional hill town. Much of the modern landscape consists of a suburban sprawl of factories and manufacturing plants, although endless fields of corn and barley may still be seen lining the highways.
Until modern times, most Friulians were farmers. Like their neighbors to the north, the people of central Friuli subsisted on a simple diet of hearty grains and vegetables, especially those with a long shelf life like potatoes and turnips. Beans, barley, rice, and corn could easily be dried for lengthy storage. As in most of the region, polenta was a dietary staple, often eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Central Friuli boasts several notable cured meats, the most well-known being prosciutto di San Daniele. The dry climate and fresh breezes of the hill town of San Daniele del Friuli are said to make the perfect environment for salt-curing ham. Further west in the mountains of Pordenone province, a salami called pitina is traditionally made using ground mutton that is dredged in cornmeal and smoke-cured. Musetto is another cured meat found throughout central Friuli. It is made from parts of the pig that are typically discarded, such as the snout, which gives the sausage its name.
Friuli’s signature dessert, gubana, originated in the town of Cividale del Friuli and its surrounding valleys. There are two types of this spiral pastry, one made with a yeast-based dough and the other with puff pastry. Both are filled with a mixture of dried fruit, nuts, and spices.
The fertile hills and plains of central Friuli have encouraged the development of a booming wine industry. The heart of Friulian wine country is the Collio, a region of rolling hills blanketed with lush vineyards. Its most famous variety is the white wine Tocai Friulano (now called simply Friulano).
