Giuseppina Sweets

DOP Farro, ancient legumes, and saffron from Monteleone di Spoleto, the roof of Umbria.

At a thousand meters above sea level, protected by the mountains, the seeds of the Egyptians and Romans still grow as Mother Nature created them.

An inherited land, a knowledge passed down

The history of the Dolci Giuseppina farm has deep, time-honored roots. It begins with the land, inherited from our grandparents along with another even more precious asset: the method of working it, which allows us to obtain the best possible harvest from the soil while preserving its fertility. It is the story of a family that, by choice, carries on an ancient farming tradition year after year with dedication and passion, fully respecting the environment and a land that, if protected, has so much to offer. Here, we don't just grow for the market: the farro that arrives on your table is the same one the family grows for itself—the oldest and most sincere guarantee there is.
 
 

 
 

Monteleone di Spoleto: a jewel at a thousand meters

Nestled among the mountains of the Umbria-Marche Apennines like a solitary village nestled in the greenery, Monteleone di Spoleto is a jewel of just over five hundred inhabitants, approximately 1,000 meters above sea level: the highest municipality in Umbria. The surrounding mountains, made of sedimentary limestone of marine origin, give rise to harsh and poor soils—and yet this very harshness is the place's fortune. The area is particularly suited to growing spelt, which here develops unique characteristics, unlike any other variety grown elsewhere. Yields are never abundant, but what grows is a concentration of flavor: a genuine, pure product, protected by the mountains like a natural barrier isolating it from the contaminated world.
 
 
 

The spelt of the Egyptians and Romans, today DOP

Monteleone farro is Triticum dicoccum, the only DOP farro in Italy, whose seed derives from an ancient variety preserved and passed down through the centuries since the times of the Egyptians and Romans. This native species has adapted to the mountain climate and poor, rocky, and difficult-to-cultivate soil—and has remained as Mother Nature created it, without genetic modification or varietal selection that could alter or impoverish it. From sowing to harvesting to drying, each step is scrupulously carried out with procedures that essentially preserve the nutritional properties typical of a whole grain product: proteins, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and essential oils. Cooked according to traditional recipes, it becomes the protagonist of flavorful, nutritious, and healthy dishes.

Domenico and the 35 varieties: the bean ark

The company has a special guardian: Domenico, who for years has preserved ancient and unique bean varieties created through spontaneous hybridization between different species. Today, the company saves the seeds for as many as 35 varieties to preserve their biodiversity: not only the cannellini and borlotti beans produced in large quantities, but also names that seem to have come straight from a peasant fairy tale—Suocera e Nuora, Monachelle, Purgatorio, Tricolore, and Zolfini—carefully hand-selected from sowing to packaging. Grown in small quantities, they provide immense satisfaction: delicious, naturally cholesterol-free, a source of protein, and rich in fiber and lecithin. Each bag is a small act of resistance against the dwindling quality of industrial seeds.
 
 
 

Lentils, roveja, and cicerchia: the legumes of memory

Alongside beans, the company cultivates the finest traditional legumes from the Apennine region. Lentils are a typical Umbrian variety: small in size but big on flavor, colorful, with skins so thin they don't require soaking—completely gluten-free and an excellent source of protein and starch. Roveja, also known as field pea or robiglio, is a seed known since the Neolithic era: extremely rich in iron and high in protein, it has such a strong flavor that it doesn't require sauces or seasonings to create flavorful dishes. And then there's grass pea, a legume with ancient origins and a key ingredient in rural tradition: very rich in fiber, it helps lower blood cholesterol and contains moderate amounts of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron.
 
 

 
 

Red gold: hand-picked saffron

Among the rows of farro and legumes, Monteleone's red gold also flourishes: saffron, obtained from the stigmas of the Crocus sativus flower. It is one of the foods richest in carotenoids and vitamins, traditionally prized for mood disorders and as a natural sedative. Its value stems from its demanding cultivation and the fact that no machinery can replace human labor: only the care and precision of hands can harvest, flower by flower, the small quantity of stigmas that each harvest yields. In cooking, it should be added at the end of cooking to preserve its flavor and aroma: excellent with rice, shellfish, seafood, stewed meats, and delicate sauces.
 
 
 

From stone mill to soup: the circle closes.

The harvest's journey is completed on the farm: the flours are milled directly in the company's small stone mill, allowing us to offer consistently fresh, high-quality flours, ground only when needed. And then there are the soups, where everything comes together: spelt, ancient legumes, and peasant wisdom in ready-to-cook blends, where every spoonful is a journey through the authentic flavors of this high, rugged land. More than a meal, it's a gastronomic experience: choosing Dolci Giuseppina at Al Passo Food means bringing a thousand meters of mountain to your table, four generations of hands and seeds that have traveled millennia to reach you.
 
 

 
 

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