Sara the Dachshund

Sara is a well know dachshund in Castiglione del Lago, Umbria. The owners of Sara have an Italian delicacy shop in the city centre, called La Dispensa del Lago. Every day you find the dachshund in the shop, hidden under a cupboard. But when somebody passes by to hug her, she runs in and out of the shop from happiness. I often pass by to play with Sara.

La Dispensa del Lago has good typical products. They sell delicacies from the Trasimeno area and from Umbria in general. An interesting vegetable is the “Fagiolina del Trasimeno”. The Fagiolina is a kind of small bean often with main courses, but you find them also on a roasted bruschetta as an appetizer. I love the Fagiolina, especially with “guanciale”, pork cheek.


I often buy truffle sauce, pasta, cheese and different kinds of cold cuts in this shop. Not only because of Sara, also because the owners are very kind.
I also like the “pici”, a thick hand rolled pasta made of durum wheat. A typical pasta from this area that you see a lot. The cooking time of the pici is about 20 minutes or even a bit more. I love the Pici all’Amatriciana or with wild boar sauce.


Besides all the good things I’ve already mentioned la Dispensa del Lago also sells: honey, wine, olive oil, different kinds of sauces for bruschette, herbs and beans of excellent quality. If you’re in Castiglione del Lago, don’t forget to pass by at the Dispensa. It is really a lovely shop.

-post by Sylvia van der Male-