The area is famous for its extraordinary salamis, sausages and hams. Amongst other products of the area it offers a variety of apples, truffles, mushrooms, chestnuts, chick peas and broad beans. There are excellent honeys as well as wood-baked bread and pastries. There are two excellent locally produced liqueurs, Mistra and Vin Cotto.

The more famous dishes:
Olive ascolani (green olives pitted, stuffed with mixed meat and salami, coated in breadcrumbs and fried)
Ciausculu (salami made with finely minced pork, seasoned with garlic and pepper)
Zuppa di cicerchia (ancient recipe for soup with broad beans and chickpeas)
Vincisgrassi (a local dish similar to lasagne, made with a local meat sauce using chicken and pork)
Porchetta alla marchigiana (roast suckling pork stuffed with wild fennel, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper, roasted in dry white wine)
Pollo alla maceratese (chicken casserole cooked with the giblets and egg)
Serpe (sweet pastry stuffed with almonds, chocolate and rum)
Caciuni (sweet pastry in layers with pecorino)
Ciambelle al mosto (doughnut shaped cake baked with grape liqueur)

The foods available aren't limited to the local specialities. Within a few kilometres the coastal towns offer a wide variety of traditional seafood, for example the delicious “brodetto alla sanbenedettese”. Other local fish specialities include the “frittelle di pesce persico” (deep fried fish in crispy golden casing), “spaghetti mari e monti” (spaghetti with calamari and mushrooms), “merluzzo alla marchigiana” (cod with tomatoes) and “baccala in bianco” (salted cod with green sauce).

Amongst the many wines available the more famous are the Verdicchio of Matelica, Faleria of Colli Ascolani, the Rosso Piceno and the fizzy red Vernaccia of Serrapetrona.