Page 84 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

82  NOR THEAST IT AL Y

The Flavours of Northeast Italy

This diverse region is the least Italian area of Italy. Bordering on Balkan and
Austro-Hungarian territory, its food reflects this rich culture and landscape.
Venice’s traditional trading links have given a Middle Eastern flavour to
some dishes, such as sweet and sour saor sauce, and spices like nutmeg,
saffron and cinnamon feature widely. While pasta is eaten, many dishes
are accompanied with the more typical polenta, made from yellow
maize flour, and risotto is also a favourite. Butter is sometimes used
instead of olive oil. From hearty, rib-sticking fare to the most delicate
and sophisticated of dishes, this is a region full of gastronomic surprises. Saffron

favourite pasta is bigoli, a thick, and the local fish soup (sopa
noodle-like spaghetti. de pesse) is deliciously hearty.
Vegetables are plentiful, Finely sliced raw beef
including courgettes (zucchini), (carpaccio) had its origins
asparagus, red radicchio (endive) here, created by Giuseppe
from Treviso and variegated Cipriani at Venice’s Harry’s Bar.
radicchio from Castelfranco. Delicious, traditional tiramisù
Venetian specialities include is also said to originate from
cichetti and antipasti – snacks Venice, and sorbets are
and starters such as marinaded common too. It was the
sardines, fried artichokes Venetians who introduced
(articiochi in Venetian dialect), cane sugar to Europe and their
and seafood in bite-size sweet tooth is still evident in
Delicate, sweet fried pastries portions, especially mussels the rich candied fruit, sultanas
in a Trieste bakery (peoci). Venetian crab and pine nuts acquired from
(granceola) is highly prized, the Turks and Byzantines.
The Veneto & Venice
Caper berries Marinated white Olives wrapped
The Veneto is now one of Italy’s anchovies in anchovies
main rice-growing regions. Seafood cocktail
Rice was introduced from
Spain by the Arabs, and is the
staple ingredient for many
versatile local dishes. Creamy
risottos come in many guises
including di mare (with
seafood), in which cuttlefish
ink gives the dish a dramatic,
dark appearance. The Veneto’s Selection of Venetian antipasti, the perfect appetizer

Regional Dishes and Specialities
Antipasto di frutti di mare (a mixed seafood appetizer) is a special
favourite in Venice, where the ingredients come fresh from the
Adriatic. From lovely Lake Garda, anguilla del pescatore (stewed eel),
lavarelli al vino bianco (lake fish in white wine) and carpione (a type
of lake trout) are all fishy delights. Another fish speciality of the
region is baccalà alla veneziana, made with dried salt
cod. Pork and salamis feature throughout the area, but
in Friuli goose is often used as an alternative to pork,
with succulent cured meat offerings such as salame
d’oca (goose salami). Game is also found on the
menu, together with sauerkraut and filling
goulash, while desserts often have an
Austrian flavour too, such as Apfelstrudel.
But the region is also proud of claiming Sarde in saor Venetian speciality
as its own the decadent, classic Italian of fried sardines in a sweet
Asparagus dessert tiramisù. and sour onion mar inade,
with pine nuts.

082-083_EW_Italy.indd 82 26/04/16 5:14 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Feature template “UK” LAYER
(SourceReport v1.2)
Date 5th November 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm