Page 189 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italian Riviera

WHERE T O EA T AND DRINK  187

of a cross. Aristocrats and
merchants would later
modify the design to include
their family crests, using
wooden stamps made in
nearby Chiavari. Sailors
returning from long voyages
at sea would crave the taste
of fresh food. The flavourful
vegetable soup minestrone alla
genovese, was a particular
favourite, with its all-important
dollop of pesto, which was
reputedly invented to help
Boxes of fresh fish are unloaded onto a Ligurian quayside sailors avoid scurvy. The city
has also given its name to
hazelnuts are used in pasta for dried salted cod (bac-calà) fagiolini alla genovese (green
sauces, casseroles, and in dates back to the Viking traders. beans with anchovies and
cake-making. It is often served gently braised. herbs) and focaccia alla
genovese, the famous flat
Food from the Sea Genoese Food
bread made with olive oil.
Fish and seafood from the As a major port, Genoa has
Mediterranean have always always been a gateway for WHAT TO DRINK
been part of the local diet. delicacies from around the
Recently it has become more world. The dish corzetti, which Liguria’s steep terrain is not ideal
for vines, but eight DOC wines
common for restaurants to means “little crosses”, was are produced. Among the most
import some of the fish they created for Genoese crusaders; highly regarded are:
use, though mullet (cèfalo), the coin-sized discs of pasta
bream (dorata) and sea bass were stamped with the shape Pigato A light, perfumed white
wine that goes well with seafood
(spigola) are usually local. Many or farinata.
traditional dishes rely on the
“poor” fish that are so plentiful Cinque Terre Light, dry white
– such as sardines (sarde), wines from the terraces of the
octopus (polpo), squid region of the same name.
(calamari), cuttlefish (seppia), Sciacchetrà A delicious sweet
mussels (cozze) and clams variety of Cinque Terre wine with
(vongole). Cooked with olive oil, an intense, flowery scent.
vegetables and herbs, they are Rossese A light but full-
made into soups, stews and flavoured red wine, often known
sauces for pasta. Anchovies as Dolceacqua.
(acchiughe) are a staple, and Ormeasco di Pornassio A rich
are used fresh or preserved in Fresh artichokes on a market stall on the red wine with red berry perfume.
salt or oil. The Ligurian passion Italian Riviera

Trenette con pesto, a Genoese La Cima is poached veal stuffed Pandolce is a cross between
speciality, is flat noodles with a with meat, cheese, egg and cake and bread, with raisins,
sauce of basil, garlic, pine nuts vegetables, usually eaten cold candied fruit, fennel seeds,
and olive oil. in thin slices. pine nuts and orange water.

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