An earlier topic on Best food in Europe eaten made me think of the different delicacies or specialty foods for each of the regions in Italy.
I know a couple, like lemons in Almalfi, and wild boar in Umbria..............
What about the other regions??? What are they known for, food wise??
Getting my palate ready for Italy in October!!! :)
Thanks :)
Liguria - pesto and trofie.
Emillia Romana - Piadinna,mortadela
Sicily - Cannolli,pizza and you'll see alot of Arabic style food.
Campania - Pizza,ba ba (a pastry from Naples soaked in liquer with a variety of toppings or just plain.Very good but very sweet.)
Where is it you'll be going?
Rome, Amalfi Coast, 2 day traveling up to Venice, don't know where we will stay yet(Adriatic coast line?), Venice & Tuscany Chianti
Wild boar ("cinghiale") is also very popular in Tuscan dishes. It's very good. Assuming you are not a vegetarian, you should try Bistecca Fiorentina if you're near Florence. Goes perfect with the sangiovese-based wines there (chianti, Montepulciano, etc).
One dish popular here in the Veneto (not sure how popular in Venice though) that I really like is bigoli al'anatra. It's like a very think spaghetti made with duck meat. One of my favorite pasta dishes. A specialty in Venice is squid dishes cooked in the ink sauce. It's not bad...but not great either.
Rik,
Nope, no vegetarians here!!
The duck pasta you mention sounds wonderful!! I will definitely look for it.
The squid doesn't appeal to me............but, might give it a try.
Ron,
That pastry sounds lovely!
The Val de Sangro region in Abruzzo - TRUFFLES! Now. They are bringing home some amazing truffles this year. We had one that was the size of a dang tennis ball!!! Too bad we didn't have the courage to try and bring one home. It would be worth a small fortune here!
Yeah, Baba is good but I can only eat a couple at a time. Like I said,really sweet.
Rik, that does sound good (pasta dish). Would you have a restaurant recommend for Vincenza?
Ron, we rarely eat right in downtown so I'm not sure which restaurants serve bigoli al'anatra however your best bet might be Antica Casa della Malvasia, right off the Piazza Signori in downtown. They're famous for serving regional dishes so I'd bet they have it. If not, everyone posts their menu outside their door so it shouldn't be hard to find a place that serves it. i'm fortunate to live here so my neighbors make it all the time...
(BTW, the correct spelling is "Vicenza", pronounced like Vee-cenza. Adding that extra N is a common mistake.)
Thanks Rik. Yeah, I put that extra n in there all the time!
Yum! Eating in Italy is one of the best adventures you'll have -- and October is a great time to go, food-wise. That's when traditional foods like black leaf kale, fennel, lemons and oranges are in seasonal. (Always try to eat foods that are in season: They'll be fresher, more local, and it's better for Italy's agriculture and food traditions).
In the Rome/Lazio region, some specialties to look out for include:
-simple pastas using pecorino and guanciale, like cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and carbonara
-thin-crust, wood-fired Roman pizza (if it ain't made in a wood oven -- the place will say "Forno" -- then don't bother)
-carciofi alla romana, but NOT when you're going -- artichokes are out of season then!
-fried foods like fiori di zucca (fried zucchini flowers)... and yes, zucchini's in season
-seafood, including clams (vongole) and seppia (squid)
For a real taste of Lazio food while you're in Rome, check out Palatium, in the Spanish Steps area. It's run by the Lazio Food Authority and serves up local dishes using ONLY Lazio ingredients, for good prices. Great wine list, too!
Mandy
In addition to regional its also seasonal. Closer to the water is more seafood and inland is more meats, and really good ones if you are willing to try different things. We had some good rabbit dishes in Tuscany, Rissottos up near Milan, Tortellini in Bologna.....
As hot as it's been here in the mid-west I've been dreaming about some gelato!
Not sure if it's a "regional" thing but got some fantastic basil liquor in Monarola (CT). So far haven't seen it anywhere else.
