Ligurian cuisine

Ligurian cuisine consists of dishes of the culinary tradition of Liguria, a region that includes ingredients related to both local production and imports from areas with which over the centuries, the Ligurians have had frequent contacts (such as Sardinian pecorino, one of the ingredients of pesto). A poor cuisine, typical of the people of the country, of mountaineers and sailors, made of simple, common and cheap food, which has however become expensive and refined If we want to sum it up we can say that the gastronomy of Liguria is characterized by six great elements: • wild spontaneous herbs of the territory (marjoram, sage, rosemary, bay leaf, thyme, etc.) and the products of the home garden (onions, potatoes, basil, aubergines, etc.) • the first fruits of the cultivations and woods (basil, ox heart tomatoes, courgette trumpets, asparagus and Albanian artichokes, mushrooms, Valbormida truffles, fresh fruit and dried fruit) • the olive oil • farinaceous products (focaccia, farinate, savory pies, etc.) • the wide range of dry and fresh pasta • the catch of the sea (anchovies, shrimps, octopus, octopus, cuttlefish, muscles, mullet, etc.) and game (given the high woodiness) Ligurian cuisine is influenced by the geomorphological characteristics of its territory. It is therefore a cuisine both of sea and land, according to the natural union of the two souls that distinguish the Ligurian territory: the coast and the hinterland.

Ligurian cuisine

The Ligurian cuisine is also transformed through the centuries in relation to the social layer of the diner referred to, in addition to the place where he lives. We pass from dishes that are popular tradition, to dishes that are elaborated on the tables of the powerful and the rich, even if compared to other traditions (for example the Emilian cuisine) the poor tradition, or rather, frugal, is much more characterizing and typical. In fact, the kitchen uses, mostly, the foods that the place offers. The scarcity of cattle pastures forced the Ligurians to develop dishes based on alternative ingredients such as fish and herbs, to which the game was subsequently added: this way the condiments are made with wild or cultivated herbs, among which pesto stands out. it is used both as a sauce to season pasta, or added to mainly autumnal soups rich in many varieties of fresh vegetables; importance also the many savory pies with vegetables and focaccia, among which the focaccia with Recco cheese is renowned. There are dishes based on poor ingredients such as herbs or chestnuts. These are dishes that come from the Ligurian farmer’s table that with its tenacity has tamed the harshness of the places in order to cultivate the land on narrow strips, and above all belong to the table of the inhabitants of the most inaccessible mountain areas. Likewise, the Ligurian cuisine is influenced by the influence of other places and peoples with which the Ligurians and Genoese have come into contact over the centuries, above all by trade and conquests. This is how in addition to being a “localized” kitchen, inside it we find precious influences. In this sense, Ligurian cuisine is enriched by different experiences. Just think about the spices (in addition to traditional smells or flavors) that even in ancient times were common use in Liguria but in other regions of rather rare use. Particular, then, is the use of salt, so precious for the preservation of food: without salt would not exist for example the focaccia, typical of these places and unique, even if now imitated elsewhere. Another soul of the kitchen is the sea: there are dishes born on board the ships and those in the houses, in the families who stayed at home or on the return of their husbands.

Ligurian cuisine

Appetizers

Focaccia with olives Chickpea flour Anchovies in salt White porridge Farinata with spring onion Farinata with rosemary Chickpea flour Pumpkin porridge Focaccia with cheese Genoese flat bread Focaccia With Onions

Fritters of lettuce, friscioeu, or friscioli Anchovy pasta Meatloaf Eggplant salame di Sant’Olcese Pasqualina cake Mushroom appetizer Mixed seafood appetizer Ligurian mixed antipasto (with local specialties from the hinterland) Savory biscuits Potato croquettes (breaded and fried) Cuculli, chickpea flour pancakes Farinata with whitebait Focaccia with potatoes Stuffed focaccia Onion fritters Batter pancakes with zucchini flowers Batter pancakes with pumpkin and fish flowers Octopus salad Mortadella nostrale Mostardella di Sant’Olcese Mushroom mousse Marinated olives White pizza with potatoes and green beans Fried meatballs Octopus And Potatoes Pignone sausages Baciocca cake, potatoes and onions Swiss chard cake Artichoke cake Potato cake Rice cake Pumpkin pie Stuffed vegetables (with vegetables or meat and vegetables)

 

Sauces

Machetto or anchovy sauce Basil pesto Broad bean pesto White ragout Rabbit ragout Game ragout (wild boar, hare, deer, etc.) Genovese ragout, Walnuts sauce Truffle sauce Green sauce Ligurian sauce Mushroom sauce Sauce with “taggiasche” olives Fish sauce

    Pasta, rice and soups

Bavette briquettes corzetti Fidelini potato gnocchi Lasagne with Pesto Ligurian lasagne Fish lasagnetta Linguine alla genovese Genovese soup Pancotto, is the cheapest food ever, also typical of Lucanian cuisine, panigacci pansoti Pappardelle Ligurian ravioli Borage ravioli Artichokes risotto Risotto with seafood Mushroom risotto Risotto with trombette sauce Cutters Trenette Trofie

Ligurian cuisine

Fish

Anchovies in brine, desalted, in oil Stuffed anchovies (or sardines) Codfish green Of Salt cod fritters, gianchetti Rossetti Molluscs with marinara Gulf Molluscs. Stuffed molluscs Pignurin with tomato sauce [24] Cuttlefish In zimino Cuttlefish alla spezzina Stockfish Genovese Tuna fish

 

Meat

Roasted lamb Goat with beans Meat with ciappa Cima alla Genovese Ligurian boar with polenta Ligurian rabbit (with olives and pine nuts) Frizze from Val Bormida, liver and pork sausage Black cock of the Val di Vara Giancu e negru (Black and white), fried mixed with the Genoese of lamb offal Ham of Castelnuovo Magra Ligurian chicken fricassee Game (eg deer, roe deer, hare) Fried steaks Roasted turkey Headcheese Genoese tripe Fried tripe Tripe salad

Ligurian Cheeses

Brussu of the Arroscia Valley Caprino Casareccio of Gorreto Formaggetta of the Graveglia valley Formina of the Vara Valley Formaggetta of Stella San Giovanni Brugnato mozzarella Bad but good of Brugnato Vaise Mollana Ligurian Ricotta (Recottu) San Sté Toma of Brigasca sheep Toma of Mendatica

Ligurian wines

Ormeasco Rossese di Dolceacqua Rossese di Dolceacqua superiore Vermentino Moscatello di Taggia Pigato Rossese d’Albenga Nostralino di Finalborgo e di Magliolo,

Bianchetta Genovese Bianco Tigullio Bianco di Coronata Ciliegiolo del Tigullio Ciliegiolo novello del Tigullio Moscato del Tigullio Rosso del Tigullio Spumante del Tigullio Vermentino del Tigullio

Albarola Bianco di Luni Bianco di Levanto Novello di Levanto Rosso di Levanto Rosso di Luni Sciachetrà Vermentino di Luni

 

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