Cuisine of Liguria


Ligurian cuisine consists of dishes from the culinary tradition of Liguria, a region of northwestern Italy, which makes use of ingredients linked both to local production, and to imports from areas with which, over the centuries, the Ligurians have had frequent trade.

Overview

Liguria is known for herbs and vegetables in its cuisine. Savory pies are popular, mixing greens and artichokes along with cheeses, milk curds, and eggs. Onions and olive oil are used. Due to a lack of land suitable for wheat, the Ligurians use chickpeas in farinata and polenta-like panissa. The former is served plain or topped with onions, artichokes, sausage, cheese or young anchovies. Farinata is typically cooked in a wood-fired oven, similar to southern pizzas. Fresh fish is used often in Ligurian cuisine. Baccalà is a source of protein in coastal regions; it is traditionally prepared in a soup.
Hilly districts use chestnuts as a source of carbohydrates. Ligurian pastas include corzetti, typically stamped with traditional designs, from the Polcevera Valley; pansoti, triangle-shaped ravioli filled with vegetables; piccagge, pasta ribbons made with a small amount of egg and served with artichoke sauce or pesto sauce; trenette, made from whole wheat flour cut into long strips and served with pesto; boiled beans and potatoes; and trofie, a Ligurian gnocchi made from wheat flour and boiled potatoes, made into a spiral shape and often tossed in pesto. Many Ligurians emigrated to Argentina in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, influencing the cuisine of the country. Pesto, sauce made from basil and other herbs, is uniquely Ligurian, and is often served with Ligurian pastas.

Characteristics

Ligurian cuisine is affected by the geomorphological characteristics of its territory. It makes use of ingredients coming from the sea as well as game and meat. Ligurian cuisine has transformed over the centuries in relation to the socio-economic situation of the region. The scarcity of cattle pastures forced the Ligurians to develop dishes based on alternative ingredients such as fish and herbs, to which game was subsequently added. Ligurians pair their meat condiments based on wild or cultivated herbs, among which pesto stands out, which is used both as a sauce for pasta as well as being added to autumnal soups with a variety of fresh vegetables. Also important are the many savoury pies with vegetables, the most famous of which are the pasqualina cake, the ripieni and focaccia traditionally filled with stracchino cheese known as focaccia col formaggio. There are dishes based on ingredients such as herbs or chestnuts traditionally eaten by farmers.
The preservation of food and therefore the use of Mason jars is fundamental in Ligurian cuisine, traditionally filled with mushrooms in oil, jams, honey, salted anchovies, brined foods, and dips.

Starters (''antipasti'')

  • Acciughe sotto sale
  • Barbajuan
  • Farinata bianca
  • Farinata con il cipollotto
  • Farinata con cipollotto e boraggine
  • Farinata con il rosmarino
  • Farinata di ceci
  • Farinata di zucca
  • 'e fugasette
  • Focaccia con il formaggio
  • Genoan focaccia
  • Focaccia con le cipolle
  • Focaccia con le olive
  • Frittelle di lattuga, friscioeu, o friscioli
  • Panissa
  • Pissaladière
  • Polpettone di melanzane
  • salame di Sant'Olcese
  • Sardenaira is only made with fish oil, without using anchovies nor sardines.
  • Testaieu
  • Testaroli
  • Torta pasqualina
  • Antipasto di funghi
  • Antipasto misto di mare
  • Antipasto misto ligure
  • Biscotti salati
  • Crocchette di patate
  • Cuculli, frittelle di farina di ceci
  • Farinata con i bianchetti
  • Focaccia con le patate
  • Focaccia ripiena
  • Fritelle di cipolla
  • Frittelle di pastella con fiori di zucca
  • Frittelle di pastella con fiori zucca e pesce
  • Gattafin
  • Insalata di polpo
  • Mortadella nostrale
  • Mostardella di Sant'Olcese
  • Mousse di funghi
  • Olive marinate
  • Pizza bianca con patate e fagiolini
  • Polpettine fritte
  • Polpo e patate
  • Salsicce di Pignone
  • Sgabei
  • Torta baciocca, di patate e cipolle
  • Torta di bietole
  • Torta di carciofi
  • Torta di patate
  • Torta di riso
  • Torta di trombette
  • Torta di zucca
  • Torta verde mista
  • Verdure ripiene

Sauces

Pasta, rice and soups

Fish

Meats

Vegetables

Cheeses

  • Brös
  • Caprino cheese
  • Casareccio di Gorreto
  • Formaggetta della Val Graveglia,
  • Formaggetta della Val di Vara
  • Formaggetta Savonese
  • Mozzarella di Brugnato
  • Brutto ma buono di Brugnato
  • Vaise
  • Giuncata
  • Mollana
  • Prescinsêua cheese
  • Ricotta ligure
  • San Sté
  • Tuma from brigasca sheep
  • Toma di Mendatica dell'Alta Valle Arroscia

Fruits

Fruits and fruit salad is usually paired with sweet, white or red wines.

Desserts

Drinks

Wines from the Imperia province

Wines from the Savona province

  • Lumassina
  • Pigato
  • Rossese d'Albenga
  • Vermentino
  • Granaccia
  • Nostralino di Finalborgo

Wines from the Genoa province

  • Bianchetta Genovese
  • Bianco Tigullio
  • Bianco frizzante del Tigullio
  • Bianco di Coronata
  • Ciliegiolo del Tigullio
  • Ciliegiolo novello del Tigullio
  • Moscato del Tigullio
  • Polceverasco
  • Rosso del Tigullio
  • Spumante del Tigullio
  • Vermentino del Tigullio
  • Corochinato

Wines from the La Spezia province

  • Albarola
  • Bianco di Luni
  • Bianco di Levanto
  • Cinque Terre
  • Novello di Levanto
  • Rosso di Levanto
  • Rosso di Luni
  • Rosso riserva di Luni
  • Sciachetrà
  • Vermentino di Luni