Cucina del Veneto

Discover a captivating region in Northern Italy which offers the most delicious food, through 75 authentic recipes, cooked with care and attention using the best ingredients. The Veneto is a northern Italian region, lying between the base of the Alps and the Adriatic to the south. It has rich soil, a good climate, and as a result, produces rice, many wonderful vegetables, wild and domestic animals, and much dairy produce. Venice, the heart of the Veneto, is where the unique ingredients of the region are most showcased. The basis of Venetian culinary tradition rests firstly on the vegetables of the islands; artichokes from the tiny island of Sant’Erasmo, asparagus from the Cavallino coast, not to mention the many varieties of radicchio. The second culinary treasure of Venice is the vast range of fish from the lagoon. A visit to the Rialto market early in the morning is a revelation, with its displays of tiny monkfish, squid, cuttlefish, and other seafood. Meat from animals reared on the fertile plain is not as popular as fish, although there are some famous Venetian offal dishes. The Veneto also forms part of the ‘polenta, bean and rice belt’ of Italy, and risotti, pulses and a beautiful white polenta are more prevalent than pasta. Desserts are beloved in the Veneto. There are many pasticcerie, and shops selling gelati or ice cream. Fruit is always the most common ingredient of Italian desserts – figs and peaches among them – but one dessert unique to the Veneto is the Venetian tiramisù. Don’t forget about the wonderful Venetian prosecco (the grapes are grown in Treviso), which comes from Vicenza. There is so much to discover and enjoy!