Venetian Cuisine: What You Absolutely Must Try
Venetian cuisine is renowned worldwide for being heavily influenced by the many civilizations that have settled in the lagoon over the centuries. As a major hub of exchange with the Far East, Venice learned to incorporate into its recipes certain ingredients not originally local, such as spices.
The meeting of sea and land has given rise to dishes with a unique and unmistakable flavor: let’s take a look at those you simply can’t say no to.
A Fish-Based Menu from Venetian Cuisine
One of the main ingredients in Italian cuisine is certainly fish: among the many species found on the stalls at the Rialto Market, some become true stars of traditional Venetian dishes.
If you haven’t yet tried a cicheto of creamed codfish (baccalà mantecato) to accompany your spritz, it’s time you do! An alternative is sarde in saor: originally a Jewish dish, it is prepared following the traditional recipe or with modern twists in some of the Michelin-starred restaurants around the city.
As you scroll through the menu to the first courses, you’ll find real delicacies: cuttlefish in black ink, bigoli in anchovy sauce, and spaghetti alla busara are some of the dishes where pasta perfectly merges with the flavors of the lagoon. Try one or all three — you won’t be disappointed! If you prefer something different from pasta, ask your waiter if you can try an off-menu risotto di gò. In the past, goby fish was considered a poor man’s food in Venice, but today this lagoon specialty is highly appreciated.
A curious recipe comes from the island of Murano: grilled eel on the furnace stone (bisato sull’ara). Tradition has it that the small eels are roasted on the stones of the glass furnaces, where blown glass is slowly cooled by the master glassmakers.
Venetian Cuisine: Holiday Dishes
A classic of Venetian cuisine is the simple yet iconic risotto with peas, known as risi e bisi: traditionally served on April 25th to honor Saint Mark, the patron saint of Venice. The ingredients are carefully selected: Veronese rice and Vicenza peas.
Another Venetian festival tied to a traditional dish is the Feast of the Madonna della Salute. Every year on November 21st, restaurant kitchens throughout the city prepare castradina. A salted, smoked, and aged mutton leg is cooked with savoy cabbage, onion, and wine, resulting in a hearty soup best enjoyed in good company.
Also in November, it is customary in Venice to bake a special treat with children: San Martino. To honor the saint, a shortcrust pastry is shaped like Saint Martin on horseback, decorated with chocolate candies and colorful icing.
The Sweets of Venetian Cuisine
Last but not least are the desserts of the lagoon’s culinary tradition. Zaleti, baicoli, S-shaped bussolai, pan dei dogi, and gondola kisses made of meringue and chocolate: these are just some of the beloved treats created in the finest pastry shops of Venice.
Beyond these delicacies, there are some sweets that every child (and adult) goes crazy for: Carnival desserts. Fritole, castagnole, and galani take over the displays of bakeries and pastry shops during the Carnival season. The only way to know if you’ll love them too? Break your diet and give them a try!