Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Venice,
as befits its maritime tradition, features seafood, and grilled fish is
often served with the regional red radicchio.
Fegato alla veneziana
is a liver-and-
onion entree served at most city restaurants, as is the traditional
risi e bisi,
a rice-
and-pea dish.
Liguria,
on the opposite northern coast, also boasts menus full of
seafood, including a spicy
burrida
fish stew resembling French bouillabaisse.
When pressed, many Italians outside the
Emilia-Romagna
region of Bologna,
Ravenna, Parma, and Ferrara grudgingly admit that this area may have the best
Italian cuisine; certainly, items like spaghetti
alla bolognese
(with meat sauce) will
instantly appeal to visiting tourists. Most permutations of pasta shapes came from
this region: tagliatelle (long strips of macaroni), cappelletti (little hat-shaped
pasta), tortellini (small dough squares stuffed with meats), and lasagna (layered
squares of pasta mixed with layers of meat or vegetable). Parmigiano cheese, of
course, comes from Parma, which is also known for its hams. Ordering a simple
ham-and-cheese sandwich in Parma can be a culinary highlight (though it's really
better to sample the cheeses and the thinly sliced prosciutto hams on their own).
The more adventurous might try Modena's specialty:
zampone,
pickled pig's foot
with assorted stuffings (ugh!).
The tables of
Tuscany,
which is south of Emilia-Romagna, will always await
you with a bottle of the region's fine olive oils (although sometimes less responsi-
ble eateries will “forget” to leave a bottle on a tourist's table—some locals think
their expensive specialty will be wasted on a foreign palate, so request it if you
don't see it). Tuscan dishes are characterized by hearty peasant fare, meats, and
pastas with tomato-based sauces; some
brigande
(bandit-style) dishes are extra
spicy. Penne and pappardelle are Tuscany's characteristic pastas. Florence is
famous for its
bistecca alla fiorentina,
a thick steak of Chianina beef charcoal-
grilled to juicy perfection.
Umbria,
still farther south, is a center for truffles; be sure to sample some
shavings of the local fungi on your pasta when in season. The thick
umbriceilli
pasta and
tagliolini fatti in casa
are two regional dishes you'll find homemade in
nearly every establishment. Game dishes like hare, wild boar
(cingiale),
and veni-
son dot the menus of many Umbrian countryside kitchens.
Rome,
the largest and most central Italian city, offers the best chance for a
one-stop experience of the country's cuisines. Located near the sea, Rome offers
many seafood specialties, including dishes like
scampia alla griglia
(grilled
prawns),
zuppa di pesce
(fish stew with white wine and spices),
zuppa di cozze
(mussels), and
fritto di scampi e calimaretti
(fried squid and prawns).
Characteristic pastas include the stuffed tube-shaped
cannelloni
and the potato-
flour dumplings of
gnocchi alla romana
(covered in meat sauce and cheese). Try
the
saltimbocca alla romana
(thin-sliced veal and ham with cheese and sage) or the
assorted fried items of
fritto alla romana,
which can include vegetables, seafood,
or various cow parts or tripe. To continue this
“alla romana”
sampler, try
carciofi
alla romana
(artichokes cooked in white wine with mint, garlic, and other herbs).
Southern Italian cuisine is well represented by the foods of
Naples,
including
its thin pizzas, clam sauce pastas, and mozzarella cheeses. Across Italy, locals will
usually point you to the nearest Neapolitan restaurant to find the best pizza in
town, so don't miss a chance to try some in this center of the pizza universe. Fresh
