Next Stop on Our “Eating Italy” Tour: Veneto
Veneto is the next stop on my Eating Italy series, where I make a dish from each of Italy’s twenty regions. It is home to Venice, Verona, the Dolomites, and the Prosecco hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene – all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. With snowy winters and warm summers, Veneto’s diverse climate attracts tourists all year round, from ski season in the mountains to summers on the Adriatic Coast.
Venice, La Serenissima, is the region’s capital. It is a unique city built on its lagoon, composed of 118 islands, including Murano (known for its glassblowing); Burano (known for its vibrant, colourful buildings); and Lido di Venezia (which hosts the Venice Film Festival). The islands are separated by canals, the most famous being The Grand Canal, and connected by more than 400 bridges.
The sparkling, almost magical light of Venice has been depicted in art (by artists such as Canaletto, Monet, and by one of my favourites – my dad). The atmosphere of the city is something that you can’t quite describe without experiencing it yourself.
Understanding Venetian Food
To understand Venice, you have to taste its food. Cicchetti (pronounced chi-ke-tee) are the city’s iconic small bites. Their name derives from the Latin ciccus, meaning “small quantity”.
Served at local bars known as bàcari, cicchetti are best enjoyed with an ombra (a “shadow” of wine) or a spritz. It is part of Venetian life. The word bàcaro itself, from the verb bacare, means “to celebrate” and cicchetti truly embody that spirit. They can be enjoyed as part of a big celebration or as a way of romanticising your everyday life.
At around €2 each, they offer an affordable way to explore Venetian flavours influenced by the spices that were brought to the city during its long history as a merchant republic. The dishes and flavours truly are unique to the region; it is not Italian cuisine, but proudly Venetian.
Classic Cicchetti for Aperitivo
Recently, I prepared a few favourites for aperitivo: baccalà mantecato (salt cod), radicchio in saor (sweet and sour with raisins and vinegar), ricotta with broad bean and mint, and gorgonzola with walnut and honey. Most cicchetti are quick to assemble – and I say assemble rather than make, because that is really all that is involved. Even the baccalà mantecato, although time consuming, was surprisingly easy to make.
A book I would recommend is Emiko Davies’ “Cinnamon and Salt: Cicchetti in Venice: Small Bites from the Lagoon City”, which is a beautiful exploration of Venice’s rich history and the recipes that shaped the city’s distinctive cuisine.
