Top 10 Culinary Specialties of Venice

What delicious food to enjoy in Italy?

1. Fontina from Valle d'Aosta

We start gently with a food that many of you love to enjoy with a delicious glass of wine or on a slice of bread...Cheese, or more precisely, Fontina. Made with cow's milk in Valle d'Aosta, an Italian region located in the northwest of the country, the ruminants in question are actually a Valdostana breed that grazes on grass at the foot of Mont Blanc. Why are we telling you this? Well, this particularity has the effect of producing milk in small quantities, but rather dense, which makes it immediately very energetic, rich in phosphorus, calcium and vitamins A and B. So don't worry about your diet, it's a complete, healthy and easy-to-digest food. From 7 to 10 cm thick, Fontina has a thin rind, and its yellow paste is semi-cooked and melting, which brings a mild flavor and a somewhat intoxicating aroma to the mouth. Moreover, depending on the period when you eat it, a difference in color intensity is observed in winter and summer. Interesting fact: some think that the name is actually a derivative of the French word "fontis" or "Fondis" or the Italian "Fondere" which would echo the famous paste that tends to melt under heat.

2. Milanese Risotto

El famoso Milanese Risotto! Well, so far, we're not teaching you anything. Risotto is a famous and appreciated dish. But, a tip, if you want to taste one, don't wait and head to Lombardy, a province located in the north of the country. Dear friends, this is where you will taste THE Risotto of your life. This recipe with multiple flavors will make your taste buds shiver and awaken your senses. For the little story, in the year 1574, the master glassmaker, Valerio di Fiandra and his young assistant were used to slipping saffron into their dishes, but also into their glass dye preparations, which tended to illuminate the stained glass windows. Risotto therefore descends directly from saffron rice which had a golden color, a sign of wealth in medieval times. Today, saffron is still current, and is accompanied by butter, onions, beef marrow and white wine. Served "al dente", it's a dish that offers many variants according to everyone's desires, so it's impossible to get tired of it! Is that enough to make your mouth water?

3. Umbria Truffles

We continue our journey in the green heart of the country, between Tuscany, Latium and Marche, to Umbria to discover its delicious truffles. If you go to Umbria from spring to summer, pay attention to the oak roots that grow at your feet. The reason? The underground mushroom that grows there is the origin of the most famous and appreciated dish in the region. Come and discover the Italian truffle: white or black, both will be succulent! The white truffle is the rarest, it's the truffle that can reach the largest dimensions. It reveals notes of turnips and wild mushrooms. The black truffle has a slight aftertaste of corn and a mixture of hazelnuts. It's therefore difficult to separate them! If you ever have the chance to taste this dish, savor it to the last crumb, because they are quite hard to find, since they are buried in the ground.

4. Arrosticini, meat skewers

Originating from one of Italy's most protected regions, with a national park whose flora and fauna are precious, Abruzzo extends its arms to you to savor its Arrosticini. This recipe comes directly from the tradition of Abruzzo alpine pastures, specialized in sheep and lamb breeding. Arrosticini are meat skewers cut into small cubes of barely 1 centimeter, tender and juicy at the same time. In general, the skewers are cooked on the "rustillire", a typical brazier where the skewers are elongated and can therefore be turned over without worry and cooked over low heat. Today, they are cooked in different ways: in the oven, on the barbecue, on a stone grill, cooking brings a different result each time, which brings originality to the dish each time. This dish, accompanied by a good spoonful of olive oil, a zest of lemon, and a hint of rosemary, is eaten hot.

5. Caprese Salad

In a few words: mozzarella, olive oil, basil, white cheese...And you find the colors of the Italian flag! Caprese salad is a very well-known traditional specialty of Neapolitan cuisine and Italian cuisine, without great surprise since it comes from the island of Capri in Campania. If you are vegetarian, or if you don't want to overindulge during your stay, you can eat this dish without cheese! Beautiful refreshing recipe, it is advisable to eat it when tomato season arrives between July and August, it constitutes a mine of vitamins due to the added ripe tomatoes.

6. Piemonte and its agnolotti

It's at the foot of the Alps that you will find one of the typical dishes of Piemonte, Italy's second largest region. Known for its refined cuisine and exquisite wines, Piedmontese cuisine offers you one of the best pasta recipes ever tasted. Know that each Italian region has its own type of pasta and you will never have the same taste elsewhere. Here, the pasta made from flour and egg is stuffed with a mix of meat, sausages and vegetables. Square-shaped like ravioli, egg yolks are generally added to the pasta which gives it a nice golden appearance. The most interesting thing about this recipe is that originally the pasta was round, because it was prepared in a round iron mold, and the word "agnolotti" comes from the Piedmontese word "anulò" which designates this same mold! Over time, the recipe evolved, the pasta took this square shape similar to ravioli, but the name remained. So, are you tempted?

7. Olives All'Ascolana from Marche

This time, our itinerary takes us straight to the typical dish of the province of Ascoli Piceno, in the Marche region: Olives. Don't worry, it's not the green or black olives that we all know, but rather a recipe that few know based on minced meat. Breaded and fried, they are cooked from green olives in brine and constitute THE gastronomic specialty of the Ascolan territory. This recipe would have been born around the 1800s, when cooks had various meats to cook for noble families. That's why they are particularly found during festivities and important days. Well, a king's meal!

8. Cjarsons from Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Head to a region in northeastern Italy bordering Austria and Slovenia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia. More precisely, it's in the Carnia region that you will taste cjarsòns. What to say about this recipe, except that it offers many choices of possibilities to be cooked! Are you more fond of sugar than salt? Then these potato ravioli stuffed with ricotta will please you with dried fruits, sugar, raisins...rather than with spices and oriental flavors accompanied by aromatic herbs. The richness of this dish constitutes a real treat for anyone who wants to cook it their own way.

9. Sabayon

So we talked about cheese, dishes, meats, plant foods...Wouldn't a little sweet be missing in all this? We suggest Sabayon. This recipe is a cream based on eggs, sugar, and wine, or for others who prefer the alcohol-free version, based on apples, sparkling apple cider as well as honey to make a sweet preparation. This is a dessert that is less famous than the dishes mentioned previously, but equally delicious. The foamy appearance is due to the use of fresh egg yolks cooked in a bain-marie and whipped with wine. A dessert to discover to explore and taste another aspect of classic Italian recipes, equally delicious!

By the way, interesting little fact, you know at Ryo, we like to teach you things and thus enrich your culture. For those for whom the Italian language is completely foreign, the origin of the word Sabayon is actually the translation of the Italian word "zabaione", which actually comes from the Latin word "sabaïum" which is nothing other than... beer. You don't see the connection? Sabayon wears the same crown of foam as beer, that's all! Moreover, this dessert is regularly enjoyed with a beer. Up to you!

10. Tiramisu

We take you to the legendary and much-dreamed-of city of Venice! City of luxury certainly, but also temple of love, beauty, and romanticism. A flagship destination for couples, it's the perfect place to savor a tiramisu for two. We no longer introduce it today as it is known and appreciated by all. Behind its majestic mascarpone and its ladyfingers soaked in coffee, this creamy, gourmet, succulent dessert was discovered by the sovereign duke of Tuscany Cosimo III de' Medici, who made it his favorite dessert. Literally, tiramisu means "pick me up". With such a flattering and singular name, it's without great surprise that, for sure, tiramisu is the dessert that delights the taste buds.