Ligurian cuisine consists of dishes from the culinary tradition of

Liguria Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...

, a region of northwestern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, which makes use of ingredients linked both to local production (such as

preboggion Leaf vegetables, also called leafy greens, pot herbs, vegetable greens, or simply greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. Leaf vegetables eaten raw in a salad can be called salad gre ...

, a mixture of wild herbs), and to imports from areas with which, over the centuries, the

Ligurians The Ligures (singular Ligur; Italian: liguri; English: Ligurians) were an ancient people after whom Liguria, a region of present-day north-western Italy, is named. Ancient Liguria corresponded more or less to the current Italian reg ...

have had frequent trade (such as Sardinian

pecorino Pecorino cheeses are hard Italian cheeses made from sheep's milk. The name "" derives from ''pecora'' which means sheep in Italian. Overview Of the six main varieties of pecorino, all of which have Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) stat ...

, one of the ingredients of

pesto Pesto () is a sauce that traditionally consists of crushed garlic, European pine nuts, coarse salt, basil leaves, and hard cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano (also known as Parmesan cheese) or Pecorino Sardo (cheese made from sheep's milk), a ...

Characteristics

Ligurian cuisine is affected by the geomorphological characteristics of its territory. It makes use of ingredients coming from the sea as well as game and meat. Ligurian cuisine has transformed over the centuries in relation to the socio-economic situation of the region. The scarcity of cattle pastures forced the Ligurians to develop dishes based on alternative ingredients such as

fish Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...

and

herbs In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicina ...

, to which

game A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (suc ...

was subsequently added. Ligurians pair their meat condiments based on wild or cultivated herbs, among which pesto stands out, which is used both as a sauce for

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, ...

as well as being added to autumnal soups with a variety of fresh vegetables. Also important are the many savoury pies with vegetables, the most famous of which are the pasqualina cake, the ripieni and focaccia traditionally filled with stracchino cheese known as '' focaccia col formaggio''. There are dishes based on ingredients such as herbs or chestnuts traditionally eaten by farmers. The preservation of food and therefore the use of Mason jars is fundamental in Ligurian cuisine, traditionally filled with

mushrooms A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...

in oil, jams,

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

, salted anchovies,

brined In food processing, brining is treating food with brine or coarse salt which preserves and seasons the food while enhancing tenderness and flavor with additions such as herbs, spices, sugar, caramel or vinegar. Meat and fish are typically ...

foods, and dips.

Starters (''antipasti'')

* Acciughe sotto sale *

Barbajuan Barbajuan (also spelled barbagiuan or barbagiuai) is an appetizer An hors d'oeuvre ( ; french: hors-d'œuvre ), appetiser or starter is a small dish served before a meal in European cuisine. Some hors d'oeuvres are served cold, others h ...

* Farinata bianca * Farinata con il cipollotto * Farinata con cipollotto e boraggine * Farinata con il rosmarino * Farinata di ceci * Farinata di zucca * 'e fugasette * Focaccia con il formaggio * Genoan focaccia * Focaccia con le cipolle * Focaccia con le olive * Frittelle di lattuga, friscioeu, o friscioli * Panissa( it) * Pissaladière (with anchovies) * Polpettone di melanzane * salame di Sant'Olcese * Sardenaira (only made with fish oil, without using anchovies nor sardines.) * Testaieu *

Testaroli Testaroli, sometimes referred to as ''testarolo'', is a type of pasta or bread in Italian cuisine that is prepared using water, flour and salt, which is sliced into triangular shapes. A common dish in the Lunigiana region and historical territo ...

* Torta pasqualina * Antipasto di funghi * Antipasto misto di mare * Antipasto misto ligure (con specialità locali dell'entroterra) * Biscotti salati * Crocchette di patate (impanate e fritte) * Cuculli, frittelle di farina di ceci * Farinata con i bianchetti (in dialetto gianchetti) * Focaccia con le patate * Focaccia ripiena * Fritelle di cipolla * Frittelle di pastella con fiori di zucca * Frittelle di pastella con fiori zucca e pesce (bianchetti, ecc.) * Gattafin * Insalata di polpo * Mortadella nostrale * Mostardella di Sant'Olcese * Mousse di funghi * Olive marinate * Pizza bianca con patate e fagiolini * Polpettine fritte * Polpo e patate * Salsicce di Pignone * Sgabei * Torta baciocca, di patate e cipolle * Torta di bietole * Torta di carciofi * Torta di patate * Torta di riso * Torta di trombette * Torta di zucca * Torta verde mista * Verdure ripiene (con verdure o carne e verdura)

Sauces

* Apple vinegar varietà di aceto * Aggiadda * Aglié * Machetto or

anchovy paste Anchovy paste is a fish paste food product prepared using anchovies as a primary ingredient. It is used as a condiment and as an ingredient in various dishes, such as Scotch woodcock, and is a mass-produced product. It has been used for centuries ...

* Pesto with basil * Marò * Ragù bianco * Ragù di coniglio * Ragù di selvaggina (cinghiale, lepre, cervo, ecc.) * Ragù genovese, u toccu * Salsa di noci * Salsa di tartufo *

Salsa verde Salsa verde () is a type of spicy, green sauce in Mexican cuisine based on tomatillo and green chili peppers. The tomatillo-based Mexican ''salsa verde'' dates to the Aztec Empire, as documented by the Spanish physician Francisco Hernández, ...

Sugo ''Sugo'' (International title: ''The Chosen One'' / ) is a Philippine television drama action series broadcast by GMA Network. Directed by Dominic Zapata and Lore Reyes, it stars Richard Gutierrez in the title role. It premiered on July 4, ...

ligure * Sugo di funghi * Sugo con olive "taggiasche" * Sugo di pesce

Pasta, rice and soups

* Battolli * Bavette * Bricchetti * Corzetti * Fidelini * Gnocchi * Gran pistau * Lasagne with pesto * Lasagne alla ligure * Lasagnetta di pesce * Linguine * Mandilli * Mescciüa * Minestrone alla genovese * Pane cotto * Panigacci * Pansoti *

Pappardelle Pappardelle (; singular: ''pappardella''; from the verb , "to gobble up") are large, very broad, flat pasta, similar to wide fettuccine Fettuccine (; lit. 'little ribbons'; sing. ''fettuccina'') is a type of pasta popular in Roman and Tuscan ...

* Ravioli alla ligure (con "tuccu a-a zeneize") * Ravioli di borragine * Risotto ai carciofi * Risotto ai frutti di mare * Risotto ai funghi * Risotto con sugo di trombette * Scocuzzù * Taglierini * Trenette * Trofie * Zembi d'arzillo, fish ravioli * Zemin di ceci

Fish

* Acciughe in salamoia, dissalate, sott'olio * Acciughe ripiene * Baccalà al verde *

Bagnun Bagnun is a soup, with anchovies as the primary ingredient, which originated in the 19th century near Sestri Levante in the province of Genoa ( Italy). History Originally, bagnun was cooked by the crews of typical fishing boats called leudi. ...

* Boghe in scabeccio * Brandacujun * Buridda *

Cappon magro ''Cappon magro'' (; lij, capon magro ), is an elaborate Genoese salad of seafood and vegetables over hardtack arranged into a decorative pyramid and dressed with a rich sauce. A similar but much less elaborate dish is called ''capponata'' in Li ...

* Cicciarelli di Noli * Ciuppin * frexieoi de bacalà * Gianchetti * Rossetti * Mosciame * Muscoli alla marinara *

Mediterranean mussel The Mediterranean mussel (''Mytilus galloprovincialis'') is a species of bivalve, a marine mollusc in the family Mytilidae. It is an invasive species in many parts of the world, and also an object of aquaculture. Systematics ''Mytilus gallopro ...

. * Stuffed mussels * Pignurin alla salsa di pomodoro * Seppie in zimino * Seppie alla spezzina * Stoccafisso accomodato * Tonno alla genovese

Meats

* Roasted lamb *

Asado ' () is the technique and the social event of having or attending a barbecue in various South American countries, especially Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay where it is also a traditional event. An ''asado'' usually consists of beef, por ...

* Capra e fagioli *

Capretto Cabrito () is the name in both Spanish and Portuguese for roast goat kid in various Iberian and Latin American cuisines. Argentina Cabrito is also a regional specialty of Córdoba Province in Argentina, especially the town of Quilino, which ...

* Carne alla ciappa * Cima * Coniglio alla ligure * Coniglio alla Sanremese * Cinghiale alla ligure con

polenta Polenta (, ) is a dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. The dish comes from Italy. It may be served as a hot porridge, or it may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried, or grilled. ...

* Boar meat * Fratti * Fricassea di pollo alla ligure * Frizze from

Val Bormida Val may refer to: Val-a Film * ''Val'' (film), an American documentary about Val Kilmer, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo Military equipment * Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies * AS Val, a So ...

liver The liver is a major organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for digestion and growth. In humans, it i ...

and

pork sausage A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs may be included as fillers or extenders. ...

* Gallo nero della val di Vara * Giancu e negru (Bianco e nero), fritto misto alla genovese di frattaglie d'agnello note come (coratella) * Prosciutto di Castelnuovo Magra * Rostelle * sanguinaccio (berodo) * Game meats (such as

venison Venison originally meant the meat of a game animal but now refers primarily to the meat of antlered ungulates such as elk or deer (or antelope in South Africa). Venison can be used to refer to any part of the animal, so long as it is edibl ...

roe deer The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The g ...

) * Stecchi fritti * Tacchino alla storiona *

Head cheese Head cheese ( Dutch: ''hoofdkaas'') or brawn is a cold cut terrine or meat jelly that originated in Europe. It is made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig (less commonly a sheep or cow), typically set in aspic, and usually eaten cold, ...

* Trippa alla genovese * Sbira * Trippa fritta * Insalata di Trippa * Vitello all'uccelletto * Zucchine ripiene alla Ligure

Vegetables

* Asparago violetto of Albenga and Perinaldo * Borage *

zucchini flower Squash blossoms (called courgette flowers in Great Britain) are the edible flowers of ''Cucurbita'' species, particularly ''Cucurbita pepo'', the species that produces zucchini (courgette), marrow, spaghetti squash, and many other types of squa ...

* Perinaldo artichokes * Carciofo violetto d'Albenga * Cavolo lavagnino o Bronzino di Lavagna * Condiglione *

Common bean ''Phaseolus vulgaris'', the common bean, is a herbaceous annual plant grown worldwide for its edible dry seeds or green, unripe pods. Its leaf is also occasionally used as a vegetable and the straw as fodder. Its botanical classification, alo ...

of Badalucco * Common bean of Pigna * Common bean of

Conio conio.h is a C header file used mostly by MS-DOS compilers to provide console input/output. It is not part of the C standard library or ISO C, nor is it defined by POSIX. This header declares several useful library functions for performing ...

Cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&n ...

* Quarantine potato *

Preboggion Leaf vegetables, also called leafy greens, pot herbs, vegetable greens, or simply greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. Leaf vegetables eaten raw in a salad can be called salad gre ...

* Scorzonera * Segranna *

Truffles A truffle is the fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, predominantly one of the many species of the genus ''Tuber''. In addition to ''Tuber'', many other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including '' Geopora'', '' Pe ...

from Val Bormida * Verdure ripiene, *

Pumpkin A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus ''Cucurbita'' that has culinary and cultural significance but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning. The term ''pumpkin'' is sometimes use ...

from Rocchetta Cengio * Pumpkin from trombetta d'Albenga * Courgette from alberello di Sarzana

Cheeses

* Brös * Caprino cheese * Casareccio di Gorreto * Formaggetta della Val Graveglia, * Formaggetta della Val di Vara * Formaggetta Savonese * Mozzarella di Brugnato * Brutto ma buono di Brugnato * Vaise * Giuncata * Mollana * Prescinsêua cheese * Ricotta ligure (Recottu) * San Sté * Tuma from brigasca sheep * Toma di Mendatica dell'Alta Valle Arroscia

Fruits

Fruits and fruit salad is usually paired with sweet, white or red wines. * Apricots from Valleggia (

Quiliano Quiliano ( lij, Cuggen) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about west of Savona. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 7,225 and an area of .All ...

), * Fresh and dried Chestnuts from

Calizzano Calizzano ( lij, Carizan or ) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about west of Savona. Calizzano borders the following municipalities: Bagnasco, Bardi ...

and Murialdo *

Cherries A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus '' Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The ...

from Sarzana and Castelbianco * Apples, *

Grapes A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...

Desserts

* Baxin * Biscotti del Lagaccio * Amaretto( it) * Canestrelli * Castagnaccio * Castagnole * Angel wings * Dragée *

Gelato Gelato (; ) is the common word in Italian for all kinds of ice cream. In English, it specifically refers to a frozen dessert of Italian origin. Artisanal gelato in Italy generally contains 6%–9% butterfat, which is lower than other styl ...

alla

Mimosa ''Mimosa'' is a genus of about 590 species of herbs and shrubs, in the mimosoid clade of the legume family Fabaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek word (''mimos''), an "actor" or "mime", and the feminine suffix -''osa'', "resemb ...

* Latte dolce * Mescolanza * Michetta di

Dolceacqua Dolceacqua ( lij, Dôsaiga, locally ) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about west of Imperia, on the border with France. As of 31 December 2014, it had ...

* Olandesina *

Genoa cake Genoa cake (or simply genoa) is a fruit cake consisting of sultanas (golden-colored raisins), currants or raisins, glacé cherries, almonds, and candied orange peel or essence, cooked in a batter of flour, eggs, butter and sugar.

* Panera * Risiny * Sacripantina * Spongata * Amaretti di Savona * Anicini * Baci di Sanremo * Baci della Riviera (i più noti sono quelli di Alassio, ma ne esistono molte altre varianti) * Baci di dama *

Biscotti Biscotti (; ; en, biscuits), known also as cantucci (), are Italian almond biscuits that originated in the Tuscan city of Prato. They are twice-baked, oblong-shaped, dry, crunchy, and may be dipped in a drink, traditionally Vin Santo. Name ...

alla lavanda * Brioche Falstaff * Buccellato di Sarzana * Canditi di Genova * Canestrello di Montoggio * Cioccolato genovese * Croccante di mandorle * Cubaite * Focaccia dolce di Sarzana * Frittelle di mele * Frittelle di San Giuseppe * Frutta farcita al caramello * Gelato "Paciugo" *

Chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrel ...

Gelato * Gobeletti * Pane del marinaio * Quaresimali * Ravioli dolci * Camogliesi al

Rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Ph ...

Chocolate salami Chocolate salami is an Italy, Italian dessert made from Cocoa solids, cocoa, broken biscuits, butter and sometimes alcohol such as port wine or rum. The dessert became popular across Europe and elsewhere, often losing alcohol as an ingredient alo ...

* Salame dolce alla marmellata * Salamella di cioccolato e biscotto * Sciuette di Varese Ligure * Torta di riso dolce * Torta di Mazzini * Torta Zena * Dragiate

Drinks

* Beer * Rose

syrup In cooking, a syrup (less commonly sirup; from ar, شراب; , beverage, wine and la, sirupus) is a condiment that is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars ...

from Valle Scrivia * Amaretto di Portofino * Amaretto di Sassello * Amaro Camatti * Amaro Santa Maria al Monte * Basilichito * Chinotto * Distillato di prugna di Varese Ligure * Erba Luisa or Cedrina * Grappa delle Cinque Terre * Limonata di Portofino * Limoncino delle Cinque Terre * Basil liquor * Perseghin *

Cider Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and the Republic of Ireland. The UK has the world's highest per capita consumption, ...

* Sambuca

Wines from the Imperia province

* Ormeasco *

Pigato Pigato is a white Italian wine grape planted primarily in Liguria. The grape is found in the Riviera di Ponente zone in Italy's region of Liguria which makes sturdy, aromatic wines with plenty of fruit. DNA evidence proves that Pigato, Verment ...

* Rossese di Dolceacqua * Rossese di Dolceacqua superiore * Vermentino * Moscatello di Taggia

Wines from the Savona province

* Lumassina * Pigato * Rossese d'Albenga * Vermentino * Granaccia * Nostralino di Finalborgo

Wines from the Genoa province

* Bianchetta Genovese * Bianco Tigullio * Bianco frizzante del Tigullio * Bianco di Coronata * Ciliegiolo del Tigullio * Ciliegiolo novello del Tigullio * Moscato del Tigullio * Polceverasco * Rosso del Tigullio * Spumante del Tigullio * Vermentino del Tigullio * Corochinato

Wines from the La Spezia province

* Albarola * Bianco di Luni * Bianco di Levanto *

Cinque Terre The Cinque Terre (; lij, Çinque Tære, meaning "Five Lands") is a coastal area within Liguria, in the northwest of Italy. It lies in the west of La Spezia Province, and comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarol ...

''Cinque terre''
Mangiare in Liguria. Vini. * Novello di Levanto * Rosso di Levanto * Rosso di Luni * Rosso riserva di Luni * Sciachetrà * Vermentino di Luni

Bibliography

* Franco Accame, Silvio Torre, Virgilio Pronzati
''Il grande libro della cucina ligure: la storia, le ricette, i vini''
Genova: De Ferrari. 2000. ISBN 8871720547. * Renzo Bagnasco
''La cucina ligure: piatti di ieri, ricette di oggi: 335 ricette: r e curiosità sulla tradizionale cucina ligure''
Sagep. 1999. ISBN 8870587592 * Nada Boccalatte Bagnasco e Renzo Bagnasco
''La tavola ligure ovvero Le ricette tradizionali per la cucina d'oggi''
Milano: Edi. Artes. 1991. ISBN 8877240032. * Andrea Carpi, Fulvio Santorelli. . 2009. ISBN 978-88-95470-14-6. * Rudy Ciuffardi, Vincenzo Gueglio

Gammarò. 2006. * Franca Feslikenian
''Cucina e vini della Liguria''
Edizioni Mursia. * Giuseppe Gavotti

Editore Sabelli. * Pierina Giauna Piagentini
''Odore di focolare: i sapori della cucina tradizionale ligure: in 165 ricette della cucina tradizionale ligure in lingua italiana e dialetto ventimigliese''
Pinerolo: Alzani. 2003. ISBN 8881701898. * Paolo Lingua

Muzio. 2004. ISBN 9788874130016 * Salvatore Marchese
''La cucina ligure di Levante: le fonti, le storie, le ricette''
Padova: Muzzio. 1990. ISBN 8870214842 * Alessandro Molinari Pradelli
''La cucina ligure: i piatti tradizionali e quelli più attuali di una gastronomia che ha saputo esaltare come poche altre i sapori della sua terra''
Roma: Newton Compton. 1996. ISBN 8881835258. * Giobatta Ratto
La cuciniera genovese
Editore: Pagano. Genova. 1893. Antico libro di ricette genovesi on-line. * Emanuele Rossi e Giobatta Ratto
La vera cuciniera genovese facile ed economica
Editore: Giacomo Arneodo. Torino. 189.? Antico libro di ricette genovesi on-line. * Aidano Schmuckher
''Pesto e morta. Il grande libro della cucina ligure''
Genova. Mondani. 1984.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuisine of Liguria