RESTAURANTSINVENICE.COM
HISTORY OF VENETIAN CUISINE
For
years Venice was the crossroads of the trading of spices between Europe
and the Orient. In the trattoria and streets where locals and visitors
including arabs, asians, and turk met, the various cuisines became
known and diffused. From these encounters came dishes such as "riso al
cavroman", a Levantine method of cooking the castrato with cloves and
cinammon, which was transformed by the Venetians into their risotto.
"Sardelle in saor" are plates with fried sardines placed on a bed of
browned onions which were changed by adding spiced vinegar, pine nuts
and raisins. "Saor" was also the traditional food of the sailors who
dominated the commercial seas because of its ability to be conserved
for a long time.
Great works of art and a high quality of life came from the wealth
accumulated by the Venetians. For three centuries, from the Renaissance
to the Baroque, Venetian's country homes were arranged in order to
offer lavish hospitality to guests. Where others built fortresses and
castles the Venetians luxurious villas for their vacationing families.
Among those entertained were artists, writers, musicians, and long
hours were spent performing music and theater pieces, dancing,
conversing, and......eating. The fertile countryside offered food in
abundance, including vegetables, fruits, game, large shrimp and river
trout. Venetian cooks are proud of their ability to combine foods and
invent sauces to enhance to origian flavour of the ingredients.
What could be more simple than combing rice and peas with broth? Much
more than the ingredients put together. The cooks are experts at
determing the correct amounts to combine. They are capable of finding
thirty delicious ways to prepare that most common of fish, "baccala`"
Other pilasters of Venetian cuisine are beans and polenta. The classic
"minestra di pasta e fagioli" is simple but delicious. Polenta (a kind
of fried corn bread) is a basic ingredient of Venetian cooking. Seafood
depends on the season but is prepared in the simplest manner. Venetians
love to "Andar per ombre", spend the evening going from one osteria to
another, tasting an "ombra" or "shadow" of wine, before settling down
to dinner.