5 Foods You Need To Eat In Liguria

There is no one Italian cuisine. Italy’s food is regional, so you need to know which foods are traditional cuisine for the area you are visiting.

Right now the Glam Italia Tour is on the Italian Riviera – are you following us on Instagram? The cuisine of the Riviera/Liguria is quite varied. The warm Mediterranean air makes the climate perfect for growing olives, basil, wine grapes and vegetables. The coast delivers amazing fresh fish. Food here is fresh, light and delicious.

There are many foods of Liguria, but here are 5 you need to try.

Pesto

image via cavava+

Liguria is the birthplace of pesto, and you find the very best pesto in the world here. Genoa pesto has to be made with a mortar and pestle and with very specific ingredients. You have to try local pesto pastas (like the Trofie pasta pictured above) and pesto with focaccia.

Find hotels on the Italian Riviera here

Foccaccia

Instead of pizza here on the Riviera you will find focaccia, and they eat it throughout the day. It is crispy and golden, greasy and thick, and tastes like heaven. Eat it with coffee at breakfast time, grab a slice with olives and salt to go for lunch, eat fingers of it with local wine as an appetizer or eat it as your bread with dinner, any time of the day is fine!

Foccacia di Recco, image via Scatti di Gusto

Locals love Foccaccia di Recco, which is made with a local cheese from recco. You will probably want to run the Cinqueterre after eating so much bread!

Farinata

Farinata, image via Memorie di Angelina

Farinata is a very old recipe made from chickpea flour, water, olive oil and salt and is best eaten right out of the oven!

Cozze

image via BeautifulLiguria.com

Pasta with mussels “cozze” cooked with garlic and white wine. Swoon worthy. Recipe here

Pansotti

Pansotti/Pansoti are a Ligurian specialty ravioli. Pansotti is ligurian dialect for belly, these ravioli taking on the shape of a little fat belly! Home made pasta is filled with a mixture of local herbs – ideally a blend of 7 freshly foraged herbs including dandelion leaves, that are cleaned and boiled and then mixed with olive oil, parmigiana cheese, egg and garlic. The cooked Pansotti are then served in a walnut sauce that is absolutely divine.