Italian foods named after real places (part 1) - DVJ - Italian Dolce Vita in Japan 〜日本におけるイタリアン・ドルチェ・ヴィータ

Have you ever thought about drinking Barolo in Barolo ? Or what about eating genovese in Genova ? In Italy there are many dishes named after their city or area of origin. And there is no need to say that the highest quality and most authentic preparation can be found where a dish was invented, where the original ingredients come from.

An idea for a different trip to Italy is going on a gourmet trip, not only visiting the monuments ( that are for sure interesting) but also learning and savouring the regional food and discovering less crowded and more local areas.

Check this list also if you are visiting one of these regions, you don’t want to miss local delicacies.

Finally, when you will be back home, I can assure it’s a great satisfaction to find in the supermarket a Franciacorta bottle and thinking that you actually have been IN Franciacorta.

Please note that this list is not an exhaustive list, there is actually a certification called IGP – indicazione di origine protetta , and DOP that identifies ingredients made in a very specific place.

Bolognese sauce – Bologna (Emilia Romagna)

Actually called ragù alla bolognese (ragu` Bologna way) in Italian , or simply ragu` it’s a sauce made with minced meat and tomato sauce. Therefore it isn’t pasta, but rather a sauce with which you season the pasta.

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Photo by Andy Hay on Unsplash

Genovese sauce – Genova (Liguria)

Same goes for this other sauce, whose full name is pesto alla genovese and Italians often just shorten it to pesto. It is a sauce made by basil, olive oil, cheese, pine nuts and pairs the best with linguine, a kind of flat spaghetti.

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Photo by Andy Hay on Unsplash

Prosecco wine- Prosecco (Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia)

This one is a bit tricky, because Prosecco wine is produced mainly in the Veneto region, and the Prosecco Superiore can be found only in a small area of the region. However, Prosecco wine can be produced also in the next Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, where actually the city of Prosecco is located.

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Photo by Michelle McEwen on Unsplash

Franciacorta wine – Franciacorta (Lombardia)

Another famous wine that gets its name from the area where it is produced is the Franciacorta, a sparkling wine produced with the same method of champagne, and using only grapes from the Franciacorta area.

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Bistecca alla fiorentina – Firenze (Toscana)

Beefsteak Florentine style, also called just “Fiorentina”, is a T-bone steak known for the high quality of the meat and the dimensions, as it can get to 4 cm high and 2 kg weight. The history of the recipe is linked with the history of the city itself and it is a must try for meat lovers.