Traditional local produce
‘De.Co’ status is a certification given to food products which have a particular bond with a region either through the way they are produced or their contribution to the local cuisine.
There are several Alassio specialities which have received this recognition, an acknowledgement of the commitment local producers have made to improve, protect and promote their produce.
The little hillside village of Moglio was once home to the “tuna men” who in the late 1800s would travel to Sicily and Sardinia to apply their expertise in processing and cooking bluefin tuna. These workers brought back this tuna tripe sandwich, a dish for more adventurous appetites made from dried tuna tripe cooked in a sauce with potatoes, tomatoes, pine nuts, parsley, carrots, onion, garlic, and bay leaves.
One of the most typical products in Ligurian cuisine is the anchovy, known as the “bread of the sea”. This delicacy was so commonplace that in the Middle Ages local rules and laws were drawn up to regulate its production and salting. ‘Acciugotto’ is the street food version of the classic Ligurian anchovies, dressed with a pesto of parsley, capers, bread, white wine vinegar, and extra-virgin olive oil.
Traditional Ligurian stuffed sardines prepared in the manner typical of the Alassio region: the fish are cleaned and then coated with a mixture of breadcrumbs softened in milk and shredded chard, parsley, a little garlic, marjoram, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt, and pepper. Covered with breadcrumbs, the sardines are then fried in oil.
These crispy anchovies are dipped in flour and fried, a speciality of Moglio when served with ‘tumatetta’, a salsa made by cooking tomatoes over a low heat with onion and basil, seasoned with salt and extra-virgin olive oil. The sweetness of the ripe tomatoes really brings out the flavour of the fresh fish.
These are fritters which are made with a simple batter and an assortment of finely cut seasonal vegetables: in summer these may include ‘trombetta’ squashes, red onions and courgette flowers, whilst in winter pumpkins, borage, leeks and spring onions are used. The name of the dish, ‘mugnaȓelle, was also a local dialect name for the young women of Moglio.
In the days when fishermen would still use nets, some sardines and anchovies would get trapped and could not be sold because they were damaged. So the women would prepare the pieces of fish in a mortar with salt, oil and butter to create a ‘máchetto’, a delicious anchovy paste which would then be served up on bread croutons.
Legend has it that the residents of Solva built a chapel dedicated to Santissima Annunziata so that she would rid the village of snakes. And, miraculously, the The snakes vanished and so to show their thanks the women of the village created a sweet fritter in the shape of a snake made from flour, yeast, warm water, sugar, fennel seeds or aniseed, and lemon zest.
Apple fritters are a typical dessert of Borgo Coscia, made from flour, milk, egg, yeast, apple rings, maraschino liqueur, a dash of turmeric and, to serve, a dusting of icing sugar. Every year there is a big festival in Borgo, celebrating the victory over the Saracen pirates in 1500, a great opportunity to try these apple fritters for yourself.
The famous ‘Baci di Alassio’, meaning "Kisses from Alassio" symbolise the town’s nickname of the “City of Lovers”. These are a type of biscuit made from hazelnuts mixed with sugar and egg to give a smooth mixture to which honey and cocoa powder are added. The dough is then piped onto a baking sheet and left to rest overnight before being assembled. The last step in the process is to put two halves together, which has to be done by hand, using a soft chocolate ganache.
These crackers were traditionally given to worshippers during the festival of Santa Caterina di Alessandria, as a receipt for payment of the annual membership fee for the brotherhood. A simple round biscuit made from water, flour, sugar and lard, flavoured with fennel seeds and baked in the oven.
In the 1500s, Ligurian pastry chefs invented a sweetened bread which kept longer during long sea voyages: a soft dough of sugar, egg, butter and milk to which was added wheat flour, yeast and dried candied fruit. In contrast to the typical Genoese cake, this “sailor’s bread” is more delicate without the taste of marsala or zibibbo sweet wines.
These are delicious little shortcrust pastries which are typical of Borgo Barusso. They are shaped like little hats and filled with apricot jam. The name comes from the metal moulds they used to be made in. The base is tapered whilst the top resembles a little hat.
These are a type of dried fig wrapped in fig leaves and with added flavourings such as laurel or wild fennel which keep for a long time.
Amaro dei Saraceni, named after the days when the Ligurian coast was regularly attacked and plundered by pirates, is a typical Italian bitter liqueur made from an assortment of aromatic herbs from the Riviera. The liqueur, which is sweet and with more than a hint of alcohol, is made from 40 different herbs which are left to soak in a mixture of water and alcohol for 40 days, at which point sugar is added.
A culinary tradition that gives us delicious dishes from the land and the sea, enriched by local aromatic herbs and outstanding extra-virgin olive oil
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Emerson Fortunato Marco Zanardi Mola Mola Dive Team VI Continente Diving Center Giardini di Villa della Pergola Thalasso and Medical SPA Grand Hotel Alassio Golf di Garlenda Mattia Righello Un Mondo di Colori Willie Boehmer Giannicola Marello.
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