Liguria is home to some of the best sea food and agricultural produce. The cuisine of Sanremo is in fact based on fresh ingredients of the highest quality that are delicious even when eaten on their own. One prestigious example is the famous and award-winning Ligurian oil that is very refined, especially the Taggiasca cultivar which is considered the most delicate olive oil in the world.

There is also the abundance of fish found in the generous Mediterranean sea, including sea bass, gilt-head bream, tub garnard, hake, swordfish, tuna… and of course, the most appreciated red shrimp of Sanremo, renowned for its delicious pulp that can be eaten raw, cooked in salt or just lightly browned.

Some of the typical sea food recipes include the Buridda, an exquisite soup of squid and octopus, and the Brandacujun stockfish with potatoes and Taggiasca olives.

And as a first course? Well, whether you prefer trofie, trenette or any other type of pasta, you cannot stop in any Ligurian city without trying a hearty plate of pasta with pesto, a real hymn to the goodness of simplicity. Or as an alternative, ravioli with borage, a wild variety of spinach.

And to accompany it, one of the excellent Ligurian wines: Rossese, Ormeasco, Vermentino or Pigato?

Finally, as a dessert, try the kisses of Sanremo, hazelnut biscuits held together by a delicious chocolate mousse.

If instead you just want a quick snack, there is the Sardenaira: lesser known – but perhaps tastier – than the Genoese one, it is a fragrant Ligurian focaccia seasoned with tomatoes, anchovies, capers and olives (don’t call it pizza!).

What else? Buon appetito!

(photo cover by Victoria Alexandrova)