Venice Recipes and Curiosities
from the Venetian Cuisine

Where not otherwise shown, all recipes were collected by
Lucia Fanton, a thoughtful and fond housewife, that first between the veniceXplorer Users, answered at our help request.
A special thank to "nono" (Granddad)
Luigi Zanon, a restaurateur depositary of a very ancient Venetian gastronomic knowledge, and to
Gianfranco Ballarin for his witty reflections.

Risi e Bisi
Rice with Peas

Collected by:
Lucia Fanton

Figà a la Venessiana
Liver Venetian Way

Creme Frite
Fryied Creams

Known that in Cookery, and mainly in the popular one, they seem to exist almost so many versions of the same recipe, as many families cooking it, for what concerns the use of condiments, fragrances and spices, we are going to publish this collection without any pretension to estabilish that these recipes might be the best or the most widespread between the average of the ancient nor modern Venetians.

Melansane al Fungheto
"Mushroomed" Aubergines

These recipes want to remember some of the dishes and the titbits that were or still are characteristics of Venice along the ´900 and in some cases even much before. Many of this courses have disappeared from dayly dealing in town, and with the modern tightening up of sanitary laws and the decreasing of the time dedicated to food preparation, we are far from excluding that many others will soon sink into oblivion.

We want to fix this memory at less for the suggestion that traditional foods induce.

Fritoe de Toni Trolese
Toni Trolese´s Doughnuts

Sardee in Saór
Sardines Preserved in Vinegar and Onion

Fasioi
a la Maniera del Gheto
Beans Ghetto´s Way

Collected by:
Gianfranco Ballarin

We shall see in the pages how, I.E., the Sardee in Saor talk of the seafaring life and of the exchanges with other Mediterranean Peoples, or the Zaleti, about that one of the Piave river´s Zattieri (trunk-Raft transporters), or the Ghetto´s Beans witness of the ancient and loyal Israelitic Community in town...

Umberto Sartory

El Franfraniche
Venetian Caramel

Collected by:
Luigi Zanon

I do not think that we could easily state that strictly original Venetian recipes do exist. Venice has been for more than 1000 years a World centre for business, military and religious traffics, driven by a ruling class that was cultured, if not Apollonian, and enterprising in every sense (the Venetians have even been able to place a man like Andrea Gritti very near to the Sultan).

El Peruz
e i Biscoti da Ostaria
Baked Pears and Tavern Biscuits

Collected by:
Luigi Zanon

E Pagnochee co l´Ua
de D´Amato
The Raisins Breads
of D´Amato Bakers

Collected by:
Umberto Sartory

Sepe in Tecia
col Nero
Cuttles in Casserole
with Their Ink

Aside the Population, convinced and almost always quite and faithful subject.
Soon, after the wearying and Spartan beginnings, when just the lone resources of the boggy Lagoon were employed, the fast growing of the Population in number and requirements turned the Venetians toward imports, trasformation and trade, filtering and adopting the good and the better from all the different cultures and places reached.

I Baicoi
Baicoli Biscuits

So we got a cuisine that time by time has transformed, adapted to Venetian taste and developed many foods from all over around: variegated, fabled cookery, with names whose etymons lie in all the Mediterranean Languages, in those of the Near, Middle and Far East, of the North, of the West...

Gianfranco Ballarin

Sopa de Spessati
Halved-peas Soup

Sievoi Rostii su la Grea
Grilled Mussets

Collected by:
Luigi Zanon

Bisato su l´Ara
Eel Glass Kiln´s Way

Collected by:
Lucia Fanton, Luigi Zanon e Umberto Sartory

I Cicheti Venessiani
Venice Tavern´s Nibblers

Collected by:
Umberto Sartory

E Castraure
Artichoke Buds

Collected by:
Umberto Sartory

Bussolai and Eses
from Burano

Collected by:
Lucia Fanton

The Pincia
(or Pinza)

Collected by:
Lucia Fanton