Cinque Terre cuisine is poor, inherited from a million year old tradition tied to the history of the territory. The dishes of today in fact preserve characteristics of that period, like the respect of smell and flavours. Fish, as is obvious, is the master: anchovies, bream, bass, cuttle-fish, octopus and calamari are amongst the main ingredients in many dishes.
Dishes made tastier by adding aromatic essences which grow in the whole area, like origan, thyme and marjoram, dressed with local olive oil and washed down with superb local white wines. Whilst with regard to vegetables, cultivated everywhere in the allotments, a lot of space is given to vegetable pies and minestrone soup, prepared with borage, beetroot, cabbage, artichokes, potatoes and leeks. Meat dishes are few, almost limited only to white meat like chicken and rabbit.
Recipes
Stuffed mussels
Wash and open two-thirds of the mussels, preserving the stock, whilst in a small pan cook the remaining mussels.
Then add to the cooked mussels chopped up bread, mortadella (Bologna sausage), garlic and other herbs, then mix together with egg, grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and distribute this mixture inside the open mussels. In the meantime simmer on a low heat a chopped onion until soft, then add peeled tomato and cook on a high heat. Finally place the stuffed mussels in a casserole, pour stock over them and cook for half an hour.
Courgette flower fritters
While oil is heating in a frying pan, make a liquid paste from water, flour, salt and courgette flowers. The liquid is then poured onto the hot oil a little at a time to form small fritters, which once they become golden in colour should be drained and eaten hot.
Wines
If once upon a time wine growing of the Cinque Terre was one of the distinct aspects of the area, today there are few people who work in this sector. In order to aid this tradition since 1982 the Cooperative Agricola (Agriculture Cooperative) exists which produces Cinque Terre and Sciacchetrà, two D.O.C. wines.
The first is a delicate white wine of a pale yellow colour, ideal with sea dishes, vegetable pieces and focacce (flat bread). The second wine is without doubt the most well known in the Cinque Terre. It is a sweet wine, ideal for desserts. It has a limited production and is obtained from the fermentation of the same grapes as the white wine, though in this case they are left to dry for three months on a trellis. The “pigiatura”, which takes place at the end of November perhaps gives the name its origin (“sciacàa”, schiacciare (crush)).
Azienda Agricola Possa, Riomaggiore, via Signorini, 91 • +39 348.3162470 • info@possa.it • www.possa.it
Azienda Campogrande, Riomaggiore, via di Loca,189 • +39 327.2910120 • info@cinqueterre-campogrande.com • www.cinqueterre-campogrande.com
Cantine Litàn , Riomaggiore, via G. Matteotti, 32f • +39 340.7655840 • litanfc@libero.it • www.litan.it
Walter De Battè, Riomaggiore, via Pecunia, 160 • +39 389.8084812 • viniprimaterra@gmail.com • www.primaterra.it
Terre Sospese , Riomaggiore, via Pecunia, 122 • +39 328.7074791 • andrea.pecunia@virgilio.it • www.terresospese.it
Az. Agricola Riccardo Fino, Riomaggiore, via del Santuario, 266 • +39 335.5853062 / 1963 • riccardo@gmail.com • fb: i Magnati
Terra di Bargòn, Riomaggiore, via Gramsci, 11 • +39 333.4480652 / 335 6997268 • info@terradibargon.com • www.terradibargon.com
Terenzuola di Ivan Glullani, Riomaggiore • +39 0187.670387 • info@terenzuola.it • www.terenzuola.it
Arrigoni Rosadimaggio, Volastra • +39 0187.504060 / +39 393.9402222 • info@awf2000.com • www.arrigoni1913.it
Az. Agricola Luciano Capellini, Volastra, via Montello, 240/b • +39 0187.920632 • capellini@vinbun.it • www.vinbun.it
Coop Agricoltura Cinque Terre, Manarola – Loc. Groppo • +39 0187.920435 • info5t@cantinacinqueterre.com • www.cantinacinqueterre.com
Azienda Burasca, Manarola, via Discovolo, 267 • +39 0187.920268 / +39 339.8071261 • info@burasca.com • www.burasca.com
Az. Agricola Forlini Cappellini, Manarola, via Riccobaldi, 45 • forlinicappellini@libero.it
Cantina Crovara, Manarola, via dei Molini, 26 • +39 349.7514446 • alecrovara@libero.it • www.cantinacrovara.it
Cantina dei Tobioli, Manarola, via Discovolo, 32 • +39 338.5069860 / +39 0187.920213 • villaargentina@libero.it • www.cantinadeitobioli.it
Azienda Vinicola La Polenza, Corniglia, via Fieschi, 107 • +39 0187.821214 • lapolenza@libero.it
Azienda Agricola Cheo, Vernazza, via Brigate Partigiane, 1 • +39 333.9594759 • bartolocheo@gmail.com • www.cheo.it
Società Agraria Buranco, Monterosso, via Buranco, 72 • +39 335.8469834 / +39 0187.817677 • info@buranco.it • www.burancocinqueterre.it
Azienda Begasti, Monterosso, via Servano,14 • info@begasti.it • www.begasti.it
Cantina Sassarini, Monterosso – Loc. Pian del Corso, 1 • +39 0187.888158 • cantinassassarini@alice.it • www.sassarini5terre.it
Azienda Agricola A Scià, Monterosso – Loc. Pian del Corso, 1 • +39 0187.888158 • azagr.ascia@gmail.com • www.vinocinqueterre.com
Azienda Agricola Vetua, Monterosso – Loc. Fuisso • +39 347.4518245 • aavetua@gmail.com • www.vetua.it
Erbaspada di P. Chiassoni, Monterosso, via Roma, 80 • +39 329.7452919
