Liguria, land of quality - Turismo in Liguria

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It includes a large consumption of bread, fruit, vegetables, aromatic herbs, cereals, olive oil, fish and wine (the latter in moderation). The great amount of olive oil used in the Mediterranean cuisine, and in the Ligurian one in particular, partly counterbalances the animal fats: olive oil apparently lowers cholesterol levels in the blood. The cured anchovies of the Ligurian Sea means, a land crop (and not a forest one), because of its noticeable importance; its fruits are the basis of many dishes with an ancient tradition, such as the “castagnaccio” and the “Pan Martin”; with chestnut flour you can also prepare the Ligurian fresh pastas. Mushrooms that grow wild in Liguria are of such an excellent quality, that even Casanova liked them and counted them among culinary delights. The Ligurian Sea is a sea that laps the coasts which are famous for their natural beauty, a sea up to ten thousand feet deep, which can reach a depth of three thousand metres to the North West of Corsica; it is a swirling sea, hit by winds; it has a high salinity, and offers excellent fish. In Liguria the quality of the catch is high and there are many valuable species (octopus, cephalopods, ink-fish, squids, squill-fish, lobsters, scampi fish, prawns, sea urchins, soles, giltheads, amberjacks, sword fish, tunas, mussels) and of course oily fish: sand eels, sardines, mackerels and anchovies. Olive Oil and Ligurian olives Products good enough to deserve the first fish Protected Geographical Status: cured anchovies of the Ligurian Sea, a just recognition of a preservation technique which dates back to medieval times, when they were a trading good with the nearby Piedmont. In a land known and appreciated mostly for its sea, the fish in the Ligurian cuisine is present but not overwhelming; it is used in soups and to cook the delicious “Cappon magro”, a traditional dish which encloses the whole Ligurian spirit: the perfect union between the land and the sea, which blends harmoniously fish and vegetables in a dish deliberately choreographic. Agricultural and food products which are the basis of the Ligurian cuisine are the same as the ones of the Mediterranean diet, which was proclaimed in 2010 Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Fish-based dishes from the Ligurian Sea 8 9
P.D.O. products Protected Designation of Origin The P.D.O. trademark is assigned to agricultural and food products whose quality characteristics depend primarily or exclusively on the territory where they are produced. Production, processing and preparation stages must take place within a bounded geographical area, following production specific rules (Reg. EEC 2081/92). Ligurian olive oil, which boasts the Protected designation of origin for both parts of the italian riviera, has a high content of oleic acid (greater than 70%), low linoleic acid content and consequently of trilinolein, and low acidity. it is found in three geographical locations: riviera dei fiori, the riviera to the west of savona and the eastern riviera; Ligurian olive oil boasts the first P.d.o. in italy, recognized with the territorial and regional extension, and the first P.d.o. in italy with adoption of a system of public check. The most popular varieties of olives in Liguria are the Taggiasca, Pinola, Lavagnina and razzola. however, many others have a local origin; they are found in various olive growing areas of the region. To the west, the olive tree is favoured by a drier and more temperate climate, and the result is a more delicate, fruitier olive oil. however, all the olive oil from Liguria, which also delicately accompanies the ingredients of the international cuisine, tying together different flavours; it has a yellow-green colour, and can be classified among the olive oils with a fruity, sweet taste with a smell of ripe fruit. There are two P.D.O. Ligurian products: the Extra Virgin Olive Oil “Riviera Ligure” and the Genoese Basil. The Extra Virgin Olive Oil “Riviera Ligure” The olive tree has conquered the hills and the mountain that rise from the Ligurian sea, between the third and the fourth century ad by benedictine monks, who in the Middle ages settled in Portofino, on the island of the Tino in the La spezia area, on the gallinara island in the area of savona and in albenga. it was the monks who spread among the local populations the cultivation techniques, and taught them how to subtract the farmland to nature, thought the erection of dry stone walls. it is assumed that right in their monastic vegetable gardens, the type of olive “cultivar taggiasca” was selected; it takes its name from Taggia, a resort in the imperia area. over the centuries, the Ligurian olive oil has always been a valuable bargaining chip with other populations, especially from the sides of the Po valley and france. olive cultivation occupies those lands which are less suitable for more productive crops such as fruit and vegetables. now the olivegroves are spread out all along the coast; they characterize the landscape by their diffusion and homogeneity in many locations throughout the italian riviera. in many resorts of the italian riviera it is possible to purchase the olive oil from the local producers. in medieval times the production of olive oil in Liguria was quite modest and limited; the proper olive oil industry as such only started as from the end of the 16th century, and it reached its maximum expansion between the 18th and the 19th century, when the olive tree cultivation became almost the exclusive and prevailing one around the resorts in the area of imperia, while in the eastern italian riviera, there was a mixed cultivation, in vegetable gardens and vineyards. for decades imperia was the major centre for mediation and trade of olive oils from the Mediterranean, and today it still homes renowned companies on the market. Extra Virgin Olive Oil Riviera Ligure RIVIERA DEI FIORI P.D.O. area of production: Province of Imperia peculiarities: The varieties of olive trees that characterize the landscape of the Riviera dei Fiori and their olive oils are the following ones: Taggiasca 99%, Pignola Colombaia and Merlina 1%. characteristics: This olive oil comes from varieties of local olive trees, and it is characterized by a high content of oleic acid (greater than 70%), low linoleic acid content (and consequently of trilinolein) and low acidity. The P.D.O. “Riviera Ligure”, accompanied by the geographical mention “Riviera dei Fiori”, is reserved for those extra virgin olive oils produced exclusively from olives of the following varieties: Taggiasca for at least 90%, others up to 10%. Extra Virgin Olive Oil “Riviera Ligure” RIVIERA DEL PONENTE SAVONESE P.D.O. area of production: Province of Savona peculiarities: The varieties of olive trees which characterize the landscape of the western Riviera of the area around Savona and their respective olive oils are the following ones: Taggiasca 25%, Pignola 25%, Colombaia 15%, Nostrale 8%, Merlina 5%, Finalina and others 2%. characteristics: This olive oil comes from varieties of local olive trees, and it is characterized by a high content of oleic acid (greater than 70%), low linoleic acid content (and consequently of trilinolein) and low acidity. The denomination is reserved to the extra virgin olive oil obtained from the “Taggiasca” olive tree variety, which is found in the olivegroves for at least 60%. Other varieties found in the olivegroves can also be present, however not in such a great percentage, never exceeding the 40% mark. 10 Olivegroves by the sea 11
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Liguria, land of quality - Turismo in Liguria

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