Welcome back to my Life in Northern Italy blog. Today I am going to write about food and the differences in menus that can occur in restaurants located just a few kilometers apart. I am thinking this will be a longer post as I want to show a lot of photos and comment on them. Google has changed their blog format and I struggle to use the photos as I used to. However, I will try to show you what I call the real Italy, at least the one that citizens live in. I want you to feel as if you are here, etc.
We have just returned from taking an hour and a half drive to the south to visit the beach area. This area is at the mouth of the Po river which is quite large and has bird santuaries throughout the area. The Po river near its end has several channels so one does not get to see really how large it is. In times past, before machines, there was a lot of boat traffic to move goods, etc. up and down the Po. Here are two maps that show where we will be in relation to Venice and Padova, and the second one will give you more of a close up. The only tourists here will be almost all Italian, except for the bird watchers that come to find species found here.
We arrived in the evening and after checking in to our hotel we went downstairs to find something regional for dinner. We are about 100 steps from a huge fishing boat docking area, so we expected a menu loaded with all types of fish and shellfish items. It did not disappoint. Here is the menu.
All of the items were fish derived, no beef, pork,veal,or chicken.
My favorite appetizer is sarde un saor, which is sardine fish marinated in a sweet vinegar sauce, with onions. You see it here.
Notice all items are sea food.
In the morning we took a drive to the fishing boat area and then around the Po Delta. We saw 4 pheasants in different places, and many small and large birds, some looking like white flamingos. We stopped to view the lighthouse, but did not take the boat across to view it closer, instead we elected to drive further north across a bridge made of boats.
There were many old houses whose roofs had collapsed and an old pump house that had a tree growing inside. We passed many farms, most looked quite like the one you see below.
When time for pranzo (lunch) approached we were a bit more inland, maybe 5 kilometers from the Adriatic. We searched the internet for a good restaurant, and made a phone call to reserve a table. At this time all restaurants must serve food out of doors, and only hotels are bending the rules if they do not have outdoor seating. We experienced a slight breeze off the Adriatic Sea, and put on our jackets while we looked at the menu.
You will see that there is no fish items on the menu. My wife had mentioned that we might see piadinas, which are like baby white flour tortillas but instead, much to my delight we saw salami, typical from the area and a type of fried bread called Gnocco Fritto, which are almost exactly like sopapillas, such as one would find in New Mexico, my home state. These little gems are cooked in pork fat, which make them even more special. It is hard to imagine these to be found but when I see them on a menu I have to order them. This I just had to have! Also served are various cuts of salami, and these were exceptional in taste.
The next day we took a boat ride through the bird sanctuary area, viewed some very small villages, saw some fishing houses with special nets to catch small fish, all while the tour driver shared a lot of history and information about the fishing and gathering of clams. The fishermen have their own small area blocked off by large poles, and there are even cameras to catch poaching. (The clams are valuable.) The following are just a few photos from this two hour flat bottom boat ride. I am having some difficult uploading a video showing the mechanized nets, sorry. (Google!!!)
The big house was once owned by the Vatican. It was built so that passage through the canal could be halted in order to pay a fee. Big business for the Pope.
That afternoon we drove 10 minutes from the port, called and used our navigator to find a restaurant noted for their food. They were quite busy but we were lucky to reserve a table. Even though they were close to the sea, they did not offer any seafood. You can see the menu below.
This area of Ferrara has many restaurants that feature barbecue items, and this one is one of my favorites. Small cuts of beef on wooden sticks. The chef must turn them every so often so they don't burn. You see it here.
I hope that you can see that visiting Italy one will discover differences in the different regions cuisine. I hope that when you arrive here you will seek out foods different than pizza. Food is so much more than that. When you do find new tastes you will be enjoying the history of Italy, and come to know some reasons the foods are different depending on where you are.
Lastly, I want to make a short mention that this short weekend experience was greatly enjoyed as we have been in a tight lockdown for months. Our village is small and we were not allowed to leave except for medical or work reasons. This past year has been difficult for all of us, no matter where we live. I hope you have enjoyed a piece of our life here by reading this blog. Thank you for your interest. Stay Safe, Ciao!
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