Guided tour of the historic center of Genoa with tastings and samplings among typical flavors and aromas of Ligurian culinary tradition. Among anecdotes and curiosities we will discover the places where the Genoese buy the frisceu and we will taste the famous focaccia Genoese, crispy and irresistible, the focaccia with cheese of Recco, stuffed vegetable pies, such as the meatloaf and the cake pasqualina. Entering the labyrinth of caruggi of downtown medieval period we will encounter grocery stores, stores with “mescita” sales, and small colonial stores. One of the alleys, via macelli di Soziglia, is reminiscent in name of the butcher shops present here since the Middle Ages; some still have ancient marble counters and old tools of the trade. Underground, among fry shops and shamadde (the name indicates the flames of wood-burning ovens) we will discover places that help define Genoa's urban identity. The Antica Friggitoria Carega, active as early as 1890, among dishes of farinata, panissa and a wide variety of fritters of the sea, was a regular destination of Fabrizio De Andrè e Paul Village. Among the store windows we will notice the skinny capon, an ancient traditional Ligurian dish of fish and vegetables (lean that is, reserved for days of penance and Lent). While sipping a glass of vermentino, we will be able to taste the pansotti with walnut sauce and the trofie with pesto, prepared with pestle and mortar. Typical sweets of Genoa include: the Lagaccio cookies, canestrelli cookies, and especially the pandolce genovese, with pine nuts, candied fruit, raisins, and fennel seeds.
Some tastings may take place in historical workshops. Romanengo confectionery, in business since 1780, amidst polychrome marble, inlaid rosewood shelves and frescoed and stucco-decorated ceilings, offers such delicacies as sugared almonds, candied , bon bon And the famous violets.
In the 13th-century Gattilusio Loggia, the Marescotti pastry shop displays its products among brass, marble and crystal display cases. The Klainguti pastry shop, opened in 1828 by four Swiss pastry brothers, preserves an autograph of Giuseppe Verdi, their loyal customer.
The Romeo Viganotti chocolate factory, founded in 1866, features a workshop with old machines from the late 19th century, including a stone “melanger” for grinding hazelnuts and cocoa.
For Day trips and school stays in Liguria you can plan to stop for lunch at affiliated restaurants in Genoa or a snack to taste typical focaccia or farinata.
