Liguria and Piedmont – Some Food Memories Part 1

Think global, act local. That's one of the mantras of Patrick Geddes, a great hero of mine. Without him, half of Edinburgh's Royal Mile would have been demolished a century ago. I suppose my twist on it would be, travel global, eat local.

Today's article is inspired by having spent most of last month in Italy on the road less travelled, mostly in Liguria, with a short excursion into Piemonte (Piedmont). If you know anything about Italy, you will know there is no such thing as Italian cuisine. (I suppose I should say cucina italiana.) But if you go to some of the most popular centres, local variations can easily be masked, tourism being the main reason. In Rome, for example, choosing a place to eat is tricky. Top tip: avoid restaurants with pictures outside. Another problem is our own ignorance. Most so called Italian restaurants in this country (and further afield) are selling us a variation on the food of Naples, often very successfully. You can hardly blame Italians for thinking that's what visitors want. Venice is perhaps even worse. You can eat well there without being ripped off, but, boy, do you have to search.

Who knows that oxtail is a classic of Roman cooking, or that liver is a Venetian one? But when you leave the obvious regions it's much easier to eat local.

Liguria is in the northwest of the country, Genova (Genoa) being the capital. Piemonte is further north still, taking you up to the borders with France and Switzerland. We got as far as the capital, Torino (Turin). Let's start with a little myth busting.

Myth 1: Genoa is just a port. It's a dump.

If you see it only from a cruise ship, you might be forgiven for thinking that. Even after doing the open top bus tour, we weren't overly impressed. But get on your feet, get into the streets where no bus can go, and treasures await. Fascinating little alleyways; wonderful old shops. You can easily overdo Italian churches, but there are some exquisite examples here.

Myth 2: Turin. Well, it's a big industrial place, isn't it? Fiat, Olivetti, Ferrero (OK, they are in Alba, but let's not split hazelnuts). Yup, that's what I thought as well. Instead I found an elegant city on the River Po, laid out in an easily navigable grid, full of places selling great food.

The food, obviously, is what this article is about. Living in a villa with a decent kitchen, we ate in at least 70% of the time. I have decent notes of most meals out, but I know you get bored with too many foreign reviews. Just the excuse, then, to talk about some local culinary variations.

Why not begin with pasta? The most common type is trofie, a thin twisted little shape, slightly chewy. It is

often served with pesto (a Ligurian specialty), fagiolini and patate. Yes, you did read that right, pasta with beans and potatoes. Pansotti next. Put simply, these are the Genoese variation on ravioli, usually stuffed with ricotta and greens and/or herbs. They are usually served with salsa ai noci, walnut sauce. That's for another day. The most charming pasta variation we discovered were mandilli (de sea). That's Ligurian dialect for silk handkerchiefs, symbolising what Genoese wives would wave as they saw their husbands off on a long voyage. Can you imagine saying farewell to someone close knowing that there will be no contact for two years, and being well aware of the dangers (and mortality rates) of being a sailor?

To be continued.