Foods to Eat in Italy - Venice

- Baccalà Mantecato -

Baccalà Mantecato, otherwise known as creamed codfish, is a traditional and popular Venetian dish eaten as an antipasto, cicchetti or even as a sandwich filling. Baccalà, meaning dried cod, was introduced to the Venetian people by Querini in the 15th Century. A captain that sailed the world but alas, disaster struck and he was shipwrecked in Norway, however, every cloud has a silver lining. In this case, he discovered the Nordic way of preserving fish and brought it back to Venice whereby it quickly became a household favourite. Nowadays, there are more than 40 Baccalà recipes, with Baccalà Mantecato being the most well-known one.

Baccalà Mantecato is prepared by first soaking the codfish in water for at least 2 days, then poached and the bone and skin removed. Finally, it is blended (or traditionally, whipped) with olive oil, garlic, parsley and salt to reach a consistency akin to a fine mousse. It is then served with toasted bread, croutons or more traditionally, grilled polenta, which is another Venetian staple.

While you will find many bacari serving this delicious cicchetti, the quality and price can vary dramatically with some establishments (which we won't mention) serving Baccalà Mantecato which tastes straight from a can and at an exorbitant price to boot. However, for as many awful restaurants, there are great ones, like Cantine del Vino Gia Schiavi, which is located in a very picturesque location within Dorsoduro. Whilst a little small, their food is all top-notch and their Baccalà Mantecato is so soft and creamy, it literally disintegrates in your mouth and is completely incomparable to many other bacari.

If you are in a hurry or on a whistle stop tour of Venice then Rosticceria Gislon is also a good choice. The format of this 'restuarant' is a cafeteria style eatery and is the closest thing to traditional Venetian 'fast food'. While the food there is perhaps not number one in Venice, it embodies the cheap and cheerful atmosphere and is still nonetheless tasty and you could do far worse whilst still paying far more. In addition, their specialty lies is their speed and convenience and so is a great choice for a quick bite of some Venetian classics, including their popular Mozzarella in Carrozza.