Gourmet Articles

With so many different Italian food dishes it is hard to pick a favorite. However, for those who like risotto, Veneto is the region for you! Italian food varies greatly by region with each area presenting their own unique dishes and flavors.

One of the most recognized Italian food dishes is Risotto and because of that Veneto is a must stop region for those travelers in Italy wanting to taste some excellent Italian food.

A rice dish prepared in a specific way (we'll cover that in a minute), it is one of the more popular Italian food dishes and is a staple of restaurants specializing in Italian food. To properly make a risotto, the rice must be first cooked quickly in butter or olive oil.

The rice must be stirred so that it is evenly coated with the oil or butter, and cooked until it starts to become translucent. Once that has been achieved, broth is slowly (and I mean slowly, one spoonful at a time is traditional). One thing to keep in mind about risotto; the rice must be toasted, or no matter how good the result or how nice your local purveyor of Italian food may be, it's just not risotto.

There are many different variations on risotto because it can be made and served with so many different Italian food favorites. In Veneto the ingredients added to the risotto are determined by location. For instance, in areas closer to the coast it will be made with fish and other seafood.

The possibilities go far beyond seafood though, all sorts of fresh local specialties show up in the Veneto region. Pumpkin, asparagus, even radicchio turn up in these local gems. Frog legs may even be found, a more commonplace part of Italian food than many would suppose.

The Veneto region is also home to some unique foods. The dishes here are heavier and rely on exotic spices and sauces. One unique dish that originated here and is quickly gaining popularity as an Italian food dish is pasta and beans. Beans are used in many dishes here due to their ready availability.

This is also an area of Italy where anchovies and stockfish are used extensively in Italian food. However, fish is not the dish of choice here, being beaten out by meats and sausages. A favorite meat is sopressata which is a dry-cured salami. It gets its name from the fact that while drying it is often pressed with a weight and comes out looking flat.

It is most often made with pork, but sometimes beef is used. Another favorite Italian food meat is garlic salami. The Italian food here is also reliant on some of the prized vegetables of the area. Veneto is especially known for their high quality red radicchio and their asparagus. One last dish that is unique to the area is a rice dish with young peas.

The Veneto region offers many different choices for the discriminating diner. From sopressata to vegetable dishes to it's unparalleled risotto, the Italian food of Veneto is an embarrassment of riches. If you require risotto to make it an Italian meal, the foods of Veneto are just the thing for you. With so many unique dishes, Veneto has enough different, wonderful Italian food for everybody.

Tags: asparagus, Beans, dishes, exotic spices, Food, garlic salami, Italian food, meat, pasta, Pumpkin, radicchio, Recipes, rice dish, Risotto, sauces, sausages, Seafood, sopressata, Spices, stockfish, unique foods, vegetables, Veneto