Top 4 Traditional Foods
in the Province of La Spezia

Gattafin is a traditional dish originating from Levanto in the region of Liguria. These fried ravioli are usually made with a combination of flour, olive oil, salt, white wine, and water. They're most commonly stuffed with a mixture of chard or mixed herbs, onions, marjoram, eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Sardo cheese, olive oil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. A thin sheet of dough is rolled out and disks (or sometimes squares) are then cut out from the dough. The center of each disk is topped with a spoonful of the filling mixture. They're folded in half and the edges are pressed before the gattafin is fried in hot oil. Once drained, the fried ravioli are served piping hot. The term gattafin is derived from gattafura, a 14th-century word for ravioli and cake.Expand

Mesciua is a traditional cucina povera soup originating from the Ligurian province of La Spezia. It's made with a combination of chickpeas, pearl barley, cannellini beans, buckwheat, olive oil, bay leaves, sage, and stock. The ingredients are cooked in a pot until they soften up, and the soup is then served with Ligurian olive oil and lots of black pepper. In local dialect, mesciua means mixed or a mixture, referring to the different ingredients used in the soup. It is believed that the soup was invented when there was a scarcity of grains and beans to prepare fagiolata, so port workers and their wives collected spillages from torn food sacks that were being loaded off the ships. Mesciua is especially popular during cold winters.Expand

Unlike other canestrelli varieties, the ones traditionally prepared in Brugnato are soft, dark brown in color, and very large – they can reach up to 20 cm in diameter. This simple sweet bread is made with leavened dough that is flavored with honey and anise seeds, which give it a characteristic, delicately sweet, aromatic kick. Canestrelli di Brugnato are perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack, especially if paired with a cup of coffee or tea.Expand

Produced throughout the inland parts of Liguria, this generally mild-flavored sausage is made with leaner cuts of pork that are ground, salted, and stuffed in a natural pork casing. It is typically enjoyed grilled or cooked, and it is often pricked so that the additional part of the fat goes out, making it even leaner.Expand