Veneto, the Northeastern corner of Italy appears to be the most diverse dominant region. The cities of Veneto are surrounded by amazingly fertile farmland paired with flowing rivers that flow into the beautiful Adriatic Sea.
The culinary cultures are rich full of many traditions from Austria, Yugoslavia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Spain, and many others!
Ingredients such as varieties of Rice, Polenta, Radicchio, Asparagus, Mushrooms, Cherries, Apples, Olives, Grapes, Parsley, Persimmons, Zuchini flowers, Thyme, Garlic, Rosemary and so much more have graced the large tables with small plates for small portions that pair with meaningful, rich and delicate conversations that take place at every meal!
What I adore so much about Italian culinary culture is that heavy salt and heavy spicing are not a part of menu preparation!
When spicing takes place in a dish it does so with respect for the ingredients present and the time of year they are invited into a dish. The intense passion for creating from locally available ingredients creates light flavorgasms as they flow effortlessly onto your tongue when tasting different foods, like cinnamon, cloves, white wines, poppy seeds, cacao, coffee, and more!
Oh, how I adore the amazingly reflective culture of food!