10 dishes that you need to try in Italy and which you most likely have not heard of

The pizza, pasta and gelato are delicious! But, friends, when you find yourself in Italy, in this gastronomic paradise, in this gourmet mecca, among the people who can turn bread and giblets into a masterpiece, you can not limit yourself to three dishes only because they are known all over the world. Forget about typical tourist food, after all, quite decent Italian pasta can be cooked at home. Get to know the amazing regional dishes and unforgettable street food of magnificent Italy, because the cuisine of this country is much richer and more impressive than you can imagine.

Bigoli

Think spaghetti is delicious? Wait while you try bigoli - a specialty of the Veneto region. Unlike smooth, thin spaghetti, this noodle is thick, rough and tubular. Traditionally, it is made manually from buckwheat flour and duck eggs. It is usually served with a simple sauce of dry red wine, vegetables and roasted wild duck.

Ribollita (Ribollita)

Ribollita, like many masterpieces of Italian cuisine, was considered the food of the poor. Servants collected the bread and vegetable leftovers from the master's table and cooked them in the water for lunch. But tasting this amazing dish, you would never have guessed about its modest origin: Ribollita has such a rich and wonderful taste. Moreover, it is one of the most important and most delicious dishes of Tuscany.

Risi and Bisi (Risi e bisi)

Risi and Bizi, or “rice and peas,” may not seem like Italy’s most delicious dish, but it’s surprisingly fragrant. As the name implies, it consists only of rice and peas cooked in a seasoning broth. It looks like a risotto, but not it.

Tortellini Soup (Tortellini in Brodo)

For many families in northern Italy, tortellini soup is the main course, especially for the holidays. Unlike the usual tortellini served with creamy sauce, these float in a simple homemade chicken broth with a small amount of parmesan.

Canederli

Like ribollite from Tuscany, candelleys from the Trentino-Alto Adige region are made using the remaining bread. This time it is mixed with eggs and milk and create something like dumplings the size of a golf ball. Often, smoked or raw ham, cheese and spices are added for taste, and then the candelery is cooked in beef or chicken broth. They are served with a small amount of this broth or in a “dry” form with melted butter.

Ossobuco (Osso buco alla Milanese)

If you had to choose one meat dish that is worth trying in Italy, then it should be ossobuco. Veal shank languishes in white wine and vegetables and served with spicy garlic gremolata. And the best part of the dish, of course, is oil marrow.

Cacciucco

Do not like seafood? Kachukko will correct the situation. A spicy, gourmet seafood dish was born in Livorno. It was invented by fishermen who used an unsold catch for the day for their own dinner. Shellfish, monkfish, squid and octopus are cooked with tomatoes and chili in a broth seasoned with sage and garlic, and served with crisp bread. It is so delicious that migrants in San Francisco created their Italo-American version called "choppino," which is prepared using seafood from the Pacific Ocean with the addition of wine.

Focaccia di Recco

This dish is one of the main reasons why you fall in love with Liguria. It is incredibly tasty and simple at the same time. In fact, this is just a thin focaccia with a layer of crescent cheese inside. Elementary and divinely delicious.

Bottarga

Bottarga is more an ingredient than a dish. This is a pressed dried caviar of mullet or bluefin tuna. Due to its rich taste, it is used in many dishes of southern Italy.

Torrone, or Turron

The origin of the torrone is somewhat blurry. Some say that this dish appeared in Lombardy, while others insist on Sicilian origins. But this is not so important. The main thing is that when you eat this creamy, viscous, nougat-like candy made from honey, egg whites, fried nuts and citrus zest, your taste buds will be delighted!

You can learn more about Italian cuisine and enjoy stunning Italian dishes at the Grand Italian Festival / Grand Italia Fest, which will be held July 28-29 in the Hermitage Garden in Moscow.