{"id":2021,"date":"2014-11-04T15:00:09","date_gmt":"2014-11-04T15:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expedia.blog.ca.sandwave.dev\/stories\/exploring-venice-food\/"},"modified":"2023-06-21T17:37:58","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T17:37:58","slug":"exploring-venice-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.ca\/stories\/exploring-venice-food\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring Venice Through its Food\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>
The Venetian Flag flying off the back of a water bus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I had a glass of wine in one hand and a cicchetto in the other. A canal was to the left\u00a0of me and wonderful examples of\u00a0Venetian Gothic architecture were to the right.\u00a0I was immersed\u00a0in\u00a0an utterly Venetian experience.<\/p>\n

This was not my first time in\u00a0Venice<\/a> but on this occasion I was alone, without family in tow. My aim was to get\u00a0past the\u00a0crowds, the Piazza San Marco and the thousands of masks made in China. I wanted to get a better sense of the real Venice. I wanted to learn about its past and present, how the city developed and\u00a0what it’s like\u00a0to live there today.<\/p>\n

I only had one day but I accomplished most\u00a0of my objectives by taking a food tour.<\/p>\n

Food is not just about taste. It’s also about history. Taking a food tour through Venice delivered wonderful flavours as well as\u00a0insights into the city’s past and a glimpse into the\u00a0Venetian lifestyle today.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>
This is tuna cichetti. Specific to Venice, cichetti are similar to tapas in Spain. They are finger foods and typically served in restaurants too small for seating.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cooking lessons at the Rialto Market<\/strong><\/p>\n

There were three of us on the tour. Our guide,\u00a0Cristina, was a native Venetian who not only shared her knowledge of the city and its\u00a0history but also tips for\u00a0preparing local delicacies.<\/p>\n

We started at the Rialto Bridge where she gave us an historical overview of Venice. From there we wandered towards the Rialto Market, stopping along the way at Al Merca for our first\u00a0glass of wine and a cicchetto. Then on to the market.<\/p>\n

At the market Cristina introduced us to a number of fruits and vegetables I had never seen before. She told us how to prepare them and whether her family liked them. She even gave us a recipe or two. I know that I will never again cook\u00a0my risotto past al dente. If so, I was told firmly, “it must be thrown out to start again”.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
Vegetables at the Rialto Market<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Spices<\/a>
Spices at the Mascar, the oldest spice shop in Venice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Venice history through food<\/strong><\/p>\n

As we wandered the narrow streets of Venice, Cristina often stopped to point out small details that revealed bits and pieces of Venice’s past: street signs, names over the doors of buildings that otherwise seemed quite ordinary, and\u00a0osterias where famous people once ate. There is history everywhere in this city which, in its entirety, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site<\/a>. \u00a0But her conversation always returned to food and how it was affected by history.<\/p>\n

Located at the head of the\u00a0Adriatic, Venice was a naval and commercial power from the Middle Ages up to the end of the 17th century. As a city state for all these centuries, quite separate from Italy, it was a trade centre between Europe and the rest of the world.\u00a0Some of the most valuable products to pass through its ports were spices brought to Venice from\u00a0a variety of cultures.<\/p>\n

Stopping into\u00a0Mascar, the oldest spice shop in Venice, we heard tales of the spice trade and how it made the city rich in money\u00a0and in flavour. The spices and the people who brought them diversified\u00a0the cuisine\u00a0of Venice.<\/p>\n

\"Poke<\/a>
Poke around the smaller streets of Venice to see how real Venetians live. Don’t let the old facades fool you. Inside the apartments are likely quite luxurious.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Life of Real Venetians<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taking a tour with a local in a small group gives one lots of opportunity to ask questions and gain an understanding of their daily life. Conversations\u00a0about food at home, how it’s bought, who cooks it, and what meals are like can easily expand to discussions about the school system, work opportunities, and the politics of place.<\/p>\n

Before parting, I had one\u00a0final question for Cristina.<\/p>\n

So, are you Italian first and then Venetian or Venetian and then Italian?<\/p>\n

Without a moment’s hesitation\u00a0Cristina made it very clear. When someone is from a family that has been established in Venice for multiple generations\u00a0they are most definitely Venetian first.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I had a glass of wine in one hand and a cicchetto in the other. A canal was to the left\u00a0of me and wonderful examples of\u00a0Venetian Gothic architecture were to the right.\u00a0I was immersed\u00a0in\u00a0an utterly Venetian experience. This was not my first time in\u00a0Venice but on this occasion I was alone, without family in tow.… Continue reading Exploring Venice Through its Food\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2027,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,81,7,268,269],"tags":[84,270,271],"authors":[],"class_list":["post-2021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-destinations","category-food","category-interests","category-italy","category-venice","tag-food","tag-italy","tag-venice","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nExploring Venice, Italy Through its Food<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Food is not just about taste. It's also about history. 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