Mussels, the pride of La Spezia

La Spezia, whose museums-packed centre is a joy for connoisseur art lovers, provides excellent insights into traditional Eastern Liguria gastronomy - not to forget about proximity to Lerici and Porto Venere…

Mussel farming in La Spezia 

An archaeologist’s paradise…

While Lerici has Etruscan origins, Porto Venere was founded by the Romans as a stopover between Luni and the Tigullio. In the Varignano region (insenatura – i.e., inlet - delle Grazie) the remains of a Roman villa feature a renowned 2nd -1st century B.C. oil mill studied by archaeologists (A/N: Umberto Curti described the place in the 2012 volume “Il cibo in Liguria dalla preistoria all’età romana”). The tiny archipelago facing the villa was peopled in the early Middle Ages by anchorites, and the whole marine area is rich in findings and natural treasures.

…and a foodie’s heaven

Local gastronomy is a feast of finger food and suggestively named dishes cianpuriao, pasta àa contadina (featuring winter, “poor” vegetables), brosseghe, green vegetable savour pies, stopeta, snails, cima, and, lastly, the queen of trattorie: mes-ciùa, check “Da Caran” and “All’inferno” in La Spezia and enjoy this hearty concoction of pulses and grains.

Fish lovers will enjoy naserti (sgombri, i.e., mackerels) freddi ar vin gianco, buridda de peagallo (grongo, i.e., conger), scabècio de anciöe, zemin, porpo (polpo, i.e., octopus) dei zavoristi, oppure sofegà… - not to forget about the thousand foodie possibilities provided by mussels.

Mussel farming

Mussel farming represents Italy’s n. 1 aquaculture activity. Though mussel and oyster farming was already practiced in protohistory, in the La Spezia area aquaculture started in 1887 between Lerici and Porto Venere. Promoted by two biologists, Arturo Issel and Davide Carazzi - the Director of the Museo Civico, who encouraged the first entrepreneur of the sector, Emanuele Albano from Taranto. Swamp plants were used for decades to make nets and supports, while nowadays nylon and plastic are preferred. However, maintenance of structures and checks are carried out the old way with a special boat.

Gourmet mussels feature in a number of creative recipes in the Ligurian cookbook: stecchi nell’ostia, muscoli al verde, zuppa di muscoli, paste col sugo di muscoli, muscoli ripieni…

Buon appetito!

My English abstract of the article by Umberto Curti as published on Liguria Food

Luisa Puppo

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