Friuli-Venezia Giulia, a great little kingdom of typicality
3 minutes
Welcome to the table in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, a balanced fusion of Hapsburg and Slavic traditions in the Trieste and Gorizia area, of shepherding traditions in Carnia, and of rural culture in Friuli.
The festival opens with two dishes that are representative of the region: Frico, made with potatoes, cheese and onions, and Jota, a soup of potatoes, beans and cabbage.
Another typical dish are gnocchi, risottos and filled pastas, such as Carnia's cjarson, made of herbs, potatoes, sultanas and cinnamon.
Second courses include Brovade (white turnip) and muset (sausage similar to cotechino), Carnia shin, and the internationally appreciated San Daniele ham.
The maritime side of the region is expressed with fish boreto alla Gradese, cod in white condiment, “sardoni impanai” (a variety of blue fish caught in the gulf of Trieste), Trieste-style spider crabs.
Try among the cheeses Montasio, Fagagna and Frant.
Move on to desserts, such as Pinza triestina, an Easter dish, presnitz, a dessert from Trieste and Gorizia made of puff pastry rolled up with a filling of walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, figs, plums and apricots, Putizza, from the Carso area, bujadnik, a sort of biscuit cake, prepared at Christmas. The wines are another gem of the area, all worth tasting.
The Friulian hills, a fertile land of wine and delicacies
Come and experience the hills of the province of Gorizia as far as the Torre and Natisone valleys, stopping at Cormòns, Cividale del Friuli and San Daniele: a cornucopia of vines that yield excellent wines such as Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Friulano, Sauvignon, Ribolla Gialla, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Collio.
In Cormòns, taste the thrill of Mittel-European cuisine, combining regional and Austrian, Hungarian and Slovenian traditions, with goulash, eaten with homemade polenta, or even with bread dumplings. Sample the broth with gries (semolina) dumplings, kiffel, small fried half-moons filled with a dough similar to potato dumplings, and bread dumplings with melted butter.
Before leaving, pack a souvenir of the place: the highly prized Cormòns ham.
In Cividale del Friuli, 17 kilometres away, you must try the brovade e muset, plum gnocchi, al brica, pumpkin, potato and bean soup. Also treat yourself to a dessert, such as strucchi, small fried ravioli.
San Daniele del Friuli, as the very word says, is the kingdom of prosciutto, famous worldwide, where you simply can't miss a tour of the various prosciutto factories to learn its secrets and production.
Dine on the smoked trout of the Tagliamento - another local delicacy - and linger over the tasty dairy cheeses, such as that of Fagagna (only a few kilometres from San Daniele).
In the area, you will also find excellent lard, a dressing based on the fragrances of the vegetable garden (pestat) and a delicacy of radicchio: the Rose of Gorizia, bitter and crunchy.
Last but not least, the gubana, made of yeasted dough in the typical snail shape, which has its origins in the Natisone valleys.
Typical dishes
Frico with potatoes
This is the signature dish of Friulian cuisine, made with potatoes and local cheese, traditionally Montasio, one of the most appreciated products in Friuli. You are likely to find it everywhere, especially in the provinces of Pordenone and Udine. It is well accompanied by a nice glass of red wine.
Jota
This is an ancient soup (there are references to it as far back as the 15th century) of grand tradition in Trieste, based on 'capuzi garbi' (the local name for cabbage), potatoes and beans, flavoured with pork. It can be found on Christmas dinner tables throughout the region.
