Cicchetti are small-plate dishes popular in Venice, often served in cicchetti bars. They include cold and hot offerings, such as seafood, meats, vegetables, and cheeses, and are paired with wine. Ordering multiple dishes allows for a taste of traditional Venice.
Similar to Spanish tapas or Korean banchan, Italian small-plate dishes are known as cicchetti. Particularly popular in the city of Venice, these dishes are often served in special cicchetti bars that dot the waterlogged landscape, with or without an accompanying glass of wine. These dishes vary widely, from olive-laced seafood spreads spread on different types of artisan breads to fried vegetable and cheese platters.
Cicchetti can be consumed at any time of the day. Cicchetti bars are more frequently visited, however, late in the morning, at lunch and before dinner. As of 2011, Venice has about 60,000 residents and 10 million tourists a year, according to travel writer Rick Steves on his Rick Steves Europa website. That means all the restaurants cater to tourists, yet in the cicchetti, Steves insists, you can still find a slice of traditional Venice.
These small plate delicacies are almost equally split between cold and hot offerings. On the cold side, plain or spiced raw oysters regularly make up the menu as well as the traditional Italian concoction of freshly sliced tomato, mozzarella, olives, oil, vinegar and herbs. These are to be expected, however. The menus also include signature dishes, which feature a more diverse medley of seasonal vegetables, cheeses and seafood, often mixed with creamy canapés.
Hot types of cicchetti are usually mini-versions of gourmet dishes that traditionally serve as full appetizers. These recipes include seafood such as squid, crab, shrimp and tuna, a Venetian custom due to the city’s watery location. They also have generous showings of other meats like beef, pork, and lamb. Such foods are usually paired with various fresh vegetables, cheeses and sauces of a particularly Italian bent. Many cafes also serve more iconic Italian dishes such as ravioli or linguine – just the portion sizes are significantly reduced, as are the prices.
According to the Italian Notebook website, some dishes have the most historic appeal. One is onions soaked in vinegar, called onions in saor. The other is more nuanced: a creamy dried cod dish, called baccala ‘mantecato.
When eating at these establishments, the guides insist that each diner order two or three cicchetti. So unless someone is hungry and wants to share, everyone can try everything at the table. For travellers, this can provide an affordable way to gain a deep understanding of the local cuisine. We also recommend partaking in a glass of l’ombra, which is a nickname for wine that translates to “shadow.”
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