The cuisine of the Ligurian hinterland

The inland cuisine produces foods that derive from the nature of the territory, including various first courses such as testaroli, Piadine typical of Lunigiana and Spezzino , Crosetti di Santo Stefano d'Aveto , Corzetti of Val Polcevera , ravioli seasoned with walnut sauce called pansoti and torn lasagna called s-ciancui, originally from the area between Sanremo and the Alps. In the area to the extreme east, between La Spezia and Portovenere , the mes-sciua cereal soup is cooked, originally prepared with the products that escaped the bags loaded on the ships during the loading and unloading operations.

The meat sauce, very different from the ragù, is the "tuccu de carne" , and the mushroom sauce, " tuccu dei funzi ", is very famous and more valuable if made with Porcini di Calizzano and Bardineto or Val di Vara .

Then there are the vegetable and herb pies, made with the products of the earth, of which the most famous is the Pasqualina , but there are also the " ciausùn " from Baiardo and the Baciocca di potatoes from Borzonasca (GE).

The chickpea farinata and the panissa (chickpea flour polenta), can be found on the street and can be tasted for a snack, as well as the Sardenaria , made between Imperia and Ventimiglia, based on tomatoes and sardines.

Typically Genoese is the Cima , a bag of meat stuffed with eggs, vegetables and pieces of meat, while in Sanremo the rabbit is cooked with onion, garlic, rosemary, oil, pine nuts and white wine.

The tradition of homemade bread cooked in wood-fired ovens is important, especially in the valleys to the west, and then appreciated everywhere, we remember the Pane di San Romolo in Sanremo , the Pane d'orzo (pan d'ordiu) in Badalucco and Carpasio , the Gavenola bread in the Aroscia valley and the Montoggio growing bread in the Scrivia valley .