The basis of Ligurian cuisine is olive oil, wine and pesto. Because of its ubiquitous location, Liguria has fantastic seafood dishes, where anchovies, whitebait and sea bass commonly have a starring role. Mushrooms, truffles, berries and other delectable forest produce are also seen in this region`s tasty recipes.

Pesto
Ligurian food is immediately associated with pesto, famous all over the world, it`s made with DOP (protected designation of origin) basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, grana and pecorino cheeses. It should be eaten with trenette , tropie (a typical Ligurian pasta) or ravioli with borage leaves.

Seafood
Some typical seafood dishes are the anchovies preserved with salt of the Ligurian Sea, the red crayfish of Camogli and Santa Margherita Ligure, stockfish, and a local soup called bagnun, made with fresh anchovies, onions, tomato and olive oil as well as other fish soups like ciuppin and buridda with stockfish. Also stewed hare with famous taggiasche olives, pine nuts and rosemary

Meat
Cima Genovese (cold stuffed veal), with veal, cut in a way to resemble a pocket. The meat is stuffed with other ingredients, such as peas, cheese, eggs, garlic and more. When the cima is ready, it`s sealed so the filling doesn`t come out then It`s steamed with vegetables.

Breads
Fugassa, a soft and thick focaccia covered with onion slices and olive oil. Focaccia, soft or crunchy, plain or flavored with onions, olives, rosemary or sage. A great variation is the Focaccia di Recco (a town on the eastern side of the Riviera), with melted cheese inside. Thin farinata, a baked savory pancake made with chickpea flour.

Desserts
Pandolce Genovese; amaretti and cubeli (tiny butter cookies); chifferi, delicious almond biscuits; baci (kisses), little biscuits filled with chocolate; cakes and pastries with pine nuts; and pane del marinaio (the sailor`s bread), a sweet bread with raisins, candied fruit, pine nuts, lemon and Marsala.

Wines
This small region is also a producer of some of the best traditional Italian wines in the country, with a large variety of high quality wines at superb value. Worth sampling are Liguria`s rare reds, such as the full-bodied Rossese Dolceacqua, which was the first Ligurian red to receive the DOC. Other quality wines are Ormeasco and Rossese from Dolceacqua, Vermentino, Ciliegiolo and Bianchetta from Genoa, Albarola, and Pollera Nera from the Riviera di Levante, and Pigato from Salea d`Albenga. Also try the sweet wine Sciacchetrà, excellent with typical Ligurian sweets, such as spongata, buccellato and Genoa pandolce.