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Venice had been a traditional
crossroads of the trading of spices
between Europe and Asia hence
accentuating the exchange and
combination of different recipes the
merchants and sailors had brought
home with them. Examples of
distinctive dishes which were born
from such diffusion include Sardelle
in Saor, a plate with fried
sardines placed on a bed of browned
onions, pine nuts and raisins, Risotto,
and fresh seafood cooked in various
different styles.
The unique principle starch
staple of Venice is rice instead of
pasta, and the simple dish of Risi
e bisi or rice and peas
constitute the main course in a
Venetian restaurant. Elsewhere in
the Veneto region, it's polenta (the
firm cornmeal mush specialty) which
supplants rice on the table.
However, pasta dishes also enjoy a
thoughtful and delicate preparation
here with freshest ingredients
available.
From southwestern Veneto near the
city of Verona come three impressive
wines: the dry white Soave,
the light bodied red Bardolino,
and its sibling, the slightly fuller
bodied and better Valpolicella.
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