What to Eat and Drink in Verona

Verona’s culinary tradition is rich and renowned worldwide, based on simple yet refined dishes. Traditional recipes often feature ingredients such as Vialone Nano IGP rice, which can be enjoyed in excellent, flavorful risottos made with, for example, traditional red radicchio DOP. The cured meats from Lessinia are excellent, such as sopressa, a “salami” made by mixing pork seasoned with garlic, wine, salt, and pepper. Notable traditional dishes include boiled beef served with a special peppery sauce made from bread, bone marrow, and Parmesan cheese (pearà), polenta pastissada, gnocchi, pasta e fagioli, and duck and guinea fowl served with peverada sauce. And let’s not forget polenta: to enjoy it “Veronese-style,” it must be served with well-cooked beans (polenta infasolà) or as an accompaniment to game (polenta e osei). Other typical and exceptional products include fish from nearby Lake Garda, extra-virgin olive oil, and vegetables such as white asparagus, Verona cabbage, and gnocchi potatoes. Among the desserts, the famous pandoro stands out above all others; it was created in 1894 by Domenico Melegatti in his bakery on Corso Porta Borsari. The wines are excellent, including Valpolicella, Soave, Custoza, Bardolino, and Lugana.