The cuisine of the Veneto is characterised partly by the carbohydrates eaten all over the region. Unlike many parts of Italy, pasta is not the staple – that role is played by the double act of polenta and rice.
Polenta is an ancient dish dating back to Roman times made by boiling up various ground meals to form a kind or porridge, or when cooled, bread. Since the introduction of American products to Europe, it has been made predominantly with cornmeal. Most modern polenta is yellow, but there is also a white version made from biancoperla maize. In the Veneto, you will see polenta served as a side dish for meat and game in its liquid form, or in its hard form, sliced and toasted.
Risotto is a very common primo in the Veneto with much of the rice being imported from nearby Lombardy and Piedmont. However, there is also a substantial rice growing area in the province of Verona where paddy fields are irrigated by the river Tartaro. The rice here is IGP-protected and known as Vialone Nano Veronese.
The Venetian pasta is bigoli, and is like thick spaghetti made with buckwheat or whole wheat and usually eggs (although as with many things in Italy, there are lots of variations).
The large Venetian lagoon and Adriatic coastline to the east of the Veneto provides many fish for the dishes of the region (not forgetting that the western edge of the Veneto is dominated by Lake Garda). Mussels, clams, crabs, anchovies and sprats are in abundance and often on the menu. Bream and sea bass are found in the area and are often served as secondi (main courses). The black goby, a resident of the lagoon, often swims its way into risotto di gò.
The Veneto is a wine producing area with several famous Italian varieties – both red and white – coming from the region. A lot of grape production focuses on local varieties, but more international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are also grown.