Venice is not only the Venetian symbol of Culture and Arts, but also the one of gastronomy. Venice cuisine comes from rural origins, but the trades with Far and Middle East, during the golden Age of the Repubblica have enriched the variety of its recipes. It can be said that Venice Republic played an important role for the enrichment not only in local cuisine but even in the european one,  because after the fall of Byzantium, Venice became  the Eastern Door. The most of european countries used to add spices in order to preserve the food, while Venice used spices to invent  new dishes and new tastes. When venetian galleons come back home after a very long trip were full of salt, pepper, ginger, curcuma,  candy and fresh nutmeg, galanga from India and even saffron from China: these spices unknown until that period were able to excite the fantasy of venetian cooks: in this way was born an art of cooking unique in the world.Venice acted for many centuries as “mediator of the Universe”, because it was a world market where you could find everything that was sendable in those years. The city had the trade monopoly on spices, taking advantage of western people’s desires. Venice became also the capital for sugar trading.

For more information about venetian cooking download the our free Venice Guide