Travel
with celebrities
is on the rise.
Influencers, entrepreneurs, chefs, among others, organize
group outings
for those travelers who are looking for different, more personal experiences that are outside of traditional tours.
This trend has two
differentials
: the circuits are thematic and a public figure always travels.
Following this new modality, the Piedmont agency, together with
Pietro Sorba
, the renowned gastronome and food and wine journalist and writer, launched a thematic trip to discover all the flavors and secrets of
Liguria
and its capital, Genoa.
“I chose this region because it is where
I was born
and raised.
They are places that I know in depth.
That knowledge, that belonging are the added values that I want to transmit to the participants that I will personally accompany on this gourmet journey,” says Sorba, who is embarking on a group trip as a leader for the first time.
What is the trip that Pietro Sorba proposes like?
This tour proposes to learn about the
typical flavors of the region
, its history and the original versions of the dishes that Italian immigrants have brought to Argentina.
Postcard of the historic center of Genoa.
Photo Shutterstock.
The 9-day, 7-night tour combines free time with activities such as a visit to a
confectionery from 1827
and
the “best” ice cream parlor
in Italy, a tour of an olive grove and oil mill,
focaccia and pesto classes
, and an embarked excursion through Cinque Terre, among others.
“It is important to achieve a balance between the hours dedicated to the activities and the time left at the disposal of the participants.
It has to be a week of
full enjoyment
.
It has to be very exciting, but not overloaded,” explains Sorba about preparing the itinerary.
The trip begins on May 5 and ends on the 19th. The program includes transfers, 7 nights of accommodation, meals as indicated in the itinerary, and traveler assistance.
The double base rate is US$5,980.
Street food stall in Liguria.
Photo Shutterstock.
“It is surely the Italian region that contributed the most to the cuisine of immigrants from Argentina.
Fainá, fugazza, fugazzeta, pascualina, pesto, sweet bread, rolled matambre, fish chupín and tuco are typical dishes from Genoa and Liguria that became popular in Argentina.
Having the possibility of showing the
place of origin and the raw materials
, without forgetting the history, used for its preparation seems to me something very enriching for an Argentine,” says the renowned chef.
And he adds: “Offering the possibility of presenting and tasting these dishes in their original version so that participants understand the differences with the Argentine recipes of the same name is an exciting experience.”
Unmissable flavors of Liguria
Consulted by Clarín, Pietro Sorba listed the typical flavors and dishes that every traveler should include on a trip to Genoa:
Focaccia
.
It is an icon of local gastronomy.
A good focaccia should be low, crispy on the edges and soft on the inside, subtly salty, moistened by the brine of water and extra virgin olive oil.
Focaccia with Recco cheese
.
She is the mother of the Argentine stuffed fugazzeta.
They are two thin layers of dough between which a large amount of fresh
stracchino
cheese is placed .
To taste the original you have to go to Recco, 20 km from Genoa.
Landscapes and flavor.
Photo Shutterstock.
Panettone Genovese
.
It is an old recipe with polished fruits.
You have to taste the one made by the impressive historical confectioneries of Genoa such as Profumo, Romanengo, Tagliafico, Pannarello.
Genoese pesto
.
Famous cold sauce made with Genoese basil (DOP), Ligurian oil (DOP), pine nuts, local garlic,
parmigiano
and
pecorino
cheese and salt.
It's on every menu in every restaurant.
It is recommended to taste and combine with trofie
pasta
.
Ligurian
extra virgin olive oil .
One of the best extra virgin olive oils in Italy made from a small native olive: the
taggiasca
.
Its aromas refer to artichoke, nettle, bay leaf, freshly cut grass, almonds and pepper.
Faina
.
The Genoese prepare it using a round tinned copper tray called
testo
.
The fainá is cooked in the wood-fired ovens of the
sciamadde
, businesses dedicated to the sale of street food.
It is also found in pizzerias.
Genoese fainá is served hot, fresh from the oven.
It is crispy on the outside, tender and moist on the inside.
Street food
.
Panissa (fried chickpea flour polenta sticks), fried squid and cornalitos, savory tarts (onion pastries, rice, artichokes, leeks, zucchini, etc.), fried cod, frisceu (flour, water fritters and green), are some of the typical dishes.