Veneto

Long before the Romans, a certain people lived in this area, called the Venetians. The Venetians were strong, both physically and culturally, as we can see through the many different paintings and artworks that are found throughout the region. During the Time of the Romans, however, the Venetians were allowed to keep their cultural Identity, as long as they sided with the Roman Republic, which allowed them to dominate the Adriatic sea. Through this, we see the inference that all of the cuisine in Veneto is united, instead of being different as in most of the regions of Italy.

Due to the fact that they live close to the water, a lot of the land that lay around the region was marsh. During certain points, the people of the north, mostly Germanic Tribes invading through Trentino Alto Adige, would sack the region, causing for the people of this region to retreat to the marsh. During these times, the city that we know well, Venice, was formed, creating a cultural identity that we think of every time that we hear the name.

In terms of food, since their eastern border was on the sea, we can see the use of fish mostly throughout. Even with the sea, they still manage to grow four majors types of food, Beans, Corn, Rice and, from the sea, Salt Cod. With these, we see that they were fond of foods staying edible for as long as possible, due to the constant sacking from the north.

Most of Veneto's cultural identity comes from the sea, and we can see this through their many dishes that they have created through the years. One such dish is the Moleche, which consists of a Soft Shelled crab, caught between the times of April-May, is soaked in a mixture of Egg and Cheese, then is deep fried. To think that I have enjoyed this dish many times in the states, and to just learn of its origins now is insane.