Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Regional Cuisine
- Daily Life and Eating Habits
- Family and Traditions
- Festive Meals
- A Recipe to Remember
Introduction
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Luca. I’m 51 years old and work as a sound designer. I was born in Trieste, in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, and I lived in London for about 18 years where I completed studies in sound art and design. Today I live in Tuscany and work in hospitality, focusing on guest accommodation and related services.
Regional Cuisine
What are some of the iconic dishes that your region is known for?
Friuli Venezia Giulia is geographically and culturally diverse: mountains, Adriatic coast and a layered history that brought many external influences. The local cuisine reflects that blend. Signature dishes include jota, gnocchi di susine, presnitz, brovada e muset and frico.
Are there unique or traditional ingredients used in the cuisine of your region that are not commonly found in other regions?
Yes. Notable local ingredients include Prosciutto di San Daniele, Montasio cheese, Radic di Mont (wild radicchio), horseradish and Rosa di Gorizia, a particular radicchio variety from Gorizia.
How does the cuisine of your region change with the seasons?
The colder months favor meat and game—wild boar, venison—and hearty preparations like muset (a sausage similar to cotechino) served with turnips cooked in wine, and many mushroom dishes. Jota, a rich, warming soup, is popular in winter. In summer the cuisine shifts to coastal fare with fish and seafood such as scampi alla busara and brodetto di Grado.
For someone visiting your region for the first time, what dishes or food experiences would you recommend they try?
Visitors should try jota, capuzzi garbi (a type of sauerkraut with sausages) and gnocchi di susine. A trip to Carnia, the mountainous area in the province of Udine, is also highly recommended for its strong food traditions.
Daily Life and Eating Habits
Can you share what you eat on a typical day?
For breakfast I enjoy a cappuccino with homemade biscuits. Lunch is often pasta with seasonal vegetables and Parmesan, followed by cheese and salad. Dinner varies by season: vegetable soups in winter, salads in summer, bruschetta drizzled with fresh extra virgin olive oil (especially after the autumn harvest), homemade hummus and bread snacks. For aperitivo I like a glass of Prosecco with olives and crisps.
Family and Traditions
Can you share any fond memories or traditions related to food from your childhood or growing up?
My grandmother was an excellent cook. For special occasions she prepared homemade gnocchi with beef sauce, chicken braised in white wine, and roasted potatoes. Her apple strudel was a family favorite and a dessert I still crave.
What does Pranzo della Domenica (Sunday lunch) look like in your home?
My family is small and we never had very large Sunday gatherings. We usually start around 1pm and finish by 2:30pm. Sundays often feature fresh fish—sole or sea bream—or lamb chops in a red wine sauce. We typically accompany the meal with local wines such as Friulano or Refosco.
Festive Meals
What dishes or desserts are eaten during Christmas time in your region?
Christmas is rich in sweets: presnitz, gubana and putizza are among the most famous regional treats.
We’d love to know all about your Christmas Day traditions—what does the meal include, and how is the day celebrated?
Christmas in my family involves a small group, typically around six people, each contributing dishes. My mother makes homemade tortellini filled with ricotta and spinach. I usually prepare a large lasagna with lamb, fresh tomatoes and Montasio cheese. Friends and relatives bring appetizers and desserts; my mother’s friend often brings homemade putizza filled with walnuts, raisins, chocolate and apples.
A Recipe to Remember
If possible, could you share a recipe with us?
Jota Triestina
Jota is a hearty, traditional soup from the region, perfect for cold winter days. It requires some time, but the result is deeply comforting.
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 700 g of sour/fermented cabbage (homemade or ready-made)
- 300 g of red-eyed or black-eyed peas
- 4 potatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2–3 fresh smoked sausages (or smoked pork ribs or a ham bone)
- 50 g butter
- 2 tablespoons corn flour
- Vegetable stock as needed
- Salt, pepper and oil to taste
Begin by browning the butter with two crushed garlic cloves. When the garlic turns golden, remove it, add the sour cabbage, cover with warm water and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
In a separate pot, cook the beans in vegetable stock with two bay leaves for about an hour. Add the sausages cut into pieces and cook another 15 minutes. Peel and chop the potatoes, add them to the beans and continue cooking for about 20 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat, blend about half of the potato-and-bean mixture until smooth, then return it to the cabbage pot along with the remaining beans.
In a small pan, mix the corn flour with oil, stirring constantly to avoid lumps and briefly to toast the flour. Add this mixture to the soup, adjust seasoning, and serve hot.