An incredibly simple seafood dish, consumed in large quantities throughout the year. An emblem of Venice and its traditional cuisine, so rooted in the culture and life of the Venetians that it could represent the whole region. A dish that you can find in any Venetian boat during the Redentore (Reedemer), able to gather entire families from the most humble to the richest, groups of friends, tourists and foreigners. Sardines, onions and vinegar, these are the ingredients of the Saor (flavour, in Venetian), mixed together in the proportions of 2:1, that is 2 units of onions for each of the sardinas.
Venetian cuisine: to make a virtue of necessity
The sardines, a poor fish, fried in abundant oil, and the onions, stewed and then passed in oil and vinegar, create a mix with a rich flavor, that has to rest for a couple of days so that the dish will taste good enough. The ingredients are just a few, simple ones. But their quality is paramount for the success of the dish: sardines must be fresh and the onions must be the original white ones from Chioggia. The dish must be tasted cold and it’s perfect with some slices of white polenta.