The Ligurian dessert route: amidst villages, fragrances and traditions from Ponente to Levante
Flower Riviera, Genoa and surroundings, Gulf of Poets, Palm Riviera, Portofino and the Tigullio, The Cinque Terre
A journey through the typical desserts and cakes of Liguria: discover the specialities from Ponente to Levante, including pandolce genovese, Baci di Alassio, michette and amaretti.
There is a Liguria that can be discovered walking through narrow alleys, small squares overlooking the sea and villages suspended between coast and hinterland. Then there is the Liguria that you discover one bite at a time.
Let’s talk about the Liguria of the traditional sweets, where irresistible aromas and recipes carefully guarded for generations come out of local village pastry shops. Here, almonds, pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil,
citrus fruits and candied fruit tell a story of trade, the sea and local traditions.
Following this gluttonous thread gives shape to a very sweet journey: the dessert route of Liguria, from Ponente to Levante. An itinerary through villages, popular festivals and iconic specialities of Ligurian tradition.
Each stage reveals a deep connection with the territory: sweets born from local ingredients, village festivals and time-honoured traditions. An itinerary that is also intertwined with the Wine Routes of Liguria and with curious pairings between beer and desserts of Liguria.
The stages
Ventimiglia, Dolceacqua and TaggiaPalms Riviera
Genoa and surroundings
Camogli, Rapallo and Chiavari
Ligurian Levante
Dolceacqua
The sweets to taste between Ventimiglia, Dolceacqua and Taggia
On the border with France, in the far west of Liguria, the desserts tell of a simple and deeply rural cuisine. Amidst villages suspended between the sea and olive groves, recipes are born from essential ingredients and gestures handed down over time. In Ventimiglia, the Latte Dolce is a soft and delicate dessert that smells of warm milk and family memories. Among the mediaeval alleys of Dolceacqua, the Michetta dolce releases the aroma of the oven and recalls an ancient legend of the village. In Taggia, we find the Stroscia: a rustic cake made with extra virgin olive oil, crumbly and fragrant, which is not cut but broken with the hands, as tradition dictates. In the hinterland of the Valle Arroscia, in the village of Gavenola, the Amaretti di Gavenola, round, golden-coloured sweets with an intense almond fragrance, are made, typical of the local confectionery tradition. A curious link between Liguria and confectionery also concerns the famous Torta Mimosa. The cake, presented in 1962 by pastry chef Adelmo Renzi at a confectionary competition in Sanremo, is named after the flower that is the symbol of the Ligurian Riviera, which every year heralds the arrival of spring along the coast. Simple sweets, made from poor ingredients, that preserve the most authentic flavour of Liguria.
Baci di Alassio
The typical sweets of the Palms Riviera: Baci di Alassio, biscuits and candied myrtle-leaved orange
In the Palms Riviera the confectionery tradition becomes richer and more fragrant, also thanks to the commercial history of the Ligurian coast. Alassio is where the famous Baci di Alassio, were born, hazelnut and cocoa biscuits united by a chocolate cream with an intense, slightly toasted flavour. Also in Alassio is Pane del marinaio, a crumbly cake belonging to the Genoese panettone family. In Albenga the aniseed biscuits release a spicy, aromatic flavour, perfect to enjoy with coffee or a sweet wine. In Finale Ligure the Canestrelli are popular with their crumbly texture and delicate scent of butter and lemon. In Savona the protagonist is the candied chinotto, a citrusy sweet that recounts the city's link with trade and the cultivation of this small citrus fruit symbol of the Riviera. Inland, in Sassello, the famous Amaretti di Sassello, soft biscuits with an intense almond scent that melt on the palate, are also made. In the same area, they also prepare the traditional Pan e ossa dei morti, biscuits linked to the feast of the dead and widespread especially in Val Bormida and in Calizzano.
Canestrelletto of Torriglia
The traditional sweets of Genoa and the hinterland
In the heart of Liguria, the confectionery tradition reflects the history of the Republic of Genoa and its trade routes. One of the most representative sweets are the Lagaccio biscuits, crunchy and slightly sweet, born in the Genoese district of the same name and popular with sailors and travellers because of their long shelf life. Not far inland, the Canestrelli di Torriglia are popular, thanks to their crumbly texture and delicate scent of butter and icing sugar: small, flower-shaped biscuits that melt in the mouth and tell of the tradition of the villages of the Ligurian Apennines. Even more iconic is the Genovese Pandolce, rich in sultanas, pine nuts and candied fruit: a soft and fragrant cake that encapsulates the flavours of Mediterranean spices and trade and that has accompanied the festivities and convivial moments of Ligurian families for centuries. Another symbol sweet of Genoa is the famous Sacripantina, a cake created in 1851 by pastry chef Giovanni Preti and which has become one of the symbols of Genoese pastry making. With its fluffy layers and delicate cream, it is now one of the city's most characteristic desserts. In the Ligurian Apennine hinterland, in Santo Stefano d’Aveto, tradition offers another speciality: the Pinolata, a dessert rich in pine nuts that tells of the authentic flavours of the Ligurian mountains.
Camogli
The sweets to discover between Camogli, Rapallo and Chiavari
In the Levante region of Genoa, sweet specialities tell the story of life in the seaside villages and popular festivals that enliven the Riviera throughout the year. In Camogli, the Camogliesi are soft puffs filled with rum cream, with an intense and aromatic flavour, which have become one of the area's best-loved specialities. In Rapallo, the Cubaita, a crunchy nougat made of honey and almonds, smells of traditional markets and fairs. Finally, in Chiavari, infine, the Canestrelli di Chiavari conquer with their crumbly texture and delicate aroma of butter and icing sugar, the symbol of the most classic Ligurian pastry. It was in Tigullio that Chiavarina, was born in 2018, a spreadable cream composed mainly of Misto Chiavari hazelnuts, sugar and a small percentage of cocoa, which has become a symbolic product of the territory in recent years.
Sarzana Spungata
The desserts of eastern Liguria: Sestri Levante, Moneglia and Sarzana
Continuing towards eastern Liguria, the confectionery tradition meets with the tradition of the Lunigiana and Tuscany, resulting in richer, spicier flavours. In Sestri Levante, the Torta Sestrese is soft and fragrant, often enriched with almonds and delicate aromas. In Moneglia, the Amaretti are soft and intense, with the characteristic almond scent that melts in the mouth. In Tigullio you can also find Chifferi, dry biscuits with a curved shape and a delicate flavour, often scented with lemon or aniseed and perfect to enjoy with coffee or a glass of sweet wine. Finally, in Sarzana and in Ligurian Lunigiana, the star is the Spungata: an ancient cake filled with dried fruit, honey and spices, with a complex and enveloping taste that tells the story of centuries of encounters between Mediterranean gastronomic cultures.
