Veneto

Veneto has been one of the wealthiest and most visited regions of Italy since the days of Marco Polo. Veneto’s glorious capital city, Venice, was a nautical center and an important port, the point of arrival for once exotic items like coffee and tea and spices. Polenta and vialone nano rice are favored over pasta in the Veneto, and inland, farmers produce a wide range of cheeses like Asiago, Piave, and Grana Padano. The region’s Radicchio Rosso di Treviso finds its way into many dishes, adding crunch and a bit of bitterness to salad, risotto, and served alongside steak as a side dish. Veneto’s desserts, like tiramisù and pandoro are also some of the most famous in Italy.