This year’s recipe “gift” is for a cookie that I have only just recently added to my holiday repertoire. It has been received with great success and everyone who tries them becomes instantly addicted. Is it because they are 95% butter? Is it the salty sweetness? Whatever the reason, these are sure to delight you…
I love the Italian phrase, “Tutto il mondo e’ paese” which is clunkily translated to, the world is a small town but the true meaning is that, in spite of geographic distances and cultural differences, some things are the same the world over. I also firmly believe that in part this phenomenon can be traced…
There is a delightful little street hidden behind Corso Italia called Via Degli Artisti which is home to several cute shops, among them, a little gem called TEA TIME which sells a vast assortment of teas and spices. When you walk in, you realize that this is much more than a tea shop, it is…
As a carnivorous American with a penchant for good, flavorful meat, I had a hard time finding both a good butcher in Trieste and quality meat. In fact, when I first got here, many locals suggested I go to Slovenia to buy meat. There, I was told in a hushed whisper, the meat was better…
Trieste is inherently tied to Vienna. Having been under Austrian rule since as far back as 1382, when the main citizens of Trieste in petitioned Leopold III of Habsburg, Duke of Austria in order to become part of his domains. Subsequently Trieste gained wealth and importance as the port city of the consolidated Austrian Littoral. It became little Vienna on the…
The Greek community has had a healthy presence in Trieste since Charles VI declared Trieste a free port in 1719, opening the city up to trade and the establishment of many different ethnic communities within the city. Still today there are many families of Greek heritage in Trieste and they continue to play an important…
In Trieste, every season and holiday has its “must-haves” sweets, whether it’s Titola for Easter, Gnocchi di Susine to mark the end of summer or Fave dei Morti in the Fall. Christmastime is no different and holiday tables will be laden with a variety of baked goods. Here are the desserts that you will surely find at a typical Triestine Christmas:…
Le Fave dei Morti (“The Fava Beans of the Dead”) sounds particularly well-suited to this time of year, now that we’re coming up on Halloween and the Giorno dei Morti, or Day of the Dead. Each year, starting in October, piles of pink, white and brown round treats fill the windows of the local bakeries.…
On a little winding side street, in the old neighborhood of Cavana one finds TERRA MATER, a little gourmet shop specialized in bringing to market small producer delicacies native to the Friuli, Venezia Giulia Region. The shop opened a little less than a year ago under the guidance of Ervin Rama, and with the help…
For a short period of time every year, every store is stocked beautiful blue and purple plums! Find out how they are part of the Trieste cooking tradition on bestoftrieste.com
Trieste is famous for its “buffets”. No, not the American style, all-you-can-eat self service brunchy buffet you’re thinking of…. In Trieste, buffets are an institution, a legacy from the days under the Austro-Hungarian Empire of which the city is still proud. The buffet is a “democratic” eatery equally loved by workers, students, retirees and ladies…
I recently read an article by a fellow American and writer, Noah Charney, who lives in Slovenia, about his Ski and Swim Challenge. Basically, Slovenia, our lovely neighbor to the north and east, boasts “that the country is so compact, with such a diversity of terrain, that you can ski in the morning and swim…
Carnevale is just around the corner. Store fronts are filled with glittery masks and brightly colored costumes and bakeries are showcasing the typical holiday fried fare consisting of crostoli, bugie ripiene, frittole, castagnole and other goodies! Everywhere you walk, you see the remnants of early celebrations; confetti and streamers scattered and balled up in street…
Centrally located in the heart of the shopping district on via San Niccolo’, Zushi is the “go-to” sushi restaurant in Trieste. Clean, modern, light and fresh, Zushi is very inviting. Attentive staff, excellent quality products and well-maintained premises make coming here a no-brainer. The only drawback for me is their tendency to incorporate cream cheese…
