L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2026 www.italoamericano.org 22 L'Italo-Americano W e k n o w t h a t , i n Italy, food often pre- serves old habits very faithfully, and Venice's own sarde in saor ( w e c o u l d t r a n s l a t e i t a s "tasty sardines") is a perfect example of it. The dish, a simple preparation of fried sardines covered with onions, comes from a very specific n e e d , w h i c h a l s o h e l p s understand why it looks and tastes the way it does. For centuries, the Venet- ian lagoon supported a large population of fishermen w h o d i d n o t r e t u r n h o m e each evening. Boats could remain away from shore for s e v e r a l d a y s , s o m e t i m e s longer, and fresh fish spoiled quickly in the humid Adriatic climate. Without ice or refrig- eration, preservation depend- ed on combinations of fry- ing, oil, and acidity. In the case of sarde in saor, sar- dines were cleaned, lightly floured, and fried first to cre- ate a protective exterior, then c o v e r e d w i t h s t e w e d o n i o n s a n d v i n e g a r , a combination that slowed bac- terial growth and allowed the catch to last well beyond the day it was caught. Sources describing the recipe consis- t e n t l y p o i n t o u t t h a t t h e onions and vinegar were cho- sen primarily for preserva- tion, so taste came later – almost as an afterthought– as a consequence of technique. The word saor itself, in V e n e t i a n d i a l e c t , s i m p l y means "flavor" or "season- ing," but historically it indi- cated a specific sweet-and- sour preservation method. References to comparable p r e p a r a t i o n s a p p e a r i n Venetian culinary writing already in the fourteenth cen- tury, which places the recipe firmly within the period of the maritime Republic. At that stage, the dish was not meant for restaurants or even domestic hospitality; rather, it was practical food for fish- ermen and sailors, because it could be transported, eaten cold, and kept for days with- out becoming unsafe. O n c e t h e p r e s e r v a t i o n m e t h o d p r o v e d e f f e c t i v e , s a r d e i n s a o r g r a d u a l l y adapted to the character of the city that used it: ships b r o u g h t p e p p e r , s p i c e s , sugar, and dried fruit to its ports, and those ingredients eventually entered ordinary cooking, including the prepa- r a t i o n o f o u r s a r d i n e s . R a i s i n s a n d p i n e n u t s began to appear in the recipe as a way to soften the sharp- ness of the vinegar and make t h e p r e s e r v e d f i s h m o r e pleasant to eat. Their pres- ence pays tribute, so to speak, to trade routes as clearly as any historical document, and t e l l s u s h o w t h e r e c i p e absorbed what the city han- dled commercially: indeed, it is almost impossible to look at the addition of raisins and pine nuts without thinking of Venice's relationship with the East. T h e r e w a s a n o t h e r k e y change that made today's sarde in saor what they are, the idea of letting them rest, which was necessary to stabi- lize the fish, but also ended u p i m p r o v i n g t h e i r t a s t e . After a full day – but many c o o k s i n s i s t o n t w o – t h e onions lose their sharpness, the vinegar becomes rounder, and the sardines absorb the surrounding liquid, becoming more balanced and aromatic. This is why you still need to p r e p a r e t h e m a d a y i n a d v a n c e a n d l e a v e t h e m u n t o u c h e d f o r a t l e a s t 2 4 hours, if you want them to be perfect. Sarde in saor kept well and could be eaten cold, so t h e y s o o n b e c a m e p a r t o f Venice's everyday urban life, too: Venetian taverns, the bacari, needed foods that could be served quickly and stored safely, and sarde in saor met those requirements perfectly. They became a typ- ical cicchetto, eaten standing at the counter with a small glass of wine, turning from being a fishermen's provision to part of the city's social life. Sardines were the fish of choice because of their abun- d a n c e i n t h e l a g o o n a n d b e c a u s e t h e y w e r e v e r y affordable, yet tasty. Plus, t h e i r n a t u r a l o i l c o n t e n t worked very well with vinegar and onions, the ingredients adding the "saor." After hav- ing cooked the onion gently until soft, the fish was layered with it, so that the marinade could distribute slowly dur- ing the resting period, a tech- n i q u e t h a t c o o k s s t i l l u s e today. It's nice to remember that, when we eat sarde in saor, we experience a slice of old Venetian life made of mar- i t i m e w o r k , c o m m e r c i a l exchange, and urban sociabil- ity; but we also taste a lot of h i s t o r y , s t a r t i n g f r o m medieval preservation meth- ods and Renaissance trade ingredients, all the way to the t a v e r n c u l t u r e o f l a t e r decades. Modern diners no longer need vinegar to keep fish edi- ble, yet the waiting period remains obligatory because it produces the characteristic flavor people associate with authenticity: the practice sur- vives even after the problem t h a t c r e a t e d i t h a s d i s a p - peared. Ingredients 1.1 lb fresh sardines (about 1 2 – 1 6 s m a l l s a r d i n e s ) , cleaned and deboned 2 to 3 large white onions, thinly sliced (about 1¼–1½ lb total, roughly 5–6 cups sliced) ⅓ cup raisins, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes and drained 3 tablespoons pine nuts ⅓ to ½ cup white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar (optional but traditional) About ¾ cup all-purpose flour (for dredging) E x t r a - v i r g i n o l i v e o i l ( a b o u t 1 t o 1 ½ c u p s t o t a l between frying and cooking) Salt, to taste Method P a t t h e s a r d i n e s d r y . Lightly coat them in flour and shake off the excess. Heat about 1 inch of olive oil in a skillet over medium- high heat and fry the sardines in batches until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side. Drain o n p a p e r t o w e l s a n d s a l t lightly while warm. In another wide pan, heat 4-5 tablespoons olive oil over low heat and add the sliced onions. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 min- utes until completely soft and pale (they should not brown). Add the vinegar and the sugar and simmer gently for 2–3 minutes to soften the acidity. Stir in the raisins and pine nuts and cook 1 more minute, then remove from the heat. In a glass or ceramic dish, arrange a layer of sardines. C o v e r w i t h a l a y e r o f t h e o n i o n m i x t u r e . C o n t i n u e alternating layers, ending with onions and all their liq- uid. Let cool, cover, and refrig- erate at least 24 hours – 48 hours is better. Bring to room temperature before serving. GIULIA FRANCESCHINI Sarde in saor and polenta (Photo: Olga Mazyarkina/Dreamstime) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES From fishermen's provisions to bacaro staple: the story of sarde in saor

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