Le Sarde in Saor, (Saor in Venetian dialect means “flavor”), is a dish made from simple and poor but masterfully blended ingredients. The protagonists are sardines, onions and vinegar, a dish that dates back to 1300 and perhaps the most representative of the centuries-old Venetian culinary tradition.
Sarde in saor are one of those traditional dishes that began as a dish for the poorest population but over time became an emblem of local cuisine. The reason is easy to say: they have few ingredients that were easy for the Venetians to recover, such as sardines, onions, oil and vinegar.
“The first news of this recipe dates back to the twelfth century and it seems that the dish was born from the need of Venetian sailors to preserve fish during long sea crossings. In the absence of refrigeration, onions and vinegar made it possible to keep the fish edible for several days.”
In ancient times, many spices were also used, such as carnation, cinnamon, pepper and coriander, easily found in a city dedicated to trade like Venice. This dish is traditionally cooked on the night of the Redeemer Feast, but it is now a must all year round.