Fish from the Viareggio coast

In the seaside town of Viareggio, the air is full of the smells of the sea and the delicious aroma of traditional seafood dishes being prepared in kitchens all round the town. The Tirreno sea has long provided the local population with all kinds of seafood to enjoy such as calamari, sole, clams, mullet and most of all, the many humble varieties of white fish. Unfortunately, white fish was long considered a poor man’s fish, eaten mainly by local fisherman. It was often eaten grilled by fishermen on the dock as soon as they came on land. The sea off the coast of Viareggio is full of white fish such as sardines and anchovies and a huge number of local recipes are based on these and other similar ingredients. Today, many of these ‘peasant’ dishes have been rediscovered and are served in restaurants all over the town.