The wild mussel, Rosso Conero wine, dried cod, sardines and all the other delights of the culinary tradition of Portonovo.
The gastronomic culture of the area of Portonovo is naturally linked to the products of the sea. The focus is on the Portonovo wild mussel, Slow Food Presidium since 1994. It is a mussel that grows naturally in the Bay and that is the basis of much of the local cuisine.
You can also enjoy sole, mullet, squid, sea bass, croaker, many qualities of bluefish and different shellfish, such as raguse and bombetti (or sea snails).
Dining in Portonovo is always a delicious experience. By visiting one of the restaurants in the bay, do not forget to order some pasta (spaghetti or tagliatelle) dressed with moscioli sauce, seafood risotto, Ancona-style stockfish, special local fried fish (paranza), grilled small sardines and sea-nails (raguse) with tomato and wild fennel sauce.
Although these dishes usually come with some cool white wine, the area is famous for a red wine which grows exclusively here: the Rosso Conero. It became DOC wine in 1967 and gained the DOCG title in 2004 for its “Riserva” version.
The Rosso Conero Wine matches perfectly with meat dishes such as game, rabbit or chicken “in potacchio”and tagliatelle or gnocchi with duck sauce, all traditional recipes of the nearby inland.
Other typical products are definitely the extra virgin olive oil, honey and legumes: all of which are produced by farmers belonging to Terre del Conero, the quality controlled agricultural and food chain from the Conero Natural Park.
While hiking around Monte Conero, you might meet strawberry trees, local wild berries, edible and suitable to make delicious jams. Monte Conero owes its name to this peculiar fruit: Komaròs is ancient Greek for strawberry tree (arbutus).