Some ethnic specialties such as sushi, poke salads and Indian food are now commonly found on the tables of Genoese families but there is more local flare on offer too.
Perhaps it is due to the pandemic, which surprisingly had more and more Italian people approach delivery food, but many eateries have opened only for take-away dishes and food to go and, since the competition is high, they are trying to find new cuisines to entice the customers.
One of the new entries into the Ligurian cuisine, which makes tourists and locals drool over it, is the…panino marino, literally translated to ‘marine sandwich.’
Italians eat a lot of sandwiches for lunch.
We don’t eat sandwiches as an afternoon snack like in America, but a sandwich can often replace a meal when we are on the go.
In Italy, when we talk about sandwiches we normally talk about panini filled with cheese, vegetables or cold cuts, but the Panino Marino is something new and super tasty which was born right here in Genoa.
Fish sandwich with loads of condiments
The first place where they invented it is a bistro-style restaurant overlooking the sea where you can sit both at the outdoor tables or on the stools inside by the counter or take it to-go.
The first restaurant is named like the sandwich.
But many other places started making their own recipes after witnessing the success of this creation.
These bistro-like eateries offer delicacies suitable for all tastes and budgets and they always use fresh ingredients.
The eateries are under the porticoes which surround the harbor.
On their blackboard displayed outside, you can find ‘the sandwich of the day’ based on the offer of the season and the catch of the day.
The fishermen in fact go out at night and sell the fresh fish in the early morning at their stalls just a few meters away.
The sandwiches are served in a rustic style wrapped in paper, making them easy to eat as you walk down the street as well.
But what are these panini marini made with?
These sandwiches are very creative and they use fresh tuna, salmon, anchovies, octopus or squid, accompanied in a never banal way by first quality condiments.
Some condiments are very creative but they go well with raw fish: mango, pesto, caramelized onions, goat cheese and marinated anchovies.
One of the most popular panini is the one made with tuna tartare, seasoned with tomato, salad, mozzarella and pesto sauce.
My favorite panino marino is the one with homemade “octopus salami” (a sort of octopus cold cut), yellow and red peppers, red radicchio, tomato carpaccio, mixed salad, marine sauce and prescinsêua, a typical Genoese cottage-style cheese.
You order at the counter, and they call you when it's ready.
In the evening, around aperitivo time (pre-dinner), you can enjoy a nice fish-based aperitif in the company of friends or colleagues and the atmosphere is amazing because in the Old Port you can see the fishermen loading the nets onto their boats located a few steps from the Aquarium of Genoa.
They sometimes also offer an intriguing choice of fried seafood or raw food, ideal for aperitifs accompanied by a glass of wine or a craft beer.
