
Risotto with Tastasal is creamy and enveloping, with rice grains bound together by the fragrant fat of fresh pork. The tastasal, browned in a pan, releases aromas of pepper and spices that blend with Vialone Nano rice, creating a flavor that is intense yet balanced. The texture is soft and velvety, with small bits of meat that give character to every spoonful. It is the classic warm first course of Veronese trattorias, perfect during the colder seasons.
In Verona, this risotto tells the story of the world of traditional pork butchery. Tastasal was the mixture used to taste and adjust the seasoning of salami, and turning it into risotto became a simple and ingenious way to avoid wasting anything. Today it is one of the most emblematic dishes of Veronese cuisine, a must on the menus of traditional osterias.
Its origins date back to the rural traditions of the Veronese plain, where during the processing of the pig a portion of the salami mixture was cooked to check its flavor: the so‑called "tastasal." With the abundance of Vialone Nano rice grown in the rice fields of the lower Veronese area, this tasting mixture was soon combined with rice, giving life to a risotto that was simple yet rich. Over time it became one of the symbolic dishes of the trattorias of the city and the surrounding province.
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