In Liguria, one of the most typical food items in the culinary tradition of the villages overlooking the Gulf of La Spezia is the muscolo or mitilo (plural version: muscoli or mitili).
This Mediterranean mussel is a marine mollusk in the Mytilidae family. In the Gulf of Poets, it is an object of aquaculture: in the stretch of water between Portovenere and Lerici, it is easy to spot grid patterns formed by poles, floats and ropes that are home to these bivalves.
Cultivated since ancient Roman times, muscoli are produced in fish farms of different sizes, with breeding cycles varying from 13 to 15 months.
Muscoli are used in various local dishes, whether you enjoy a meal at home or in a restaurant. After cooking them in a saucepan, you can savor them without any further additions, or use them as an ingredient for a risotto alla marinara or pasta sauces.
The bi-annual Mytiliade festival
The beautiful town of Lerici celebrates the mitili and local seafood traditions in a bi-annual event called Mytiliade.
The 2024 edition takes place from 13 to 15 September. Lerici will host cooking shows by great chefs, the GourMed market, guided wine and food tastings, open-air culinary lessons, gastronomic contests, cultural meetings and exhibitions.
The gastronomad journalist and event designer Vittorio Castellani, better known as Chef Kumalé, will be one of the event’s protagonists.
Mytiliade also celebrates the gastronomic traditions of the Mediterranean Peoples: Sicily and Tunisia will be the guest Region and Country of the 2024 edition, respectively.
For more information on Mytiliade and for the full calendar of events, visit mytiliadelerici.com.
The “Muscolai”, mussel farmers in the Gulf of Poets
Below are some photos from the photographic book “Muscolai”, which portrays the daily lives of local mussel growers of the Cooperativa Mitilicoltori della Spezia. This book by professional photographer and photo reporter Claudio Barontini was presented to the public during the 2015 edition of Mytiliade.
The fantastic photographs tell the story behind the early wakes and setting out at sea, friendships, struggles, efforts, and satisfactions.
It’s a black-and-white homage full of poetry that gives a unique “behind the scenes” insight into the production of two precious treasures from the Gulf of La Spezia: mussels and oysters.
Oyster farms in the Gulf of Poets
In addition to the muscoli, Spezia’s farmers excel at cultivating oysters unique to the Gulf of Poets.
Learn more about about oyster farming and an exclusive tour in Portovenere here.
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