The “Focaccia di Recco col Formaggio”

Recco is the gastronomic capital of this part of Liguria, a place full of delights for the palate.

Among these, the most famous is certainly the Focaccia di Recco col Formaggio, a speciality protected by the IGP mark, which is only produced in a well-defined area, including the municipalities of Recco, Camogli, Sori and Avegno.

A mixture of flour, water, salt, and extra virgin olive oil, rolled out into two very thin sheets, filled with ‘fresh cheese’ and baked at high temperatures.

Unlike Genoese focaccia, Focaccia di Recco does not contain any leaven.

The result is extraordinary. Everybody likes it!

But what is the history of this delicacy?

The Osteria Manuelina was founded in Recco in 1885, a simple, home-style refreshment point for travellers and carters. In the early 1900s, Manuelina had the idea of reworking the recipe for the traditional fried cheese focacette, which was already well-known and popular, to create Focaccia al Formaggio and start offering it in her inn. It was an immediate success. Other restaurants in this locality began to produce it as people arrived in large number in Recco to taste the food.

To this day, the great-grandchildren of this enterprising restaurateur still serve Focaccia di Recco col Formaggio IGP in the prestigious Manuelina restaurant, handing down her great-grandmother’s secrets, along with many other specialities of the local cuisine. Many celebrities frequent this restaurant precisely to taste this speciality that has now become one of the main food and wine attractions of this locality.

The Focaccia di Recco col Formaggio is celebrated with a festival at the end of May, during which it is possible to taste this speciality and the whole town comes alive with events and entertainment for the occasion.