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Sardine in Saor — traditional dish from Venice, Italy
Starter Fish & Seafood

Food Flavour DNA

Nutritional Values

🔥360kcal
💪23gProtein
🌾28gCarbs
🥑20gFat
🌿2gFibre
⚖️200 gServing

* Per serving · 200 g. May vary.

Allergens

🐟 Fish 🥜 Nuts

Sardine in Saor

How to order / say it
Say it Sarde in Saor — [SAHR-deh een SAH-or]
Order I'd like the sardine in saor, please.
Locally Vorrei le sarde in saor, per favore.
Say locally

Venetian sweet and sour sardines with onions and raisins.

Why try it?

A quintessential Venetian dish, Sarde in Saor is perfect for understanding Venice's tradition of preserving food using simple yet flavorful ingredients to withstand long sea journeys.

How it tastes

The dish combines sweet, sour, and savory flavors, featuring crispy sardines bathed in a tangy marinade of onions and vinegar, with the sweet surprise of raisins and pine nuts.

Origin & History — first documented: 1200

Dating back to the Middle Ages, 'saor' sauce was a method used by Venetian sailors to preserve fish during long sea voyages, making the dish a staple of Venetian maritime history.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 🐟 400 g sardines
  • 🧄 2 large onions
  • 🥣 200 ml vinegar
  • 50 g raisins
  • 🥜 30 g pine nuts
  • 🫒 100 ml olive oil
  • 🧂 to taste salt

Method

  1. 1 Clean and fry the sardines until golden, then set aside.
  2. 2 Sauté sliced onions in olive oil until soft and translucent.
  3. 3 Add vinegar, raisins, and pine nuts, simmer for a few minutes.
  4. 4 Layer sardines with the onion mixture and let sit for at least 24 hours.

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All Europe recipes — Italy — Venice — Sardine in Saor
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