Local food map Venice (Italy)
Venice guides
Recipes 13
Pick a recipe
All Venice recipes
Venetian Sweet and Sour Duck — traditional dish from Venice, Italy
Main course Meat

Food Flavour DNA

Nutritional Values

🔥780kcal
💪50gProtein
🌾18gCarbs
🥑60gFat
🌿3gFibre
⚖️400 gServing

* Per serving · 400 g. May vary.

Venetian Sweet and Sour Duck

How to order / say it
Say it Anatra all'Arancia — [A-nah-trah all-lah RAHN-chah]
Order I'd like the Anatra all'Arancia, please.
Locally Vorrei l'Anatra all'Arancia, per favore.
Say locally

Roasted duck with a sweet and sour orange sauce.

Why try it?

A dish steeped in history, marrying Venetian sweetness and citrus flavors, Anatra all'Arancia underscores the city's penchant for opulence and celebration. This dish reflects the exotic trade influences of Venice.

How it tastes

Cooked to tender perfection, the duck has a rich, succulent flavor balanced by the sweet and tangy notes of orange. The sauce is fragrant and slightly glossy, enhancing the duck's natural fat.

Origin & History — first documented: 1600

Rooted in the Renaissance era, this dish exhibits the wealth of Venice at its height, influenced by spices and ingredients from abroad. The 17th century saw this dish become emblematic at banquets celebrating the Venetian Republic's prosperity.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 🥩 1 kg duck
  • 🍋 2 oranges
  • 🍯 50 g honey
  • 🥣 50 ml red wine vinegar
  • 🥛 30 g butter
  • 🌿 5 g thyme

Method

  1. 1 Season duck with salt and thyme, roast in the oven until crispy.
  2. 2 Squeeze juice from oranges, bring to a boil with honey and vinegar.
  3. 3 Reduce sauce to thicken, whisk in butter for glaze.
  4. 4 Serve sliced duck with sweet and sour orange glaze.

More from Venice

Venetian Risotto with Peas © Wikimedia Commons
Main course Meat

Venetian Risotto with Peas

Risi e Bisi
REE-zee eh BEE-see

A creamy risotto cooked with fresh peas and pancetta.

Venetian-Style Pasta with Cuttlefish Ink
Main course Fish & Seafood

Venetian-Style Pasta with Cuttlefish Ink

Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia
spah-GEH-tee ahl NEH-ro dee SEHP-pyah

Spaghetti colored with cuttlefish ink, served with seafood.

🐟
Main course Fish & Seafood

Venetian Bigoli in Salsa

Bigoli in Salsa
BEE-go-lee een SAHL-sah

Thick spaghetti-like pasta served with an anchovy-onion sauce.

Venetian-style Fried Fish
Main course Fish & Seafood

Venetian-style Fried Fish

Fritto Misto alla Veneziana
FREE-toh MEES-toh ah-lah veh-neh-tsyah-nah

A medley of mixed fried seafood including fish, shrimp, and calamari.

🐟
Main course Fish & Seafood

Venetian-Style Octopus

Polpo alla Veneziana
POHL-poh ah-lah veh-neh-tzee-AH-nah

Tender octopus served with potatoes, seasoned with lemon.

Sardine in Saor © Wikimedia Commons
Starter Fish & Seafood

Sardine in Saor

Sarde in Saor
SAHR-deh een SAH-or

Venetian sweet and sour sardines with onions and raisins.

🐟
Main course Fish & Seafood

Polenta and Schie

Polenta e Schie
poh-LEHN-tah eh SHK-EH

Creamy polenta served with tiny, crispy lagoon shrimps.

Venetian-Style Soft-Shell Crabs
Main course Fish & Seafood

Venetian-Style Soft-Shell Crabs

Moeche Fritte
MOH-eh-keh FREE-tteh

Deep-fried soft-shell crabs, a Venetian delicacy.

🐟
Main course Fish & Seafood

Venetian Cuttlefish Stew

Seppie in Umido
SEP-pee-eh een OO-mee-doh

A savory stew with cuttlefish, tomatoes, and peas, often enjoyed over polenta.

Venetian Cuttlefish in Black Ink © Wikimedia Commons
Main course Fish & Seafood

Venetian Cuttlefish in Black Ink

Seppie al Nero
SEP-peeh ahl NEH-ro

Cuttlefish cooked in its own ink with garlic, onions, and tomatoes.

All Europe recipes — Italy — Venice — Venetian Sweet and Sour Duck
keyboard_arrow_up