Food and wine on the Island of Elba: ltypical dishes and traditional flavours

The flavors of the Elban cuisine are based on simple dishes, where imagination and wisdom in the selection of ingredients dominate. It is this very cuisine, once considered poor, that has now become refined with the advent of tourism.

Particularly sought after are those dishes that require long and complex preparation, and among these, the stoccafisso alla riese stands out, a sublime dish accompanied by salted anchovies, onions, tomatoes, basil, parsley, green peppers, black olives, pine nuts, capers, and of course, oil, chili, and salt.

The gurguglione, another Elban specialty based on vegetables, rice with cuttlefish ink, stuffed squids, the famous cacciucco or fish soup, as well as very simple dishes such as boiled octopus, fried zerri, or stuffed sardines.

After all these delicacies, a good wine tasting could not be missed, even though over the past fifty years, the surface area of vineyards on the island has significantly decreased from 3,000 hectares to the current less than 200.

In any case, the Elban wines are of excellent quality and have been controlled by the DOC brand for several years. Among these, the following stand out: Elba Bianco, Elba Rosso, Rosato, Ansonica, Moscato, and Aleatico (DOCG).