My favourite moment of the day was the one following the end of the lessons because I went with my friends to "Lele’s", a Bàcaro frequented by university students. We took an "ombra", i.e. a glass of wine or a spritz, and the evening continued between goodies and laughter, even better if accompanied by the classic "cicheti", such as sandwiches with meats and cheeses.
Now, you may be wondering: what is a Bàcaro? And what do you mean by “ombra” and “cicheti”?
The name Bàcaro (with an accent on the first “a”) seems to derive from the Venetian expression "far bacara", meaning to party, make noise and have fun in general. We could say that the “Bàcaro” is simply a tavern, but it would be too banal and not entirely accurate.
The Bàcaro is a typical Venetian tavern, characterized by a simple and rustic decor, where they mainly serve “ombre” (glasses of wine) together with “cicheti” (small samples of food), displayed in the showcase on the counter.
However, the fundamental characteristic distinguishing a true Bàcaro is that it is frequented by the Venetians.
Wooden tables, barrels, ceilings adorned with pots, navigation instruments, gondolas, and anything else reminiscent of the Venetian tradition are the characteristic signs distinguishing the real Bàcaro from imitations for tourists.
The Bàcaro is synonymous with two things: drink good wine and eat tasty cicheti.
Let’s take a short journey in taste to see what awaits you in your adventure among the Venetian Bàcari.
Obviously, even the name of the typical products of the Bàcaro, “ombra” and “cicheto”, have their origin. The word “ombra” comes from the custom of street vendors of wine in St Mark’s Square who moved it following the shadow (“ombra” in Italian) of the bell tower to keep the product cool. “Cicheto”, instead, comes from the Latin “ciccus", meaning small quantity; classic cicheti are meatballs or fish-based, such as "sarde in saòr" or cream of codfish, but every bacaro offers a rich variety of cicheti.
Despite the value of Venetian wines, in a Bàcaro the wines served are often cheap, as tradition and the poor origin of the custom dictate. However, they are DOC wines of excellent quality.
Besides “ombre” and “cicheti”, you may have heard of “spritz”. Nowadays, it is a popular aperitif almost everywhere in Italy, but I assure you that the “spritz” you will drink in Veneto beats them all. Presumably, “spritz” derives from the fact that Austrian soldiers stationed in Venice sprayed (“spritzen” in German) full-bodied Venetian wines with Seltz or water. Today, the Venetian spritz recipe includes Aperol or Campari, prosecco, sparkling water or Seltz, a slice of orange and sometimes even an olive!
I am Team Spritz, strictly with Aperol!
There is no "ombra" without "cicheti". Each Bàcaro offers its own, but they are all based on the typical multiethnic Venetian cuisine. Among the most common, you will find:
- Sardinians in saor
- cod whipped on polenta croutons
- meatballs, artichoke grounds, mozzarella in carriage
- fried fish, grilled cuttlefish, marinated anchovies, fish salad, folpetti (moscardini)
- vegetable omelettes, boiled eggs
- sandwiches, filled sandwiches at the moment
Over the years, I have tasted so many, but my favourite “cicheto” remains the one with creamed cod, a real treat for the palate!