From sea to land: five must-try dishes during your stopover in Ancona

If you think Ancona is just a concrete pier from which to disembark and escape to the beaches of Conero, you are missing out on the best of your stop. The capital of the Marche region is a rough and proud city, which at the table makes no compromises: here fish is cooked with the patient hours of sailors, and meat has the wild aroma of the inland hills. Disembark with a precise goal: forget fast food and plunge into the historic alleys to discover five flavors you won’t easily forget.

Ancona-style Stockfish: the city’s cult dish

It is the undisputed king of local tables, even protected by a historical academy. In Ancona, stockfish (dried cod) is not just a simple fish dish, but a slow ritual. It is cooked in a large pot, layered with an abundance of potatoes, tomatoes, aromatics, chili pepper, and a generous dose of extra virgin olive oil. Cooking takes hours, until the potatoes fall apart, creating a thick and flavorful sauce into which dipping bread is a moral duty.

Conero Wild Mussels: the black gold of the coast

If your cruise stops in summer, you absolutely must look for them. Don’t call them mussels (*cozze*): *moscioli* are wild mussels that reproduce naturally on the submerged rocks of the Conero promontory, particularly in Portonovo bay. With an incredibly intense, marine, and wild flavor, they are enjoyed simply seared in a pan with garlic, parsley, lemon, and a drizzle of oil, or used to season spaghetti.

Vincisgrassi: the noble ancestor of lasagna

If you prefer land flavors, forget the classic Emilian lasagna. Vincisgrassi is a monument of Marche cuisine: layers of egg pasta (often flavored with *vino cotto* or Marsala) alternated with a very rich, rustic, knife-cut ragù. The traditional recipe includes a mix of beef, pork, and, especially, offal (chicken giblets, sweetbreads), all completed with a velvety béchamel sauce and a generous sprinkle of cheese.

Crocino (or mixed fried fish): the sea in a paper cone

For a quick but unforgettable street food before getting back on board, look for one of the historic fry shops near the port or in the historic center. The Ancona-style *fritto di paranza* (mixed fried fish) is a work of art: tiny rock fish, red mullets, calamari, and *zatterini* (small cuttlefish/squid) coated in flour and instantly fried in boiling oil. Served piping hot in the classic straw paper cone, it is crispy, dry, and smells of the Adriatic.

Ciambella with Must (and Verdicchio): the traditional dessert

To finish on a sweet note, look for the *ciambella con il mosto* (ring cake with grape must) in the city’s bakeries. It’s a rustic, lightly sweetened dessert, typical of autumn but now easily found in various versions. It has a compact texture, enriched with anise seeds that give it an unmistakable aroma. Enjoy it warm, perhaps accompanied by a glass of chilled Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, the wine pride of the region.

Bring a piece of Ancona home: The Recipe for Moscioli (or Mussels) alla Marinara (for 4 people)

If you want to relive the scent of the Adriatic Sea in your kitchen, here is the most immediate and authentic recipe. If you can’t find Conero wild mussels, you can use excellent fresh rock mussels.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg wild Moscioli (or fresh mussels)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 generous bunch fresh parsley
• Juice of 1 organic lemon
• 1/2 glass dry white wine (preferably Verdicchio)
• Marche EVO oil, freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Slices of rustic bread (for dipping)

Method

Carefully clean the *moscioli* under running water, removing the beard (byssus) and scraping the shells with a brush or knife to remove impurities. In a very large saucepan, heat a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil with the two crushed garlic cloves (which you will remove later) and half of the finely chopped parsley. Pour the *moscioli* into the saucepan over high heat, stir quickly, and immediately cover with the lid. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, moving the pot occasionally to help them open evenly. As soon as the shells begin to open, remove the lid, pour in the half glass of white wine, and let the alcohol evaporate for one minute over high heat. Turn off the heat (discard any mussels that remain closed). Add the rest of the freshly chopped parsley, a generous squeeze of lemon juice, and a grating of black pepper. Serve the *moscioli* piping hot directly in deep plates, drizzling them with the filtered sauce and accompanying them with toasted slices of homemade bread, ideal for soaking up the broth.