Cima alla Genovese is an ancient Ligurian dish that is much loved, but somewhat complex in preparation. Perhaps for this reason it is regarded as a “ritual” that artists and poets included in works of art. Even our great Fabrizio De Andrè.

Loving friends of Pesto Fresco, this is it! We are now very few days away from the most beloved holiday of the year. Christmas is just around the corner and you have surely already decided what to prepare for your holiday meal.

You have probably also made the shopping list and even placed orders in the respective stores.
Have any of you thought of making Cima alla Genovese for Christmas lunch as well?
Surely, among the Ligurian friends of Pesto Fresco, someone will make it.
Today we will not give you the recipe, which we will postpone to a future date, but we would like to give a nod to this very tasty dish typical of Liguria, so deeply rooted in popular culture that it is even taken up by singers and poets.
You heard right!

Cima alla Genovese is a dish that, like many others, used to be considered salvaged, but over time has become sought after.
The preparation is long, complex and rather delicate, especially during the cooking phase where we stake the success of the dish. Yes, because there is a risk that the filling of the meat pocket may burst if the directions to avoid this risk are not followed well.
However, despite these minor difficulties, which can absolutely be overcome, Cima alla Genovese remains one of the most beloved dishes of our Ligurian tradition, along with Pesto alla Genovese, Coniglio alla Ligure, Ciuppin and many others.
Perhaps, it is precisely the complexity of the preparation, the richness of the ingredients, and the rather long time frame that make Cima alla Genovese a true ritual.
And these will be the very reasons why this dish was the inspiration for several works of art.
In a poem, Aldo Aquarone called it “A çimma pinn-a, o re di piatti frèidi” (the king of cold dishes).

Among Cima alla Genovese’s most famous artistic quotations is one from Fabrizio De Andrè in his song “‘A çimma,” a song contained in the album “Le nuvole.”

This song was written in collaboration with another great Genoese artist-Ivano Fossati.
‘A cimma, a song sung in Genoese, describes the preparation of the typical Ligurian dish as if it were a real ritual. For the poet and songwriter, when preparing Cima alla Genovese you have to put a sorghum broom in a corner. Do you know why? Because if a witch comes along and wants to burst our filling, thwarting our efforts, first she has to count the straws on the broom, and in the time she takes to do this, our cima cooks and is ready, surely without a hitch!

Well friends of Pesto Fresco, we leave you with the lyrics of the song ‘A cimma and see you next week.

… and if you prepare the top and want us to taste it, we are always available!

‘A cimma (Fabrizio De Andrè)
(La Cima)

Ti t’adesciàe ‘nsce l’èndegu du matin
ch’à luxe a l’à ‘n pè ‘n tera e l’àtru in mà

You’ll wake up on the indigo of the morning
when the light has one foot on the ground and the ‘other in the sea

ti t’ammiâe a uo spégiu de ‘n tianin
ou çé ou s’amnià a ou spegiu dâ ruzà

you’ll look at yourself in the mirror of a pan
the sky will look at itself in the mirror of the roaring

ti mettiâe ou brûgu réddenu ‘nte ‘n cantún
che se d’â cappa sgûggia ‘n cuxín-a á stría

you’ll put the broom straight in a corner
that if from the hood slips into the kitchen the witch

a xeùa de cuntà ‘e pàgge che ghe sùn
‘a cimma a l’è za pinn-a a l’è za cùxia
by dint of counting the straw that are there
the top is already full is already sewn

Cè serèn tèra scùa
carne tènia nu fàte nèigra
nu turnà dùa

Clear sky dark earth
tender flesh don’t turn black
don’t come back hard

Bell’oueggè strapunta de tùttu bun
prima de battezàlu ‘ntou prebuggiun

Nice pillow mattress of every good
before baptizing it in the herbs

cun dui aguggiuìn dritu ‘n pùnta de pè
da sùrvia ‘n zù fitu ti ‘a punziggè

with two big straight needles on tiptoe
from above to below svelto ti ‘a punziggè

àia de lùn-a vègia de ciaèu de nègia
ch’ou cègu ou pèrde ‘a tèsta l’àse ou sentè

old moonlight air of fog
that the cleric loses his head and the donkey the path

oudù de mà misciòu de pèrsa lègia
cos’àtru fa cos’àtru dàghe a ou cè

smell of sea mixed with light marjoram
what else to do what else to give to the sky

Cè serèn tèra scùa
carne tènia nu fàte nèigra
nu turnà dùa

Clear sky dark earth
tender flesh don’t go black
don’t come back hard

and ‘nt’ou nùme de Maria
all diài from this pùgnatta
anène via

and in the name of Mary
all the devils from this pot
go away

Poi vegnan a pigiàtela i càmè
te lascian tùttu ou fùmmu d’ou toèu mestè

Then the waiters come to get it for you
they leave you all the smoke of your trade

tucca a ou fantin à prima coutelà
mangè mangè nu sèi chi ve mangià

touches the bachelor the first stab
eat eat eat you do not know who will eat you

Cè serèn tèra scùa
carne tènia nu fàte nèigra
nu turnà dùa
e ‘nt’ou nùme de Maria
tùtti diài da sta pùgnatta
anène via.

Sky serene dark earth
tender flesh don’t turn black
don’t come back hard
and in the name of Mary
all the devils from this pot
go away