Mesciua, also called mes-ciüa or mes-ciüa, is a Ligurian soup and more precisely of the territory of La Spezia and the beautiful Gulf of Poets.

It is a dish of poor and very ancient origins based on legumes and cereals: it is said that Mesciua was prepared since the fourteenth century by women, who collected the legumes and grains that came out of the sacks during the loading and unloading of ships, to help solve the problem of nutrition of the family.

The name Mesciua in dialect means “mixture” and represents a dish of poor origins, but at the same time rich in flavours and nutrients.

Depending on the season (especially in winter), you can taste the traditional Mesciua on our food tour in La Spezia in one of the oldest taverns in town.

Here is the recipe of the authentic Mesciua of La Spezia.

Ingredients of Mesciua

• 200 grams of durum wheat
• 200 grams of dried chickpeas
• 200 grams of dried beans
• A tuft of parsley
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation

Wash the chickpeas and soak them in fresh water for 12 hours. Do the same thing with the beans and wheat.

Drain the beans and wheat, place them in 3 earthenware pots and cook with plenty of water.

When the cooking is almost finished, add the ingredients in a single pot and finish cooking.

Serve hot, season with a drizzle of oil and season with salt and pepper. You can accompany this dish with slices of homemade bread lightly toasted in the oven.