Risi e Bisi Veneziano — Rice and Fresh Pea Soup

Venice — risi e bisi is documented from the 15th century in Venetian records as the Doge's Day feast preparation. The Burano island peas were historically considered the finest in the Veneto. The preparation is now made throughout the Veneto and beyond, but the April 25 date and the spring pea specificity remain essential to its meaning.

Risi e bisi is the most celebrated Venetian preparation — not quite a risotto, not quite a soup, but occupying the middle ground between the two: a soupy, loose rice-and-pea preparation made with the very first spring peas from the Burano island fields (historically) or the Veneto mainland, where the small, sweet, very fresh peas are essential. The preparation was traditionally made to celebrate St Mark's Day (April 25, the Feast of the Patron of Venice), when the Doge received the first spring peas from the Burano farmers. The pea pods are used to make the broth; the peas go into the rice; the pancetta and parsley are the flavouring.

Risi e bisi in a wide bowl is pale green and fragrant — the pea broth gives the liquid a sweetness and fresh-garden scent that is impossible to replicate with any other medium. The peas retain their slight crunch; the rice is barely al dente; the pancetta adds a mild savoury note; the butter and Parmigiano give richness without weight. It is the taste of Venetian spring — delicate, transient, irreplaceable.