Last Saturday Genova held the first ever World Pesto Championship. Genova is the home of Pesto, and the sauce is a bit of an art form, held in very high regard here in Liguria. True Genovese Pesto is supposed to be made from basil leaves grown in close proximity to the Ligurian coast so that it has the proper sweet flavor. Forget lemons and parsley, the rest of the ingredients for Pesto are few and straightforward: garlic, pine-nuts, parmesan cheese, and extra virgin olive oil.

The Pesto Championship was held in an enormous, lavishly decorated ballroom in Palazzo Ducale. About 100 contestants from all over the world, though I suspect with a strong Ligurian contingent, were lined along four tables running the length of the ballroom. Each contestant was supplied with the same standard ingredients: a bag of basil, a block of parmesan cheese, a small bottle of olive oil, and cups full of garlic cloves, pine-nuts, grated cheese and sea salt. The only difference between each station was the marble mortar and wooden pestle that each contestant was allowed to bring. There was a faint smell of basil in the air as people milled around and snapped pictures before the competition began. To bring home the historic importance of the first World Pesto Championship, we were treated to an opening ceremony consisting of no less than 5 speakers lauding the magical qualities of Pesto and even to a Baroque-style song about Pesto. After about 15 minutes of pomp and circumstance, the emcee launched into the countdown: tre…due…uno…VAI!

The competition was underway. First, contestants peeled the garlic and poured pine-nuts into the mortar, then they mashed the two together. Then they plucked off the nicest looking basil leaves from their bunches and mashed some more…for a long time…making adjustments to these three ingredients as necessary. It wasn’t until towards the end of the process that they added the final ingredients of parmesan cheese and olive oil. All the while the smell of pesto in the air grew stronger and stronger. So this is how to make “true” pesto. After 45 minutes, the emcee came back over the speakers for the final countdown: tre…due…uno…STOP!

Apparently, although I can’t say for sure because the taste test was left to the official judges, these few ingredients can yield final products that vary greatly. Much later in the afternoon, and I’m sure after some good eating, the first ever World Pesto Champion was crowned. If you want to try making your own batch of Genovese Pesto, the recipe is at pestochampionship.net. Remember, absolutely no blenders or magic bullets allowed!

Last Modified : March 22nd, 2007
Filed under : Italy, Food and drink
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