Carpione

Carpione is a term that indicates a typical Italian preparation based on fish, vegetables and meats in a particular «vinegar marinade». The word carpione changes according to the Italian regions; in fact in Veneto it becomes «saor», while in Liguria, Campania and Puglia «scapece» .

The various ingredients are covered with a mixture of vinegar and spices. It is very important that the vinegar is white (the red one would give the food an unpleasant color). The most suitable products for this preparation are freshwater fishes such as tench, eel, carp, chub and agon; among sea fishes the best ones are anchovies, sardines and even small sole. All ingredients must always be fried in oil first.

Among the vegetables, the most suitable are zucchini, garlic, bay leaf and onion, but sometimes oregano and sage are also used as perfumes. Soaked foods like carpione can be kept in the fridge for more than a week, inside hermetically sealed containers.