Stockfish in Badalucco

Why Badalucco eats stockfish

Badalucco is far from the sea, but for centuries it was the trading centre of the middle Argentina valley. Dried fish landed at Porto Maurizio, now part of Imperia, and muleteers loaded it on their mules and took it up the valley. Stockfish kept for a long time and needed no ice: it was the right fish for an inland village.

Over time it became the dish for important occasions. According to the Touring Club it was the main course of the lunch that the priors of the confraternities offered the community at the end of their term.

The legend of the Saracens

The story goes that the people of Badalucco withstood a long siege by the Saracens thanks to their stores of stockfish, and then counter-attacked. It is a legend: no documents confirm it, and even the date (some sources place it in the 16th century and speak of pirates) changes from one telling to another. Take it for what it is: a story the village likes to tell to explain why this dried fish matters so much to it.

The Stockfish Festival

The Festival dello Stoccafisso alla badalucchese, called “A Baucogna”, is organised by the Pro Loco and the town of Badalucco on the third weekend of September. In 2026 the dates given by the regional tourism body were 19 and 20 September. The programme includes stockfish tastings, talks, live music and markets of crafts and local products.

Beware of the numbers you find online: sources disagree on the edition number and some pages give different dates, which is why we do not give an edition number here. Times, dish prices and the exact location change from year to year: check the official programme on the town’s website shortly before you go.

If you plan to go, arrive early and leave the car outside the village (see how to get there in the Badalucco guide). Rooms in the area run out: book ahead.

What to eat with stockfish

Badalucco bean and zemin

The Badalucco bean, called “rundin” for its oval shape, is a Slow Food Presidium together with the beans of Conio and Pigna. It grows on dry-stone terraces: sowing is in June and harvest runs from mid-September to mid-October, right in the weeks of the festival. In the kitchen it is soaked the evening before, then boiled with garlic and bay, and salted at the end of cooking.

Zemin is the Ligurian soup of beans, vegetables and meat, which tradition links to this area. Look for it on late-summer and autumn menus.

Taggiasca olive oil

The local oil is extra virgin from Taggiasca olives. According to the town’s tourism site, some mills can be visited by booking: a chance to taste the oil before you buy. Opening hours are not confirmed, so call first.

Where to eat in Badalucco

During the festival the stockfish is eaten in the village, among the stalls and the tables set up for the occasion. The rest of the year the choice is smaller: the only restaurant we can name with a verified source is Umami, in a former kindergarten, with contemporary cooking and regional influences. Book, and check days and hours. For trattorias serving the traditional dish ask the tourist office (IAT “Galleria UpArte”, piazza Duomo 1): we have no verified places to recommend for this dish.