Albenga local produce: violet asparagus and artichokes

Albenga violet asparagus

This is the plain’s most famous product and its rarest. The spears are thick and deep purple, fading towards the base. The colour comes from genetics, not from how it is grown: violet asparagus has 40 chromosomes instead of the usual 20, so it cannot cross with other varieties and stays true to type.

The flavour is soft, almost buttery, without the stringiness of ordinary asparagus. In the 1930s Liguria grew more than 300 hectares of it; by 1970 there were 143, by 2000 fewer than ten, replaced by more profitable crops. A Slow Food Presidium was set up to save it and today brings together three farms in Ceriale, Andora and Leca d’Albenga.

When and how to eat it

It is harvested entirely by hand from mid-March to mid-June; locals say “from Saint Joseph to Saint John”. The best way to eat it is the simplest: boiled for a few minutes and dressed with Taggiasca extra virgin olive oil. Skip heavy sauces and long cooking, which hide the taste. It pairs well with steamed or baked fish and white meat. Do not freeze it: if you buy some, eat it within a few days.

Albenga spiny artichoke

Also called the violetto of Albenga, it has a cone-shaped head, dark green outer leaves shaded with purple and yellowish spines. Inside it is surprisingly tender, crunchy and sweet, less fibrous than spiny artichokes from elsewhere. The stem is edible too.

The first artichokes reach the market stalls in late winter and the season runs through spring. The classic way to taste it is raw, thinly sliced with olive oil and lemon, or as pinzimonio with a dip of oil. It also goes into savoury pies, pasta sauces and fritters.

Trombetta courgette

The climbing courgette of the western Riviera is long and curved, with one end swelling like the bell of a trumpet. Most seeds sit in that bulb, so the rest of the flesh is firm and dense, with a sweeter taste than ordinary courgettes. It is a summer vegetable.

Ligurian cooks use it everywhere: in vegetable pies, stuffed, sautéed, fried or as a pasta sauce.

Cuore di bue tomato

Albenga’s “ox heart” tomato is large, around 300 grams, ribbed and heart-shaped, light red or orange. The flesh is dense with few seeds and little juice, and balances sweetness and acidity well. It is the salad tomato par excellence: just olive oil, salt and basil. Look for it in summer.

Where to taste and buy them

The Albenga in Tavola project involves restaurants around town that serve dishes made with the four vegetables in season. Ask about the dedicated menu when booking, or check with the tourist office in Palazzo Vecchio for current initiatives.

• Markets: stalls in Albenga and nearby towns sell freshly picked produce from the plain.
• Farms: many farms sell directly; for violet asparagus, go to the Presidium producers.
• Events: Fior d’Albenga in spring (4 April to 3 May in 2026) brings markets, cooking shows and food trails to the old town; the San Martino Fair in November celebrates local produce.

Other flavours of the plain

The four vegetables are not the only things to look for. The plain is known for herbs, flowers and vegetables exported mainly to Germany. The hills around produce Pigato, the area’s signature white wine, celebrated in late August at the Sagralea festival in the hamlet of Salea. Taggiasca olive oil, farinata (a thin chickpea pancake) and baxin, Albenga’s fennel biscuits, complete the table.

If you want to combine food and sightseeing, come in spring: between March and May you find artichokes and asparagus together, the old town is quiet and the days are already long. Everything else, from monuments to beaches, is in our Albenga guide.