Cicchetti Bar · Baby Octopus Bites

Folpetti

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'Folpo' is Venetian dialect for octopus, and in Padua and around Venice kiosks boil folpetti on the spot and serve them warm with a glass of white wine.

Folpetti are small baby octopuses, gently poached until tender, then dressed simply with olive oil, lemon, and parsley. Venice's bacari serve them whole on a toothpick or over bread as a classic cicchetto.

Why it's made this way: The Venetian lagoon has long supplied small octopus to local markets, and simple poaching let cicchetti bars serve fresh seafood without a kitchen full of equipment.

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