The term cacciucco derives from a Turkish word meaning “small-sized”, just like the fish parts making up the Livornese soup containing tomato sauce and a pinch of red pepper.
The version made in Viareggio is less red and less spicy, but is enriched with mussels and crustaceans. It was born to satisfy a request made by the painter Lorenzo Viani who, upon his return to the city, praised the delicious soup tasted in Livorno and asked the local trattorias to insert it in the menu.
As well as this legend, what is certain about the origins of the cacciucco viareggino is that in the past the soup was one of the few dishes that fishermen could prepare with their unsold leftovers. To get rid of any room for doubt, search the origin of the cacciucco along the Darsena (dock) of Viareggio, where the fishermen sell fish straight off their boats to this day.
Read more
