The mountains of western Liguria are filled with wild herbs, which sustained the region’s farmers for millennia and are thus found in many traditional recipes. Familiar greens such as dandelions, watercress, rosemary and sage grow in abundance, and there’s a vast array of exciting plants of less renown – pettine di Venere (an intense fennel-like herb), Pimpinella (with flavours of walnut and anise) and grespino (a bitter salad green), to name but a tiny selection.

With space to rear animals largely unavailable in this landscape, meat is used sparingly. Cheeses are typically imported from nearby regions and the cuisine is far more centred on grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts than in other parts of the dairy-rich north. Vegetable-packed pies, torta verde, filled with chard, artichoke, spinach or courgettes and wrapped in a thin olive oil pastry are available by the slice in every bakery, bar, corner shop and café. The iconic torta Pasqualina, a huge Easter pie stuffed with copious amounts of chard, artichokes, ricotta and whole eggs sports a flaky crust, traditionally made with thirty-three thin layers of dough, representing the thirty-three years of Christ’s life.

Chickpeas also feature strongly here, as they do in nearby Provence in the south of France, and are used in the local farinata ­– a mixture of chickpea flour, olive oil and water that’s baked into a thin, deeply savoury flatbread. Liguria is said to be the historical birthplace of focaccia, and all kinds of billowy breads are made in the bakeries. The pizza of the region is also rooted in tradition – typically thick, sold by the slice and topped only with tangy tomato sauce, oregano and anchovies.

The exception is focaccia col formaggio de Recco, an indulgent speciality famously produced in the seaside town of Recco, to the east of Genoa. Wafer-thin layers of dough are stretched and stuffed with local stracchino cheese – the crispy baked crust shattering to release its oozy contents – perhaps the best example of a simple cheese sandwich.

Speciality pastas with all kinds of fillings, shapes and sauces grace every restaurant menu and are served regularly at home, with each small town and village proclaiming its own favourites. Sauces like the famous basil pesto alla genovese, made withLiguria’s prized basilico Genovese DOP and the creamy salsa di noci, rich with walnuts, cheese and cream. Popular pasta shapes include corzetti, discs of fresh pasta stamped with patterns and designs, or trofie – thin, twisted spirals of pasta typically served with pesto.

Like many regions of Italy, Ligurian cuisine reflects the history and people of the land. A history of hardship, but one which bore the creative, healthy and lip-smackingly delicious vegetable-based dishes still eaten today. Although not vegetarian by design, the traditional food is a delight for those eating meat-free. The crowds pour into Liguria in the summer, but the climate ensures that all seasons are worth a visit. Not least the spring when those famous, spiky artichokes are ready to harvest.