Elba Island, or Isola D’elba, is an enchanting Italian island that many people are unaware of. We spent some time exploring the wonders of this island, and cooked one of their local dishes, Gurguglione dell’Elba.

Elba is the 3rd largest island in Italy (after Sicily and Sardinia).  Located in the Tyrrhenian Sea, is is part of the Toscana region of Italy, and about 50 km from Corsica.  It’s famous for being the location of Napoleon’s exile in 1814, but its history goes back much further than that.  It has been held by the Ligurians, the Etruscans, the Romans and was often attacked by pirates.  Today is a natural island paradise for the locals and tourists.

You can get to Elba Island by taking a ferry from Piombino to Portoferrio on the island.  The journey takes about an hour and you board either on foot or with a vehicle.

We stayed on the Western side of the island, in an area called Zanca.  From here you can watch amazing sunsets over the nearby Corsica and walk to the sandy Sant’Andrea beach.

We decided we wanted to one of Elba’s local dishes in our airbnb kitchen.  Cooking while travelling is something we enjoy, especially when our view is better than that of any nearby restaurant.  Cooking in airbnb kitchens is fun because each one is equipped differently.  Thankfully, this kitchen is pretty well equipped with cooking basics, plenty of pots and pans a small fridge and lots of dishes and cups.

We decided to make Gurguglione di Elba – a vegetable stew that makes use of the beautiful produce of the Tuscan region.  This stew was traditionally eaten by the miners of Elba, who would harvest the mineral rich land

To make this stew, you’ll need local, seasonal vegetables

• 1 yellow onion

• 1 aubergine

• 2 small or 1 large zucchini

• 2 bell peppers

• 2-3 tomatoes

• Fresh basil

Begin by chopping all of your ingredients.

Add some olive oil to a large pan on medium heat.  Begin by sauteing your onion and aubergine.  Season with salt.  Cook them for about 5 minutes, then add the zucchini and peppers to the same, add a bit more salt.  After about another 5 minutes, add the chopped tomatoes.  We only used two tomatoes, but ideally 3-4 would be better.  Stir everything together, lower the heat to low and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

After about 30 minutes you should have a mixture that is cooked through, a little saucy from the cooked tomatoes, but not mushy.  Serve the stew with some fresh basil and some bread.

Elba Island has a few other notable foods you can try when you visit. For example, Schiaccia Briaca, a traditional cake from the island, made from flour, sugar, various nuts, raisins and the local Atletico wine.  You can find these in shops and bakeries all over the island.

While not specific to Elba, the Liguria region is famous for its focaccia, and you can find tons of focaccia on Elba.  We were lucky to have a great bakery only a quick walk from our airbnb where we could stock up daily on freshly cooked focaccia.

The island is also home to a number of wineries and you can buy the local wines all over the island.  It is especially known for Aleatico wine, a sweet and aromatic dessert wine made from local grapes.

Of course, Elba is an island so there is also no shortage of delicious seafood!