A typical Genovese plate of pesto and hand-made trenette pasta. The pesto sauce was made with certified-Genovese basil whose quality is guaranteed under Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) label. (Angelica Marin/GlobalPost)
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A pot of newly picked PDO-certified basil sits inside a kitchen in Genoa. Genovese basil is the main ingredient in the region's famed pesto sauce. (Angelica Marin/GlobalPost)
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Dating back to the 18th-century mortar and pestles were used to crush everything from salt and garlic to grains and cereals. The first documented pesto recipe appeared in 1850. (Angelica Marin/GlobalPost)
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Roberto Panizza, president of the Genoa-based Palatini Association, plucks basil leaves for his artisan pesto. The association took the name "refined palates" and focuses on the gastronomical culture of Genoa. (Angelica Marin/GlobalPost)
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Genovese pesto is made by mashing basil, pine nuts, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, garlic and two kinds of cheese, using a marble mortar and wooden pestle. (Angelica Marin/GlobalPost)
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Federico Ferro, a pharmacist from Genoa, won the 2010 Pesto World Championship, vanquishing 100 pesto-connoisseurs from around the globe. (Angelica Marin/GlobalPost)
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The Italian coastal city of Genoa was once a powerful marine republic. Today, the industrial port blocks the city's ancient heart. (Angelica Marin/GlobalPost)
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The Genoa restaurant I Tre Merli serves traditional Genovese dishes,including a trenette pasta with pesto and the Ligurian farinata, a crunchy chickpea pancake. (Angelica Marin/GlobalPost)
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Mature DOP-certified Genovese basil awaits harvesting inside a hilltop greenhouse.  Only a century ago, basil was grown inside small greenhouses built from chestnut tree wood and a mosaic of tiny glass windows. (Angelica Marin/GlobalPost)
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The Nano-Genovese is the only species grown in the Ligurian Riviera. Farmers chose it for its sweet aroma and rich essential oils.  (Angelica Marin/GlobalPost)
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Basil leaves are picked by hand and bundled up into bouquets before they are sent to the local market. (Angelica Marin/GlobalPost)
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A produce vendor inside one of the opulent food markets of Genoa shows off his DOP-certified basil. For 30 cents more customers here can get a high quality and geographically protected product. (Angelica Marin/GlobalPost)
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