Pistou melts in a hot liquid (like in the pistou soup, for instance), it does not melt into long strands. Pistou Pistou (Provençal: "pisto" or "pistou" , ), or pistou sauce, is a Provençal cold sauce made from cloves of garlic, fresh basil, and olive oil. It is somewhat similar to the Ligurian sauce pesto, although it lacks pine nuts. Some modern versions of the recipe include grated parmesan, pecorino or similar hard cheeses. In the Provençal dialect of Occitan, "pistou" means "pounded". The sauce is derived from the Genoese pesto, which is traditionally made of garlic, basil, pine nuts, grated
Genovese sauce brought by Genovese immigrants or merchants, at a time when Genoa and Naples were two of Italy's most important ports. It could also be referring to its inventor's name, since Genovese is a widespread surname in Campania. Genovese sauce is now unknown beyond Campania. The sauce's use of onions may reflect a French influence, and resembles Boeuf à la mode. During the mid 19th century, ‘Salmon in Hollandaise and Genovese sauce’ was served in the Grand Véfour restaurant of the Palais-Royal in Paris as a luxury dish. Genovese sauce is not to be confused with Pesto from Genoa and Liguria,