Valtellina.it

The gastronomic history of this region is closely linked to the rural world and traditions of the peasant farmer. 
The celebrated cheese from the mountain pastures– Bitto and Casera – perfectly combine with the great wines of the Valtellina.
Other products that are “symbols” of the area are bresaola, pizzoccheri made of buckwheat, apples and honey.
Here are some of the more unusual ones:

Sciatt
These are small fritters made of buckwheat and stuffed with Casera cheese. In the Valtellina dialect “sciatt” means “toad”, an unusual name that recalls the irregular shape of this delicacy. They are very good with salad and a good glass of wine.

Chisciöi
This is a fritter that is typical of the area round Tirano and based on buckwheat and local cheese, it is less well known than classic pizzoccheri and sciatt, but equally delicious.

Bisciöla
A rural type of cake from the Valtellina with walnuts, figs and raisins, it is served on its own or with a vanilla sauce or Braulio, the famous digestive after-dinner drink of the Valtellina. It could be the ideal cake to take home as a souvenir and memory of the flavours of a special holiday.

Goat “Violino”
This is the most typical speciality of the Valchiavenna. A “violino” is a seasoned and smoked ham made from the thigh or shoulder of goat, called this due to the unusual way of cutting it by resting it on your shoulder as if it were a violin.

Biscotìn of Prosto
Small biscuits that have been part of the Valchiavenna cuisine for more a hundred years have. The ingredients are simple: wheat flour, sugar and butter, kneaded according to an ancient secret recipe.

Rye bread
Made in the shape of a doughnut and dark in colour, rye bread goes perfectly with seasoned meats, cheese, butter, jam and honey.

Taroz
This is a traditional gastronomic speciality of the Valtellina made with vegetables from the kitchen garden. It is a purée of potatoes and green beans generously flavoured with butter and Valtellina cheese.

The many restaurants, inns and trattorias scattered over the Valtellina region are the ideal places to sample these and other specialities. They can also be tasted in the characteristic Valchiavenna “crotti”.
The crotti are natural caves formed by rocks that fell from the mountainsides in prehistoric times. The “sorèl”, an air current at a constant temperature (+6-8° C), passes through the vents in the mass of rocks and airs the caves, which have in result always been used for seasoning cheeses and meats and ageing wine.