Lombardia
Valtellina Food
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PizzoccheriSpecialty pasta from the Italian Alps. This hearty, fibrous noodle is a specialty pasta from the Italian Alps (Valtellina) made with half buckwheat flour and half durum wheat. Approximate cooking time: 15 minutes Teglio is the historical center of buckwheat cultivation and traditionally the homeland of pizzoccheri, which are dark-coloured thick tagliatelle made from a mixture of buckwheat flour and wheat flour. They are served with potatoes, spinach, chard and Savoy cabbage enriched with local cheese, preferably Bitto. It was the local cultivation of the town, which provided all these ingredients, that led to such a delicious recipe. Brasciadei, ring-shaped rye bread left to go dry and crunchy, is also added to the Teglio pizzoccheri. Another speciality of Valtellina is the Sciatt puff, which consists of cheese cubes covered in buckwheat batter with a drop of grappa and served on a bed of green chicory. The cuisine of Alta Valtellina, the area around Bormio and Livigno, is strongly influenced by South Tyrol and Engadina, and its typical dishes include Kanedel, Gnocc with white flour and Sughet.Tirano has unusual specialties like the traditional dish of Chiscioi, tasty cheese and buckwheat fritters, and deserts like the honey and walnut Cupeta. For more information, contact the Accademia del Pizzocchero www.accademiadelpizzocchero.it
Beef Bresaola Product DescriptionMakers of Bresaola still use age-old meat preparation techniques. This famed specialty from the Lombardy region of Italy, where it is typically eaten raw. Bresaola is salted and air dried meat, made from the tenderloin or fillet. It has a very dark red color, and is simply eaten sliced thinly, with olive oil, lemon juice and black pepper. Bresaola and charcuterie:Charcuterie is typical of Contado di Chiavenna, and Bresaola (cured raw beef), or Brisaola in local dialect, is definitely the best known local product. Recognized by the Protected Geographical Indication, it has been renowned in Valchiavenna since 1400. Its name is said to derive from the word brasa or brace, meaning embers, which were used for drying the meat; hence the name brasa-saola, shortened to Bresaola. Bresaola is only produced with beef (top-round) between two and four years old. The muscular mass is trimmed and dry cured; drying takes an average of a week and the meat has to dehydrate rapidly during the first days of treatment. It has a delicate and slightly aromatic flavor and a pleasant taste, which is moderately salty and never acidic. The finished product is cylindrical in shape. One of the most famous products of Valtellina is Slinzega, made from cuts of horsemeat cured with a dry salting method. The salt mixture contains bay, juniper, garlic and pepper and the meat is sometimes bathed in wine. Cut into fine slices, Slinzega is eaten as an appetizer or a simple, unseasoned snack. There is also Violino, whose name derives from the way it is held for cutting rather than the shape itself: you hold the meat like a violin and the knife like a bow. Ham made from the haunch of a goat or a sheep often also roe-deer and chamois is a specialty of Valle Spluga. It is produced by local artisans and sold in local shops or a few city stores. The Cotecotto and Prosciutto di Gallivaggio are also worth a mention. Valtellina's charcuterie culture is based around crotti, which are natural cavities in the rocks formed by major landslides. A breeze of air called the sorel blows up from the depths of these cavities, which inhabitants use for conserving charcuterie, bresaola and wine. For more information, contact the Consorzio Tutela del Nome Bresaola della Valtellina www.bresaoladellavaltellina.it Text Courtesy of www.valtellinasapori.it
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