12.02.05
The cuisine of Lombardy Italian Lakes
The cuisine of Lombardy Italian Lakes
The cuisine of Lombardy comes from the cooking of its provinces, ranging from Varese to Milan. In Mantua and Crema the essence of Emilia can be tasted. The main element in the cuisine of Lombardy is risotto, which, however, is prepared in a thousand different ways: with vegetables, sausage, and freshwater fish. The risottos are of great distinction, ranging from the yellow Milanese, with saffron, to the Como with fillet of perch fish. First courses worth noting are the buckwheat tagliatelle (pizzoccheri) from Valtellina, the Mantuan meat or cheese with herb ravioli (agnolini), the filled pasta of Bergamo (casonsei) and not forgetting the pumpkin ravioli and gnocchi of Como. The meat dishes include boiled meats, the Milanese ‘costoletta’, the Northern Lombard ‘cassouela’, and the Valcuvian guinea hen cooked in a clay pot, fragrant stews and pot roasts. The cheeses are the best in Italy and the wines have an historic tradition, as do the famous desserts, like the dove shaped Easter cake (colomba pasquale) and a cylindrical Christmas cake made with candied fruit (panettone). Mantua and Cremona, developed recipes influenced by their proximity to Veneto and Emilia-Romagna. Specialties of the cuisine are the rice with water chestnuts (riso e trigoni), the balls of cheese, bread crumbs and egg served in broth (mariconde), and the ravioli filled with capon, cinnamon, cheese and cloves (agnoli ripieni) . Bergamo is the homeland of the polenta (polenta taragna) made with a mix of maize and flour and mixed for a long time with a stick called a “tarello” from which it takes its name. Cremona is famous for its mustard, the rich sauce made with pieces of candied fruit, mustard and spices, to serve with boiled and roasted meats. Cremona is also famous for its pork sausage, which includes real specialties like garlic salami. In Pavia, rice is always on the menu, as are frogs and a soup of eggs and croutons called Pavian soup, The local risotto is famous, “risotto alla certosina” is prepared using the recipe of the monks, which requires a dressing of shrimp, mushrooms and peas. Brescia remains linked to the nearby Lake Garda. Here freshwater specialties can be tasted, in particular fried fish served with polenta. Specialties of Brescia also include pasta filled with spinach, egg, macaroons, cheese and the soft interior of bread, (casoncelli).
