Cheeses | Salami | Wine | Travel | Italian Food
 Valle
d'Aosta Food, typical food of Aosta Valley:
The flavors that emerge from fontina cheese summon images of the fresh herbs and flowers the cows graze on in
the high Alpine meadows of the Valle d'Aosta. This semi-cooked,
straw-yellow cheese, with tiny holes and a supple, soft texture,
is perfect for melting and is used to make fonduta,
or fondue, one of the region's famous dishes. For an authentic antipasto, toast small squares of country bread, rub with
a clove of garlic, top with little chunks of fontina and an anchovy, then pop the toasted squares into a hot oven for
a minute, and serve piping hot.
Providing hearty sustenance, carbonade is a classic Valdostan stew. The meal is made with salt-cured or
fresh beef, onions, red wine, butter, and nutmeg, and often is served
with polenta. The name – derived from carbone, or
coal – refers to the dark gravy that results after the meat
is cooked.
Eaten in soup, with lardo (spiced bacon), or savored alone with a pat of
fresh butter, pane nero (black bread)
is a staple food for families in the typical food of Aosta Valley. Made
with rye and wheat flours, this bread was baked traditionally in
the communal oven just once a year and was dried to preserve it.
Today, residents and visitors consume so much of the satisfying pane nero that it is made fresh on a daily or weekly basis.
After a delicious and satisfying fonduta,
friends and neighbors may be found sipping a cup of grolla
dell'amicizia, or cup of friendship, to keep warm
on a chilly night. More than just an after-dinner drink, grolla consists of wine and espresso that are mixed and spiked with grappa and served hot in a wooden goblet with a lid to keep in the heat.
Valle d'Aosta food Recipes |
