Carnia, not only a wonderful environmental treasure, is
also a true gastronomic jewel. Amongst Carnia’s mountains and valleys, as
well as in the woods and fields, small forest fruits grow, innumerable types
of mushrooms and hundreds of aromatic herbs either naturally or cultivated
can be found, these herbs represent the main ingredient characterising
Carnia’s cuisine and have been part of the gastronomic heritage of this area
for centuries, together with beans and runner beans, used in all traditional
dishes.
Thumbing through a menu in a restaurant in Carnia,
gnocchi, frittata and hams are a must together with the emblematic cjarsons which are a type of ravioli stuffed with herbs and different
fruits as well as ricotta and potatoes; then there are the choices of cold
meats and cheeses as well as garden vegetables: the cuisine in Carnia is
characterized by its simplicity and its completely genuine ingredients,
mostly coming from the eighty or so small local producers who work the
fruits of the land, getting milk from the alpine stables and meat from the
grazing herds.
