Ladin Cooking

You cannot leave the Val di Fassa without savouring one of its local dishes

When you arrive in the Val di Fassa, as well as enjoying the area and the natural surroundings, you cannot forget to sample at least one of its typical local dishes. Mountain flavours are different and milk, butter and cheese all have the flavour of high mountain hay. You will be sure to have worked up a healthy appetite after a hike, and you will be spoilt for choice among the first and second courses, hors d’oeuvres and desserts just waiting to be savoured in restaurants, typical alpine refuges or at your hotel.

The most widespread dish is without doubt canederli. These bread dumplings originate from Austrian cuisine but have since been adapted to suit local tastes. Canederli, which can be made using cheese, speck (smoked cured ham) or liver can be eaten in broth or dry, with a little melted butter and grated cheese. They can also be accompanied by sauerkraut, stew or goulash. As well as canederli, every eating-place serves polenta, often with meat or game stew, lucaniche (local sausage), mushrooms or melted cheese (usually local cheese, such as the renowned “Puzzone di Moena”). Other typical local dishes include: barley soup, strangolapreti (small gnocchi with spinach), spätzle (these too are small gnocchi but made with buckwheat), nettle risotto, game – in particular, venison – shin of pork and local trout. As far as sweets and desserts are concerned, there will most certainly be apple strudel, berry yoghurt and two other typical desserts of the Val di Fassa: “Fortaies” and “Ciaroncié”. If you like good food, then don’t miss this chance to enjoy it.