Famous for its production of apples and wines, Trentino Alto Adige is where Germanic and Italian cultures merge to offer an exceptional gastronomic experience. The traditional food of Trentino Alto Adige is based on simple yet tasty dishes, made with the products of local agriculture and farming. Pasta often comes in the form of spätzle – a fresh egg pasta with medieval German origins. Speck, a Tyrol smoked ham, is the region’s most celebrated specialty along with the tasty kaminwurz salami.
Taste of Trentino-Alto Adige
Best known for the beauty of its peaks, territory of Trentino Alto Adige is situated in the very north of Italy bordering Austria and Switzerland to the north and the Italian regions of Veneto and Lombardy to the south. Trentino Alto Adige has a remarkable cultural heritage that includes prehistoric evidence, sanctuaries, beautiful castles and towns with great historical and artistic significance.
This region is one of the few Italian regions not touched by the sea, with a mostly mountainous territory including the majestically beautiful Dolomites, and a great number stunning lakes. The Dolomites constitute the eastern part of the Alpine Mountain Range, and are one of the 55 Italian sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The landscape of Lake Garda is particularly picturesque; it narrows in Trentino, appearing as a fiord between the high mountains.
The striking Dolomites make Trentino hugely popular with outdoorsy tourist and renowned winter resorts. Today, Trentino-Alto Adige is famous for two things: skiing and food.
With a past of poverty, this small region is today among the wealthiest and most developed in both Italy and the whole of Europe.
Did You Know?
Though technically a part of Italy, Trentino Alto Adige is an officially bilingual self-governing province. From the 9th century until 1801, the region was part of the Holy Roman Empire. After it was under the domain of Austria for long centuries. Residents here frequently speak Italian and German and you’ll often find town names, road signs and menus written in both languages.
Cuisine
Cheeses made in this region include Stelvio DOP, Grana Trentin, Toma di Montagna and Casolet. Polenta is served as a first course paired with a meat, cheese or mushroom sauce. Other first courses are barley soup, pasta and beans, mushroom soup and the most popular, brò brusà, a simple yet tasty local soup. As for main courses, the specialties of the region are: roe deer with polenta, trout , rabbit with grappa, goulash, and lucanica. The popular local dessert is strudel and fruit tarts made with the Val di Non apple.
One of Italy’s smallest wine growing regions, Trentino Alto Adige is also home to remarkable prized authentic wines thanks to its geographical position. The region’s primary grape varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Schiava.
Several DOP and IGP products are made in Puglia, including:
Stelvio PDO
Speck Alto Adige IGP
Trote del Trentino IGP
Mela Val di Non DOP