Cuisine in the Trentino region has influences from the historic domination by the Tirol region, but also the bordering Veneto region. The area includes both a mountainous landscape, where speck ham and dairy products are the basis of nutrition, and a Mediterranean landscape in the Lake Garda area, where pristine olive oil is produced, as well as particularly tasty fruits and vegetables. The fine line between the two is the genuine nature of the raw ingredients: a heritage of the simplicity of farming tradition. In the many agritourisms in the area, you may taste platters of cold cuts and cheeses, the bro’ brusà (“burnt soup”), canederli (bread dumplings), and spaetzle (a spinach-dough form of gnocchi). Second dishes include osei scampai (“escaped birds”, actually a mixed met dish), krauts with Lucanica sausage, carne salada (seasoned beef or horse meat), and the ever-present polenta. Wines are also excellent: Teroldego and Marzemino among reds, Muller and Pinot among whites. And don’t forget dessert: Zelten (dried fruit-based) and Smacafam (actually a savory pork-based pie) are a valid alternative to the more famous Strudel.
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