Aosta Valley

The gnocco fritto or crescentina ( Italian: [kreʃʃenˈtiːna]) is an Italian bread from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, prepared using flour, water and lard as primary ingredients. Cracklings are sometimes used in its preparation as well. In Emilia-Romagna, it is typically sliced into diamond shapes and then fried, and may be accompanied with cheese and salumi. When it is fried, the bread puffs up, and it may include yeast or baking soda to leaven it. Versions prepared with milk are softer than those prepared with water. It may be served either as an appetizer or as a main dish. Despite the name by which in Italy it is often referred to as a kind of gnocchi, it is technically not. The name crescentina is derived from the Italian verb crescere, meaning 'to grow', referring to it puffing up during the cooking.

Blancmange is a sweet dessert popular throughout Europe commonly made with milk or cream and sugar, thickened with rice flour, gelatin, corn starch, or Irish moss (a source of carrageenan), and often flavoured with almonds. It is usually set in a mould and served cold. Although traditionally white, blancmanges are frequently given other colours. Blancmange originated at some time during the Middle Ages from the older Middle Eastern muhallebi, and usually consisted of milk or almond milk, rice, and sugar; it was considered to be an ideal food for the sick.[citation needed]

Pudding or custard made with chocolate and amaretti cookies, and topped with rum-flavored caramel sauce and amaretti

Sweet raisin bread, the progenitor of Panettone

A Mont Blanc is a dessert of sweetened chestnut purée in the form of vermicelli, topped with whipped cream. It was created in nineteenth-century Paris. The name comes from Mont Blanc, as the dish resembles a snow-capped mountain. Mont Blanc has been an autumn and winter favorite at Parisian pâtisseries, notably the Parisian tea shop Angelina. For a long time considered old-fashioned and heavy, it has become newly popular in the 2010s in a lighter form at trendy shops like Pierre Hermé, with many variations. A dessert with three distinctive characteristics of typical Mont Blanc: sweet, made of chestnut purée in the form of vermicelli served as a mount or a ring, and heaped with whipped cream, existed by the mid-19th century.

Thin, curved, tile-shaped wafer cookies made with almond flour and hazelnut flour

Ring- or ribbon-shaped cookies

Zabaione or, through hypercorrection, zabaglione ( UK: /ˌzæbəlˈjoʊni/, US: /ˌzɑːb-/; Italian: [dzabaʎˈʎoːne])[a] is an Italian dessert, or sometimes a beverage, made with egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine (usually Moscato d'Asti or Marsala wine). Some versions of the recipe incorporate spirits such as cognac. The dessert version is a light custard, whipped to incorporate a large amount of air. Since the 1960s, in restaurants in areas of the US with large Italian populations, zabaione is usually served with strawberries, blueberries, peaches, etc., in a champagne coupe, and is often prepared tableside for dramatic effect. In France, it is called sabayon. The dessert is popular in Argentina and Uruguay, where it is known as sambayón (from the Piedmontese sambajon) and is a popular ice cream flavour.

Prié blanc is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown almost exclusively in the Valle d'Aosta DOC of northwest Italy. The Valle d'Aosta varietal wine Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle is made from Prié blanc grapes. Ampelographers consider Prié blanc one of the oldest grape varieties in the Valle d'Aosta. Through a complex pedigree it appears to have some genetic relationship with many other grape varieties in the region. Recent DNA analysis has connected the grape to the Spanish wine grapes of Lairén in Andalusia and Albillo in Ribera del Duero and province of Ávila, but it is not yet known if the grape originated in Spain and traveled to Italy or the inverse.

Coffee with grappa or génépi (herbal liqueur), sugar, lemon zest, and spices, for example, cinnamon, cloves, juniper berry, traditionally served in a coppa dell’amicizia (friendship cup)

Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially available. There are also various coffee substitutes. Typically served hot, coffee has the highest sales in the world market for hot drinks. Coffee production begins when the seeds from coffee cherries are separated to produce unroasted green coffee beans. The "beans" are roasted and then ground into fine particles. Coffee is brewed from the ground roasted beans, which are typically steeped in hot water before being filtered out. It is usually served hot, although chilled or iced coffee is common. Coffee can be prepared and presented in a variety of ways (e.g., espresso, French press, caffè latte, or already-brewed canned coffee). Sugar, sugar substitutes, milk, and cream are often added to mask the bitter taste or enhance the flavor.

Génépi or génépy is a traditional herbal liqueur or apéritif popularized in the Alpine regions. Genepi also refers to alpine plants of the genus Artemisia (commonly called wormwood) that is used to make a liqueur in the French region of Savoy, where the Artemisia génépi plants grow and where the beverage is commonly produced. Génépi liqueur is related to absinthe in that its namesake botanicals are of the genus Artemisia, but like Chartreuse, it is a liqueur (contains sugar) and traditionally taken neat. Like many European herbal liqueurs, especially those used as digestifs, the flavor of génépi can be an acquired taste. It is less sweet than many digestifs, and the flavor imparted by the herbs is reminiscent of chamomile or feverfew. It is naturally light olive to pale gold in color. Cheaper versions may be made bright green through the addition of food coloring.

Grappa is an alcoholic beverage: a fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy of Italian origin that contains 35 to 60 percent alcohol by volume . Grappa is a protected name in the European Union. Grappa is made by distilling the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems (i.e., the pomace) left over from winemaking after pressing the grapes. It was originally made to prevent waste by using these leftovers. A similar drink, known as acquavite d'uva, is made by distilling whole must.

Agnolotti is a type of stuffed pasta typical of the Piedmont region of Italy, made with small pieces of flattened dough folded over a filling of roasted meat or vegetables. Agnolotti can be di magro or di grasso depending on their filling of vegetables or meat. Although their primitive shape was semi-circular, traditionally agnolotti are of a square shape with sides of about one or two inches. However, they can also be of a smaller, rectangular shape when they are called "agnolotti al plin". Plin means 'a pinch', because one pinches with thumb and forefinger between each mound of filling to close and seal the little pasta packets. Agnolotti al plin are almost always stuffed with meat.

Braised beef (roast beef), for example, with wine and vegetables, may also use veal, pork

Stewed venison and vegetables in a cream and grappa sauce

Beef stewed with red or white wine, commonly served with polenta

Breaded veal chops or cutlets stuffed with Fontina cheese

A crêpe or crepe is a dish made from unleavened batter or dough that is cooked on a frying pan or a griddle. Crêpes are usually one of two varieties: sweet crêpes (crêpes sucrées) or savoury galettes (crêpes salées). They are often served with a wide variety of fillings such as cheese, fruit, vegetables, meats, and a variety of spreads. Crêpes can also be flambéed, such as in crêpes Suzette. The French term "crêpe" derives from crispa, the feminine version of the Latin word crispus, which means "curled, wrinkled, having curly hair."

Fondue using fontina cheese, though other cheeses and ingredients are also used

Potato gnocchi topped with a creamy cheese sauce made with Grana Padano, Toma, and/or Fontina cheeses

Gnocchi alla romana are a typical dish of Roman cuisine. They are prepared with gnocchi made of semolina, whole milk, butter and Parmesan cheese, seasoned with salt and black pepper. They are baked in the oven after being sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, and are traditionally topped with meatballs, tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.

Chestnut soup, may be made with cream (minestra di castagne e latte), rice (minestra di riso e castagne), dried chestnuts, several variations

Pasta baked with Fontina cheese, prosciutto, mushrooms and a cream sauce

Polenta with mushroom ragu, some recipes grill the polenta

Polenta with butter and Fontina cheese

Breaded chicken cutlets with prosciutto and Fontina cheese, served with a white wine sauce

Creamy rice dish with Fontina cheese, butter, wine

Barley soup with pork, vegetables and potatoes

Aosta socca is a layered casserole with beef, sliced potatoes and shredded Savoy cabbage, Note: socca is also the name of chickpea crepes/pancakes

Savory pie with vegetables, meat, cheese

Trout fillet with vegetables, garlic, lemon juice, raisins

Savoy cabbage casserole, made with beef broth, Fontina cheese and sliced bread

Thick soup made with black bread (rye bread), Savoy cabbage and Fontina cheese

Bagna càuda , also spelled bagna caouda in Alpes-Maritimes, is a hot dish made with garlic, anchovies, red wine, and extra virgin olive oil, typical of Lower Piedmont, a geographical region of Piedmont, Italy, and Provence, France. The dish is served and consumed in a manner similar to fondue, sometimes as an appetizer, with raw or cooked vegetables typically used to dip into it. Bagna càuda is a hot dish and dipping sauce in Piedmontese and Provençal cuisine, used to dip vegetables in. It is prepared using olive oil, chopped anchovies, and garlic. Additional ingredients sometimes used include truffle and salt. Raw or cooked vegetables are dipped into the sauce, which is typically kept hot on a serving table using a heat source such as a candle or burner.

Boudin is a type of blood sausage found in several French-speaking cultures. The added ingredients vary in French, Luxembourgish, Belgian, Swiss, Québecois, Acadian, Aostan, Louisiana Creole, and Cajun cuisine. Some variations such as boudin blanc contain no blood but retain the name. The Anglo-Norman word boudin meant 'sausage', 'blood sausage', or 'entrails' in general. Its origin is unclear. It has been traced both to Romance and to Germanic roots, but there is not good evidence for either (cf. boudin). The English word pudding probably comes, via the Germanic word puddek for sausage, from boudin. Some modern chefs, such as John Folse and Olivier Poels, attribute boudin to ancient Greece by way of Aphtonite, to whom they attribute the first mention of boudin noir in the Apicius.

Fontina is a cow's milk cheese, first produced in Italy. Over time, production of fontina has spread worldwide, including to the United States, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, France, and Argentina. Fontina is a cheese that is semisoft to hard in texture and mild to medium-sharp in flavor. It has a milk fat content around 45%. The characteristic flavor of fontina is creamy and mild but distinctively savoury and nutty, the nuttiness increasing with aging. Fontinas from Sweden, Denmark, and the United States have milder flavor, softer texture, and more holes than those of Italy. Fontina cheese has been made in the Aosta Valley, in the Alps, since the 12th century. Fontina produced in the EU can be identified by a consortium stamp of the Matterhorn including the script "FONTINA".

Formaggio di Sera, from the Aosta Valley in Italy, is a semi-hard cheese traditionally made from the evening milking of cows. It has a delicate, slightly sweet flavor with a creamy texture, often used in local dishes for its melting qualities.

Gnocchi ɒki/ N(Y)OK-ee, US: /ˈn(j)oʊki, ˈn(j)ɔːki/ N(Y)OH-kee, N(Y)AW-; Italian: [ˈɲɔkki]; sg.: gnocco) are a varied family of dumplings in Italian cuisine. They are made of small rolls of dough, such as those composed of a simple combination of wheat flour, potato, egg, and salt. Variations of the dish supplement the simple recipe with flavour additives, such as semolina flour, cheese, breadcrumbs, cornmeal or similar ingredients, and possibly including herbs, vegetables, and other ingredients. Base ingredients may be substituted with alternatives such as sweet potatoes for potatoes or rice flour for wheat flour. Such variations are often considered to be non-traditional. Gnocchi are commonly cooked in salted boiling water and then dressed with various sauces. They are usually eaten as a first course (primo) as an alternative to soups (minestre) or pasta, but they can also be served as a contorno (side dish) to some main courses. Common accompaniments of gnocchi include melted butter with sage, pesto, and various sauces. Gnocchi may be homemade, made by specialty stores, or produced industrially and distributed refrigerated, dried, or frozen. Small soup gnocchi are sometimes made by pressing the dough through a coarse sieve or a perforated spoon. The word gnocchi may be derived from the Italian word nocchio, meaning 'a knot in wood', or from nocca, meaning 'knuckle'. It has been a traditional Italian dish since Roman times.[contradictory] It was introduced by the Roman legions during the expansion of the empire into the countries of the European continent. One ancient Roman recipe consists of a semolina porridge-like dough mixed with eggs; similar modern dishes include the baked gnocchi alla romana and Sardinian malloreddus, which do not contain eggs.

The gnocco fritto or crescentina ( Italian: [kreʃʃenˈtiːna]) is an Italian bread from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, prepared using flour, water and lard as primary ingredients. Cracklings are sometimes used in its preparation as well. In Emilia-Romagna, it is typically sliced into diamond shapes and then fried, and may be accompanied with cheese and salumi. When it is fried, the bread puffs up, and it may include yeast or baking soda to leaven it. Versions prepared with milk are softer than those prepared with water. It may be served either as an appetizer or as a main dish. Despite the name by which in Italy it is often referred to as a kind of gnocchi, it is technically not. The name crescentina is derived from the Italian verb crescere, meaning 'to grow', referring to it puffing up during the cooking.

Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants or the secretions of other insects, like the honeydew of aphids. This refinement takes place both within individual bees, through regurgitation and enzymatic activity, and during storage in the hive, through water evaporation that concentrates the honey's sugars until it is thick and viscous. Honey bees stockpile honey in the hive. Within the hive is a structure made from wax called honeycomb. The honeycomb is made up of hundreds or thousands of hexagonal cells, into which the bees regurgitate honey for storage. Other honey-producing species of bee store the substance in different structures, such as the pots made of wax and resin used by the stingless bee.

Cold rice salad, rice mixed with tuna, diced ham or prosciutto, provolone cheese, hard boiled eggs, anchovies, giardiniera, olives, gherkins, onions, artichoke hearts, peas, capers, roasted peppers, basil, olive oil and vinegar, lemon juice

Sweet raisin bread, the progenitor of Panettone

Chestnut honey

Motsetta, motzetta or mocetta is a cold cut traditionally consumed in the Western Alps. It is recognised as a prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale . Motsetta is produced throughout the Aosta Valley as well as the northern part of Piedmont (namely in Canavese, Valsesia and Val d'Ossola). The cold cut derives from lean cuts of meat, mainly muscle or thigh. The meat can be bovine, or sheep, goat, pork or game, among the latter the chamois and ibex are particularly appreciated.

Polenta is an Italian dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. It may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried, or grilled. The variety of cereal used is usually yellow maize, but often buckwheat, white maize, or mixtures thereof may be used. Coarse grinds make a firm, coarse polenta; finer grinds make a soft, creamy polenta. Polenta is a staple of both northern and, to a lesser extent, central Italian, Swiss Italian, southern French, Slovenian, Romanian and, due to Italian migrants, Brazilian and Argentinian cuisine. It is often mistaken for the Slovene-Croatian food named žganci. Its consumption was traditionally associated with lower classes, as in times past cornmeal mush was an essential food in their everyday nutrition.

Polenta with butter and Fontina cheese

Rye bread is a type of bread made with various proportions of flour from rye grain. It can be light or dark in color, depending on the type of flour used and the addition of coloring agents, and is typically denser than bread made from wheat flour. Compared to white bread, it is higher in fiber, darker in color, and stronger in flavor. The world's largest exporter of rye bread is Poland. Rye bread was considered a staple through the Middle Ages. Many different types of rye grain have come from north-central, western, and eastern European countries such as Iceland, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and the Czech Republic, and it is also a specialty in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.

Cured and thinly sliced cow udder, serve with fruit jams

Toma is a soft or semi-hard Italian cow's milk cheese, noted for its excellent melting qualities. It is made primarily in the Aosta Valley and Piedmont regions of Italy. Toma varies with region and locale of production, and is closely related to the French tomme. Toma piemontese variety from Piedmont has protected designation of origin (PDO) status under EU legislation, while the Toma di Gressoney or Tomme de Gressoney (French), produced in the Gressoney Valley, is officially recognized as a prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale (PAT) and is included in the Ark of Taste catalogue of heritage foods. Toma is not very common in central and southern Italy, with Basilicata as the only main producer. Toma Lucana is also recognized as a prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale.

Cured pieces of fatty meat (fat back) cut from pork shoulder from Duroc, Landrace and Italian Large White pigs, the curing is done in wooden containers, from Aosta Valley, Italy

Semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk and goat's milk, from Valle d'Aosta, Italy