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A large variety of charcuterie, sausages, and cured meats, derived from the working and curing of fresh pork as well as other meats using similar methods, are produced within the territory of the Distretto Turistico dei Laghi. These are typical artisan products and the result of centuries-old traditions of animal husbandry, butchering and the conservation of meat and meat products.

The experience and the passion of these breeders, butchers, artisan food makers and tradesmen are reflected in the flavours and the quality of these local specialties. Valle Vigezzo's smoked ham, Ossolan liver baloney, Orta's liverwurst, head salami and the Violino di capra, or “goat violin”, (whole air-dried goat leg, sliced on the shoulder), are just a few examples of the territory’s bounty . The most popular smoked ham is that produced in Val Vigezzo. In the village of Trontano it was traditionally left to cure in brine for 40 days, then hung near the fireplace for a month, moved to the cellar for 2 weeks and then smoked again. Today the thighs come from the best of the local pig breeders, are kept in brine for 40 days and then smoked over a fire of juniper branches. Ossolan Mortadella, known for its intense aroma and sweet, yet at the same time decisive flavour, is one of the best loved of these specialities and is prepared with lean meat macerated in red wine, fat and pork liver, and then seasoned with salt, pepper, nutmeg and garlic. Also popular is Orta's close-textured Mortadella or liver baloney, called “fidighin”, which is made with finely ground liver mixed with pork or beef, fat from the jowl, seasoned with salt, saltpetre, cinnamon, pepper, and sugar and then marinated in mulled Barbera or white wine.

Cooked slowly for 2 hours, it is delicious served with mashed potatoes, but can be eaten cold as well; smoked versions also exist. Head Salami is obtained from carefully de-boned and boiled pig's head, cut into small pieces, cured with salt, pepper, nutmeg, water, wine and grappa and then packed, still hot, into its casing and left to cool. Typical of Ossola, in particular the Valle Anzasca, this particular speciality is eaten fresh and finely sliced with polenta and a glass of good red wine. Violino di capra (whole air-dried goat leg) is the most "artistic" of the Ossolan cold cuts: held on the shoulder like a violin, it is sliced off the bone by hand with a long knife held like a bow. The result is an incomparable symphony of flavours. Claimed to be originally from Valle Antrona, but now produced throughout the area, it is sliced very thinly and eaten with local rye bread, good local butter and mushrooms preserved in oil. Goats, the classic resident of the alpine valleys, have always been an important source of food and the Capra Vigezzina breed is still one of the most famous. Also worth a taste is the Ossolan air-dried Bresaola, Moccetta, the Salame della Duja typical of the "bassa" or lower valleys and Lake Orta's goose salami. .

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The dairy and cheese-making traditions of the high Ossola valleys have ancient origins with the most famous production taking place in the summer pastures, which, in some cases, may reach an altitude of 2700 metres. In the “casere”, or mountain dairy farms, cheese-making still follows traditional methods. Brown Swiss cows, the breed that mainly grazes in these parts, provide milk which confers a range of flavours and aromas reminiscent of mountain herbs and grasses upon the resulting cheeses. Bettelmatt, the most highly esteemed of these, is produced from the whole raw milk of the Brown Swiss breed in the seven mountain pastures of the Antigorio and Formazza Valleys only (Alpe Forno, Upper and Lower Toggia, Vannino, Kastel, Sangiatto, and Bettelmatt), from July to the beginning of September.

Compact, pale gold or straw yellow in colour, its unique flavour is sweet and delicate and rich in alpine aromas. Grasso d'Alpe is another whole cow's milk cheese made in high-altitude summer pastures that are geographically different from Bettelmatt's, from July to September and matured for 70 days. Fat and soft with a buttery texture, it is deep yellow in colour. Nostrano di Latteria is a firm, semi-fat, semi-cooked cow's cheese produced exclusively in the territory of the five Comunità Montane dell'Ossola . Delicately flavoured and pale straw yellow with small, uniform eyes, its maturing period varies from 6 months to over a year during which time the forms are turned over daily in the first few months and every other day thereafter. Ossolan butter is highly appreciated thanks to the exceptional quality of the milk from which it is produced, which again gives it a special flavour reminiscent of the summer pastures where it is made. In the past it was heated, which resulted in a hard and more flavourful version, a process still used in Valle Strona. Ricotta is made from leftover whey that has been re-cooked with the addition of milk or acids. A few different types are produced here: a mature, version similar to regular cheese; high fat Mascarpa, normal ricotta to which cream has been added; and low-fat ricotta called Mascarpin, dried in the fireplace until the mould which forms around it is a greyish-green colour. Small round goat's milk Tomini, with their distinct, slightly sharp flavour can be consumed either fresh or matured and are easily digested. Known as furmagit at crava in local dialect they are produced from spring to autumn at Campoccio Dentro, in the township of Domodossola, at Varzo and Baceno, and throughout the Vigezzo and Strona Valleys. Mottarone's summer pastures also contribute to local dairy production with a variety of cheeses including traditional matured Tomas, an exquisite fresh ricotta, an excellent string cheese, marbled cheeses and a flavourful scamorza. . Top

  LAKE AND RIVER FISH

Within the territory of the Distretto, freshwater fish naturally features prominently on menus here, from trout caught in mountain streams to the wide variety of lake fish that end up in the nets of local fishermen. Presented in dishes that exalt their unique textures and flavours, the most simple and traditional cooking methods are typically used, with small fish being deep fried and larger species usually baked or steamed. To guarantee the conservation of cooked fish it is often served in carpione, or marinated after being fried, a dish still popular with today's food lovers, although its position on the menu has changed from main dish to flavourful starter; it is often even served simply as a companatico, eaten with bread for an informal snack.

Perch is the “symbol” of Lake Maggiore; a native species of the Salmonidae family, it is a significant presence in the lakes and in slow-moving streams and rivers. It is highly appreciated for its delicate white meat, especially when cooked simply in butter. Trout is the most diffuse species and is present in Ossola's mountain torrents as well as in the lakes. Local varieties include fario, iridea, marmorata alpina and the particular Arctic char of the alpine streams. Nearly every watercourse is rich in trout; the most sought after are those of the Melezzo rivers. Popular preparation methods include frid, boiled, in carpione or grilled. Alborella is still a favourite and is frequently served here as a side dish or a hearty snack. In this case there is only one way of cooking: floured and thrown into boiling oil for a quick crunchy fried treat. At Cannobio it was customary to dry and salt alborelle, they were then called "tapétt" or "variun" in local dialect. Coregone is another indigenous species while Lavarello is a hybrid. The difference between them is minimal. Both are found in Lake Maggiore, and are cooked either whole or as fillets. The flesh, more delicate and tender than trout, requires careful attention in the kitchen while the small bones require careful attention at the table. Crayfish bred here are more similar to those found in pools due to their colour; grey when alive, turning red when cooked. When it was feared that the local species risked extinction, a group of young entrepreneurs set up a breeding farm near Ornavasso. This delicious freshwater crustacean is especially tasty when quickly pan-fried in oil or aromatic butter. Snails, another well-known delicacy, that were commonly searched for in the fields after spring rains, are now farmed as well. Thoroughly purged, they are then traditionally stewed and served with polenta, or prepared Ossolan-style.. Top