The Dolomites around the area of Belluno are investing on top-quality local food and wine to attract visitors for the Easter holidays and long spring weekends, along with their stunning landscapes. The Dolomites, a Unesco World Heritage Site, not only offer a wide range of hikes for trekking enthusiasts but also many opportunities to get to know the most typical products of the Belluno area in the Veneto region. Indeed some 60 food specialties of Veneto are available in the area. There are 378 typical Veneto delicacies, recognized as such by a decree of the agricultural ministry, including meats, cheeses and liquors, among others. Delicacies to be savored on the Belluno mountains include: pastin al kodinzon, a goumet version of a hamburger; lamb Agnello dell’Alpago; the barancino liquor, local Pedavena beer and then ice cream, cheeses and a special local cornmeal mush, among others. The rich offerings, with a wide selection of typical products and dishes, benefit from an historic mixture of cuisines over the centuries. The local cuisine is characterized by a savvy use of mountain herbs, mixed with any type of flavor, from pasta to meat courses to sweets – an homage to Mediterranean with Venetian cuisine with echoes of Habsburg and Mittle-European dishes. Belluno at the turn of the 19th century was home to many who migrated for work and brought back echoes of different cultures and new flavors once they returned to their homeland. They included a certain number of high-profile nannies such as Giuliana Budel, the nanny of Otto van Habsburg, who came from the local town Cesiomaggiore, and the Feltre-born Maria Polesana Canova, nanny to iconic film director Luchino Visconti. These nannies, along with many others, innovated and brought new tastes to Belluno’s cuisine once they returned. The strong local food culture and the ability to incorporate elements of different cuisines over the centuries has contributed to today’s top-level offerings including local Michelin-starred restaurants and a long list of internationally-acclaimed chefs. Local products are also priceless. Protected designation of Origin (DOP) cheeses, such as Formaggio Piave and the honey Miele Dolomiti Bellunesi are among the best, as well as cold cuts of game, trout and salads made with ancient barley produced in the valleys of Belluno, a stronghold of the Slow Food movement, which promotes high-quality traditional food and its connection to local culture. An iconic local pasta dish is the Casunziei all’Ampezzana, a delicacy that resembles a more typical ravioli dish, or pasta with beans made with the local bean Fagiolo di Lamon, which has a Protected Geographical Indication (IGP) designation. The local Shiz and Pastin, eaten between two slices of bread, are the ancestors of today’s cheeseburger. They are usually savored with polenta cornmeal mush made with Mais Sponcio or potatoes from Cesiomaggiore. Alpago lamb is another local delicacy, which is not only savored during the Easter holidays and is usually made with a side dish of cabbage from Vinigo. Desserts range from the traditional local ice cream to the cookies of Comelico and the Torta Polentina made with corn flour. Beverages made in Belluno include the beer Birra Pedavena, the local Grappa liquors and the new DOC wines Vini Coste Feltrine.

In collaboration with:
Provincia di Belluno e Consorzio DMO Dolomiti