Food Trails

Bergamo's culinary history is frank, made of traditional dishes and genuine ingredients. Just like casonsèi, scarpinocc de Par (ravioli filled with Parmesan cheese, dried bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, butter and spices sautéed in butter and sage sauce), or polenta e osèi (a sponge cake dessert with custard, yellow marzipan and chocolate birds). Today the territory of Bergamo ranks first in Italy for its nine varieties of PDO cheeses; moreover, it is known for the excellence of its wines: red and white Valcalepio DOC and Moscato di Scanzo DOCG.

Casoncelli alla Bergamasca (Casonsèi de la Bergamasca)

The ingredients of this dish, which in its humble origins used to be cooked with leftovers from roasts, became over time more sophisticated as in the 19th century it reached the tables of the bourgeoisie and the aristocracy. ...read on

Scarpinòcc de Par

Traditional dish from Parre, a village in Val Seriana. The name refers to their shape, which vaguely recalls that of the local fabric shoes of the same name.
"They differ from Casonsèi as their filling does not include meat nor cured meats". ...read on

Cheeses

Nine cheeses from Bergamo have officially been awarded a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label: Taleggio, Strachìtunt, Formai de Mut, Bitto, Salva Cremasco, Quartirolo Lombardo, Provolone Valpadana, Grana Padano, and Gorgonzola. ...read on

Torta del Donizetti

This ring-shaped cake topped with powdered sugar was invented to commemorate Gaetano Donizetti, the great musician from Bergamo. It is made with flour, potato starch, butter, sugar, eggs, candied apricots and pineapple, Maraschino liqueur and vanilla. Its delicate flavour finds a perfect match with champenoise spumante wines. ...read on

Polenta e Osèi

It is the most famous dessert of Bergamo cuisine. Its sponge cake and cream resemble one of the typical dishes of traditional local food: polenta with birds. The dessert comes in different sizes, and is prepared with sponge cake baked in half-sphere moulds, adding buttercream, chocolate or hazelnut cream and a final splash of rum. The cake is covered with yellow marzipan to resemble a mould of classic polenta, sprinkled with yellow crystal sugar, and topped with little chocolate marzipan birds. ...read on

Valcalepio

"Production of red and white Valcalepio DOC is hosted in a large hilly area with sunny slopes, at an altitude between 300 to 600 metres above sea level. The area is also rich in precious natural landscapes, crossed by the Valcalepio Wine and Food Routes" ...read on

Moscato di Scanzo

The grapes for this wine are by law allowed to be planted only in the hilly area of Scanzorosciate municipality, and are late harvested, in October. Grapes are withered between 20 to 50 days on reed mats, at a temperature below or equal to 15 degrees Celsius. After two years' ageing minimum can the wine be bottled and sold. ...read on

Valcalepio Wine and Food Routes

The area crossed by the Valcalepio Wine and Food Routes lies at the foot of the mountains of the province of Bergamo, between the Adda and Oglio rivers. This territory, rich in history and tradition, offers so many remarkable spots that the wine-tourist could stay in the area for days on end, gratifyingly visiting ever new places. ...read on