I prodotti agroalimentari :

LA BRESAOLA

The "bresaola" is not a cold cut in the strict sense of the word that is a pork sausage. In fact it is processed from the beef’s thigh which has been "cured” and then salted and desiccated in the open air. To produce "bresaola", the meat is placed in a pickle of wine and aromatic Alpine herbs. It seems that the formula which lists the types and quantities of herbs is a secret. Together with the herbs, in this processing, is the collaboration of the quality of air and the environmental conditions of Valtellina and thus the "bresaola" cannot be produced anywhere else without losing its own characteristics of taste and quality. This has enabled the "Bresaola" of Valtellina to obtain the Protected Geographical Identification (IGP). An optimal area for its production is that of Mazzo di Valtellina and Grosotto.

THE CHEESES

The typical cheeses of Valtellina are: the "Bitto", the "Casera" and the "Scimudin". Among these types of cheeses which are decorated with the “DOP” and the "Marchio Valtellina", the Bitto is the most highly prized and renowned. A cheese made of whole milk with an addition of goat’s milk, is produced only in the mountain in the summer months following a traditional processing. The type of cheese which is most widespread is the "Valtellina Casera", often sought in the most seasoned forms when it tends to acquire a more robust and pungent taste. The "Scimudin" is on the other hand the classic cheese of tender consistency and is sold as "formaggella".

APPLES

The cultivation of apples has ancient traditions in Valtellina, but its development in a commercial sense is recent. It is concentrated on the Rhaetian coast of Media Valtellina in the zones of Bianzone, Villa di Tirano, and Tirano and in the district of Sernio, Lovero, Tovo, Mazzo and Grosotto. The Valtellinese fruit and vegetable cooperatives dispose of advanced technological systems for the selection of the fruit and its preservation in cellars with a controlled atmosphere and with air jets. The apple has been the first product of Valtellina to be honoured with the highly prized “Marchio Valtellina" and is about to obtain the IGP certification mark.

BUCK WHEAT

One of the most traditional cultures of Media Valtellina is that of the buck wheat (fagopirum esculentum, belonging to the family of the polygonacee), the blossom of which tainted the landscape with candid white spots and rose-coloured shades. Its importance is tied to the alimentary ambit; this cereal as a matter of fact has contributed to guarantee the satisfaction of the alimentary requirements, above all during the difficult periods of scarcity. The cultivation was alternated with barley, rye and oats, in the span of an agricultural year. The buck wheat was sowed at the beginning of July, and reached maturation and was harvested towards the end of September, after the harvesting it was left to desiccate in small sheaves in the field. The beating was carried out in a level ground, where rustic carpets had been laid out, the forefathers of the traditional “pezzotti”, and the grains which fell under the beating of the flail were gathered. Before placing it in the sacks it had to be cleaned from the off-scouring of the reddish stems by a sieve with the bottom made of wicker. The buck wheat, whose “bigia” flour is the main ingredient of the exquisitely local recipes like the "pizzoccheri", the "sciatt", the "polenta" and the "chiscioi", has left an indelible imprint in the Valtellinese culinary traditions.

OTHER PRODUCTS

The honey of the mountain, the “cupeta” a sweet made up of chopped nuts and honey between two wafers, the Bisciola, a typical panettone rich in nuts and figs.
The fabulous Melavì apples of Valtellina, grapes and Kiwi.
The jams in the most varied and gluttonous tastes of fruits.
Rye bread.
Apple juice: natural, genuine, refreshing and non-alcoholic.