Valle D'Aosta
Situated between Piemonte, France, and Switzerland, Valle d’Aosta is unlike anywhere else in Italy.  Not only is this mountainous area the least populated region in the country, it has a unique relationship with governing Rome, retaining legislative freedom and administrative autonomy. This spirit of independence informs the language, cuisine, and culture of the Valdostans, who speak the local Savoy dialect as well as French and Italian. Visitors to the valley delight in the ample opportunities to ski at the world-class resorts of Courmayeur and Cervinia; hike among stunning Alpine peaks, glacial lakes, and floral meadows in Gran Paradiso, Italy’s oldest national park; visit medieval castles that touch the sky in Saint-Vincent; and dine on the hearty, satisfying Valdostan cuisine.

The cold, northern climate of this border region necessitates simple yet robust cooking, which is influenced by French and Swiss cuisines. Unlike most other Italian regions, traditional Valdostan meals usually consist of a one hearty course, such as a substantial bread soup, warm fonduta or fondue, made with butter and cheese, comforting polenta, spiced sausages, and braised or roasted beef and pork. Other local culinary favorites – wild berries, game, and chestnuts – sing with the flavors of the surrounding Alpine mountains and valleys.

Specialty Foods of Valle D'Aosta

The flavors that emerge from fontina cheese summon images of the fresh herbs and flowers the cows graze on in the high Alpine meadows of the Valle d’Aosta.  This semi-cooked, straw-yellow cheese, with tiny holes and a supple, soft texture, is perfect for melting and is used to make fonduta, or fondue, one of the region’s famous dishes.  For an authentic antipasto, toast small squares of country bread, rub with a clove of garlic, top with little chunks of fontina and an anchovy, then pop the toasted squares into a hot oven for a minute, and serve piping hot.

Providing hearty sustenance, carbonade is a classic Valdostan stew.  The meal is made with salt-cured or fresh beef, onions, red wine, butter, and nutmeg, and often is served with polenta. The name – derived from carbone, or coal – refers to the dark gravy that results after the meat is cooked.

Eaten in soup, with lardo (spiced bacon), or savored alone with a pat of fresh butter, pane nero (black bread) is a staple food for families in the valley. Made with rye and wheat flours, this bread was baked traditionally in the communal oven just once a year and was dried to preserve it. Today, residents and visitors consume so much of the satisfying pane nero that it is made fresh on a daily or weekly basis.

After a delicious and satisfying fonduta, friends and neighbors may be found sipping a cup of grolla dell'amicizia, or cup of friendship, to keep warm on a chilly night.  More than just an after-dinner drink, grolla consists of wine and espresso that are mixed and spiked with grappa and served hot in a wooden goblet with a lid to keep in the heat.


Food Festivals of Valle d’Aosta

Fiocca Festival
Avise in Beileun village (June)
At this festival, whipped cream, locally known as fiocca, is served in paper cups with sugar or grappa.

Fiha di Pan Festivals
Aosta Valley (July and August)
Many local communities in the Valle d’Aosta hold brown bread festivals.  At these festivals, the bread is made on the day of the celebration and eaten with other local products.

Feta di Resen Festival
Chambave (end of September)
This is a celebration of grapes in one of the wine capitals of the Aosta Valley.  Local specialty wines are accompanied by traditional local desserts.