VALLE D’AOSTA – Welcome Travelers
Valle d’Aosta, bordering France and Switzerland to the west and north, has long been the connector between central Europe and the Italian peninsula. It is the place where people travel on their way to somewhere else. The locals have welcomed travelers since Roman times and have established a culture of hospitality. Travelers are given the same warm welcome now as they were then. The Valdaostani are welcoming and generous people, always eager to share their hearty mountain food. It is the place where cultures meet and eat.
Valle d’Aosta shares food styles with Alpine France and Switzerland. Its cuisine is simple, based on fresh ingredients from the mountains, streams, and plush valleys. Our menu this week will highlight many of the dishes for which they are well known.
Menu
Chef's Travel Notes
Valle d’Aosta, bordering France and Switzerland to the west and north, has long been the connector between central Europe and the Italian peninsula. It is the place where people travel on their way to somewhere else. The locals have welcomed travelers since Roman times and have established a culture of hospitality. Travelers are given the same warm welcome now as they were then. The Valdaostani are welcoming and generous people, always eager to share their hearty mountain food. It is the place where cultures meet and eat.
Valle d’Aosta is the smallest and least populated region in Italy. Italian and French are both official languages resulting in a completely bilingual culture. It is home to Italy’s highest mountain peak, Mont Blanc / Monte Bianco and many world-famous ski resorts and therapeutic spas. Naturally, it is known for its winter sports (it enjoys 9 months of snow), but it is equally popular during the short summer season, attracting hikers, mountain climbers, bikers, and nature enthusiasts.
Traveling between countries is easy, facilitated by the fast A5 Autostrada (possibly the most scenic in Italy), but it was not always like that. In fact, travel through the mountain range between Switzerland and the Italian Aosta Valley once was extremely treacherous. Travelers needed to be constantly on the lookout for imminent ambushes from dishonest mountain guides and thieves lying in wait along the way as well as to sudden changes in weather and avalanches. In the 11th century, Saint Bernard of Menton founded a hospice high up on the pass where all travelers were welcomed and received a free hot meal and a place to rest. It was there that history first records stories of large mountain dogs with an extraordinary sense of direction. The Saint Bernards, with their broad chests and acute sense of smell, traveled easily though the deep snow and were responsible for saving thousands of wayward travelers.
Valle d’Aosta shares food styles with Alpine France and Switzerland. Its cuisine is simple, based on fresh ingredients from the mountains, streams, and plush valleys. Dairy dominates the valley’s agriculture, producing outstanding butter and cheeses. Fonduta, the local version of Alpine fondue is a great way to enjoy Valdotian camaraderie. They are great foragers of wild herbs and mushrooms and cultivate apple and pear orchards. They are known for their hearty soups, risottos, and polenta dishes – pasta is rarely eaten here.
Insalata Invernale is a mix of hearty winter greens, red cabbage, fennel, and green grapes with added crunch from roasted pistachios and crisp fried polenta croutons.
Minestra di Lenticchie con Funghi Trifolati, lentil soup with mushrooms is a hearty soup one might find in a mountain refuge as a perfect mid-day break on the slopes.
Cotoletta alla Valdostana, veal cutlet breaded and stuffed with fontina cheese and ham is undoubtedly this region’s signature dish. Fontina is cheese made from the milk of cows that pasture in the high mountain meadows in the summer.
Pere Cotte Farcite, mascarpone stuffed pears poached in red wine are a typical example of traditional desserts from the Aosta Valley. They are poached in wine and spices and then stuffed with cinnamon laced mascarpone.
It is exactly now, at the end of January, that hundreds of thousands would flock (pre-COVID) to tiny Valle D’Aosta for the oldest (1000 yr.) fair in Italy, La Fiera di Sant’ Orso. It combines crafts, folklore, and culinary specialties against a charming Alpine background. People come, not only to shop but, to revel in the unique atmosphere. They say a visit to the fair is an extraordinary, unforgettable, and intensely emotional experience because the artisans are in search of contact with visitors who appreciate their creativity and craftsmanship. It is a time when the townspeople open their cantinas, and musicians and singers roam the streets entertaining and interacting with the crowds. Welcoming them with the same spirit of hospitality and warmth for which they have been known for centuries ….. One more place in Italy I cannot wait to visit. SEE FOR YOURSELF!
A presto,
Christianne
ps. Did you know……that in Valle d’ Aosta, local folklore says that if on Sant’ Orso Day, February 1st, the weather is nice, the bear (“orso” in Italian) turns around in this den and goes back to sleep for another 40 days. Forecasters predict a cloudy day on the 2nd. Dare we hope for an early Spring? "Dio ci aiuta!"