Typical dishes of Lake Como: recipes to try

The cuisine of Lake Como is characterized by the richness of a gastronomy able to combine the flavors of the mountains with those of the hill and fish lake.

Different dishes can bring an unexpected taste from the palate, from buckwheat polenta passing for the second with fresh water fish to salami, cheese and finally desserts, in which emerge are genuine and delicious dough.

Polenta taragna: good in a thousand different ways

Polenta taragna is a typical dish of the Larian cuisine, where it is available in different types all interesting, depending on whether the combination is arranged with fish from the lake, meat or cheeses.

It is characterized by the mix of corn flour and buckwheat and is a genuine and nutritious dish, which absolutely deserves to be tried at least once during the holiday.

One of the most satisfying versions is polenta uncia, a recipe that features the addition of ingredients such as sage, garlic, alpine cheese and local butter. Its creamy texture makes it good even on its own.

Soups: a first to discover

The soups represent one of the excellences of the cuisine of Lake Como, in front of a long cooking and enriched with a local raw material skilfully processed, starting from vegetables: onion, carrot, celery, potatoes.

They are added to legumes or alternatively, rind and local meat, but also lake fish. The extra touch is given by wild herbs, different depending on the season.

The soups are served with a slice of homemade bread, with a generous sprinkling of cheese and a drizzle of local extra virgin olive oil.

All the goodness of lake fish

Lake Como is rich in fish, cooked in a thousand different ways and according to tradition.

One of the recipes that deserves to be enjoyed is the one with missultin (in Italian missoltini): agoni fished in spring, between May and June, and then salted and dried in the sun. They are perfect to accompany polenta.

How can we not mention the pike perch and the whitefish? These have taken the place of the classic burnet among the dishes consumed along the lake. We also mention the carpione fish, which is first fried and then marinated in vinegar along with onion and bay.

Finally, we can only point out the risotto with perch, always in demand in restaurants in the province of Como, and especially those located near the lake.

The cheeses and salami of Lake Como

The Larian cuisine offers a remarkable assortment of dairy products. Particularly noteworthy are the goat’s cheese, zincarlin and semuda.

Zincarlin is obtained from local ricotta, flavoured with herbs, salt and pepper, while semuda is produced in the winter period from cow’s milk. The texture is soft and has a straw yellow color with greenish hues.

No less interesting the proposal regarding the salami, where it is especially the liver mortadella, to be enjoyed both raw and in a cooked version similar to cotechino. A typical dish of poor cuisine that was to exploit the scraps of pig, particularly delicious.

Desserts

The desserts of the Lario cuisine are characterized by genuineness, the result of a peasant tradition in which nothing was wasted.

Try miascia, a cake made with fruits and dried fruit, eggs, stale bread. Also known as the panettone of the poor, its origins are lost in the night of times.

Finally, we remember the resta, a typical Easter dessert served especially on Palm Sunday. With raisins, candied fruit and olive, this specialty requires 3 leavings. The result, however, is unforgettable.

If you want more information about the typical dishes that can be enjoyed on Lake Como, ask at our restaurant. Our chef prepares every day quality Italian dishes with products from zero kilometers, which can be enjoyed in a picturesque lounge or in an internal courtyard, right in the historic center of Como.