Discover gastro delights
Speciality local produce, a unique mix of influences and award-winning wines make this a foodie paradise
THE DINING EXPERIENCE is never going to disappoint on an Italian holiday, and the cuisine of Garda Trentino is no exception. Tuck into regional dishes that have a delicious twist thanks to influences from the north and south, as well as the Mediterranean and Alpine climates.
Freshwater fish are, of course, a speciality; fresh from the lake’s sparkling waters are pike, trout, perch and carp, as well as carpione, a relative of the salmon that’s only found in Lake Garda and a rare delicacy. The locally made extra virgin olive oil is made from the world’s most northerly grown olives. Packed with natural antioxidant polyphenols, it has a lovely fruity flavour. With a tradition dating back to the 1500s, carne salada (salted beef ) is one of the region’s feted dishes – a lean cut of meat, rolled with herbs and spices and cured in a terracotta pot for 10 days, it is usually served thinly sliced with a drizzle of olive oil. Delicious!
The Garda Trentino micro-climate also produces wonderfully sweet fruit and tasty vegetables, as well as excellent wines. Trentodoc Spumante, an award-winning sparkling wine, is the perfect aperitif, or enjoy the Hugo, a summer cocktail that combines Trentodoc, elderflower cordial, mint and lime – mover over, Aperol spritz! There are also locally produced, quality reds, whites and rosés, and no pudding is complete without an accompanying glass of local Vino Santo. Finish with an afterdinner glass of flower-infused grappa (well, it would be rude not to!). Foodies will want to experience the Garda con Gusto – during this gourmet dining event, held every autumn, star chefs use local produce to create original dishes. Buon appetito!