The Ticino is rich in typical products: risotto, polenta, minestrone, cheese, cold cuts, luganighetta (grilled snail), gazzosa (a soft drink), beer, wine, nut eau-de-vie, grappa…
Here in Ascona-Locarno we're proud to have two 'slow food' products: cicitt, long thin goat sausages from the Maggia valley, and farina bóna, roasted maize flour from the Onsernone valley. But we're also home to the only 100% Swiss rice and the famous Vallemaggia pepper.
The Ticino's cuisine has its roots in the prealpine tradition, characterised by simple yet tasty recipes and the use of local ingredients. The recipes are passed down through the generations: minestrone alla ticinese, nettle soup, polenta with milk (adored by children), polenta and sea trout, polenta and cicitt, tripe, risotto and luganighetta (grilled snails), rabbit, amaretti and torta di pane. The gastronomy is at its best in the autumn, when the region is full of festivals and gastronomic celebrations.
Chestnuts were an important part of our forefathers' diet. Then as now they're still dried in the grà in October and November.