Val d'Aosta

This tiny region in northwestern Italy touches on France and Switzerland. Val d'Aosta's robust cuisine is perfectly suited to the Northern climate: bread-and-cheese soups, vegetable soups, nourishing polentas, sweetwater fish, braised game, stewed meat, and simple desserts are all favorites, and offer soothing comfort in the face of cold winters.

Game is often partnered with juniper berries or other mountain flavors for a rich, penetrating aroma, and cabbage and potatoes are two of the region's staple vegetables. Bread in Val d'Aosta is made from wheat or rye flour, and chestnuts are sometimes thrown in for a nutty flavor. Salty cured meats, local hams made from mountain goats or venison, and pungent cheeses are the most frequent antipasti, often served with bread topped by a pat of unsalted farmhouse butter and a drizzle of honey for a sweet and savory flavor combination.

The region is home to Fontina, one of Italy's best cows' milk cheeses, rich and nutty and ideal for melting.

Desserts are most often fruit-based, made according to the same recipes for generations.

While Grappa, Italy's renowned distillate, is poured after most meals to better digest, it is the grolla dell'amicizia, or cup of friendship, that is most symbolic of the region: friends sip sweetened, grappa-spiked coffee from a multi-spouted earthenware or wooden cup as a symbol of Valdostano hospitality and conviviality. Local wines include Blanc de Morgex, Donnas, Chambave, Valle d'Aosta, and Enfer.