Eating at Lake Iseo

Between fish and good wine

Lake Iseo, is much more than a soothing holiday destination and the ideal place for sports enthusiasts. It is also an outstanding food and wine zone that is worth discovering when staying for more than one day..

Amid fish based dishes and good wine, there are numerous culinary specialties that wait to be discovered while getting to know better this land.

We would like to propose a brief list of local products from the Sebino and its neighbouring areas, including that of Franciacorta. You can try all these delicacies in local businesses, restaurants and agrotourisms.

Made with the collaboration of: www.iseolake.info

Dried Sardines: eat them with Polenta — It represents one of the most authentic culinary traditions of Lake Iseo. Sardines, after a slow 30-40 days drying process on wooden open air sticks, are placed in steel containers with olive oil and left to age for a few months. After they have aged properly they acquire a golden hue and are ready to be consumed. Add some oil, parsley and garlic and eat with some polenta on the side: the intense and original taste of this dish will astonish you!

All the different types of Casoncelli — A Bergamo and Brescia staple food, casoncelli are similar to ravioli and are prepared in various ways depending of the zone you are in. You can find them often in the menus of traditional trattorias and agrotourisms that surround the lake. The bergamasque version of its filling usually consists of bread, parmesan cheese, beef, parsley, raisins, lemon zest and amaretti. In Brescia filling is lighter and prepared with bread, cheese, garlic, nutmeg, broth, parsley and salt. (picture: Casoncelli by Lorenzo Vinci)

Monte Isola Salami at the heart of the Sebino — This peculiar salami from Monte Isola, the main protagonist of the most important event of Summer 2016, The Floating Piers, the famous walkway that allowed to get to this island on foot. The preparation for this salami starts between january and februrary. Particular skills are required to cut the meat, mix it and shape it. It is then smoked, which makes it unique among salamis, giving it a strong flavor. Then it must get hanged in basements called "Ca' del salam", built in stone and provided with a wood bonfire that keeps a constant warm temperature. It is perfect to make a flavorful plate of cold cuts!

Silter DOP Cheese, a beloved delicacy of the Camonica Valley — The Silter is a native cheese from the lower Camonica Valley and the prealpine areas east of Lake Iseo. It is a cylinder-shaped cheese made from milk by a breed of brown cows from Monte Guglielmo and its surroundings. It takes about 1-2 years for it to age properly. It is a hard cheese with a delicate, aromatic flavor that has been recently awarded with the DOP lablel.

The excellence of Franciacorta wines — Outstanding wines are produced from the widespread vineyards of the Franciacorta area. They are made with Chardonnay, red and white Pinot grapes. It is the ideal wine for every meal: from happy hours to main courses, simple and complex recipes as well. It features an intense straw yellow color and golden hues, with fine, persistent bubbles. Its bouquet is a characteristic from the fermentation process that happens inside the bottle. You can percieve nuances of bread crust and yeast, enriched with delicate citrus and dry fruit hints such as almonds, hazelnuts and dried figs. A refined, savory, fresh and harmonious taste for your palate.

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