The territory of Como offers a splendid lake, mountains and southern prairies. Its culinary traditions reflect this variety with three distinct food cultures that are quite different from each other.

Its lake carries the heritage of a simple, popular cusine where fish is at the center, with missoltini, sun-dried ray-finned fish that is then grilled and paired with polenta; and pan-fried perch fillets that are ideal for pairing with flavorful risottos.

Then there are its valleys and mountains. Polenta is the staple around here, a local dish of rural tradition that goes with cold meats, mushrooms, cheeses. There is a plain or uncia version and then there is one variety better known as Toc. It requires an authentic ritual: sitting around a cauldron, diners take a wooden spoon and "touch" it in order to get a bite out of it. Once it is over, a particular kind of mulled wine known as Ragel, that has been brewed in the same pot as gthe polenta, is taken as a digestive.

Last but not least, the hills that go into Milan, its plains and the zone of the Brianza. A diverse territory that features an evident culinary influence from the regional capital, using meat as a main element. Try the cassoeûla, a dish made with pork, Savoy cabbage and a kind of tripe known as buseca. 

We would like to mention a less-known dish that you should try nonetheless. The Rustisciada is a scrumptious beef stew from this land.   

Rustisciada
Ingredients for 4-6 people: 1 kg onions, 1 kg loin cut into 2 cm slices, 500 g sausage, beef broth, oil.
Brown the chopped onions in oil, add the meat, pour some ladles of broth and simmer over low heat for an hour and a half while stirring once in a while. Serve hot.