Take a trip to the Dolomite Mountains in northern Italy and no matter how fluent in Italian you are, there’s a small chance you may struggle to understand what the locals are talking about. That’s because around five percent of the South Tyrolean population are Ladin, a community with its own dialect that has helped shape the traditions, customs and dishes of the region.
Being remote and high up in the mountains, the old farming communities of South Tyrol were all but cut off from the rest of Italy and had to become almost entirely self-sufficient throughout the year. This meant there was a limited selection of ingredients to cook with – especially during the winter months – so cooks had to get creative. It’s this that makes Ladin food and drink so unique; with a limited larder, influences from Italy, Austria and Switzerland and a wealth of wild herbs and flowers on their doorstep, Tyrolean cooks were cooking in true cucina povera style, making the most of what they had.
While South Tyrol now has access to produce from all over Italy and beyond, the traditional dishes of the area still prove as popular as they've ever been. Many of the restaurants in the region specialise in classic Ladin cuisine and even those with a Michelin star offer their own riffs and new twists on age-old recipes. Here are ten of the most popular dishes which best represent the food and drink of the Dolomites.
