From the garden...

Cantello asparagus
Cantello is situated next to Switzerland, famous for its particular kind of white asparagus very tasting and hard even after cooking. The collection of the asparagus is at the end of March/May/June and on he second Sunday of may there is a festival to taste this particularly vegetable. The asparagus of Cantello can be used even raw.

Monate peaches
They are grown along the Monate lake rivers from the times of the Renaissance, and are collected and boxed immediately in tin cans, in syrup with a traditional method without preservatives.They can be white or yellow flesh.Try them with sweet wine and ice cream.

Uboldo potatoes
In the south of Varese, in the countryside of Saronno, are cultivated the famous potatoes of Uboldo, special for taste and ideal to prepare “gnocchi”.
In September all farmers meet themselves in the Potato Festival. Salty and tasty.

Salty & tasty...

Varese salame
It’s a sausage made to an ancient traditional recipe handed down from job of men known as “cerveleè”, and today protected by the Consortium of Varese salame. It has a middle grain paste produced using leg an shoulder meat of pork, mixed with fat in certain amounts seasoned for 5 weeks. In 2005 was made the Consortium of Varese salame and in 2010 they started the form to obtain the IGP.

"Violino di Capra"
It’s a kind of ham handcrafted product in Val Veddasca, using thighs of sheep or goats reared in the wild. The ham is salted , flavored with garlic washed with red wine and spiced with juniper berries. It must season almost 3-6 months. It has a rather intense and delicately spicy flavor. It’s easily digestible.

The taste of milk...

Gorgonzola DOP Varese
It’s a soft cows milk cheese. Varese Zola is produced with the milk of Varese.

Fresh Valcuvia caprini
The Valcuvia caprino is made of local fresh goat milk. Its in cylindrical form, without skin, it's tasty and delicate: can be eaten fresh or with oil and pepper or spiced with aromatic herbs. The valley goes from Nudo (1235 m.) and Campo dei Fiori (1226 m.), opening on Maggiore lake, hiding the jewel of Arcumeggia, village painted by artists of this era of Aligi Sassu, Remo Brindisi, Innocente Salvini to cite a few.

Luino cheese
A delight for the palate,made exclusively from raw full fat goat milk of particular breads such as the Alps one,the Saanen and Veddasca black, proposed by varesine mountain community.  Luino cheese ( Consortium for the maintainance of Luini cheese) is among the most famous: semi-hard cheese matured for around 20 days, has a sweet taste and a delicate aroma.Its eaten as antipasto or used with starters as risotto, accompanied with light wines such as Cabernet, Sauvignon or Moscato.
(www.stradasaporivallivaresine.it)

Cheers... To your health!

Varese wines
They first started in cultivating local wines, then in 2008 they cooperate creating a real association of wine producers: from Angera to Golasecca, via Travedona and Morazzone, up to Varese hills and Albizzate, small and medium sized wine producers started promoting their IGT wines made from Nebbiolo, Croatina, Merlot, Uva rara, Shiraz for red vines; Chardonnay, Trebbiano, Bussanello, Traminer and Sauvignon for white vines.
(www.vinivaresini.it)

Grapa Rossi d'Angera
Historical company active from 1847 and already serving the Savoy King , the distillery Rossi d’Angera has recently launched a brand and products restyling process, pointing even on a Luxury line with refined liqueurs and new bottles created by the designer Giacomo Bersanetti.
From 1913 received special awardsfor the lines : Heritage, Luxury and Nature. Into the delicious Borgo di Mustonate (member of the Consortium VareseHorse), it is possible to have a unique experience as testing the liqueur on carriage until arriving to Barricaia del Puntale, place of welcome and home of the Italian Somelier of Varese Association.
(www.rossidangera.it)