The Lake and the mountain are the two souls that characterise the territory of Alto Lago di Como (Upper Lake Como). Very different souls that are also reflected in the local food and wine tradition. The lake cuisine is traditionally linked to the fish resources of the lake, such as shad, perch, whitefish and bleak while the typical cuisine of the valleys and mountains of Lake Como is characterised by dishes featuring polenta, cheese, porcini mushrooms and game. If you are looking for unique and simple flavours and love being surprised by dishes that appear obvious at first sight, we suggest a lunch or dinner in one of the romantic restaurants overlooking the lake or in the picturesque crotti (grottos), i.e. cellars carved into the rock. The skilful combination of delicate and decisive flavours of the local cuisine will satisfy even the most demanding palates. One of the area’s most characteristic dishes is polenta with “missoltino" (sun-dried shad), a delicacy that has spread across the local borders. Missoltini, sourced from shad, is sun-dried and then pressed with salt in traditional wooden or tin containers called “missolte.” Equally delicious are rice or risotto with perch fillets, fish “in carpione” (fried and marinated in water and vinegar, flavoured with local herbs), laverets and trout with butter and sage and shad in green sauce. The valleys and lake offer simple, yet original dishes where the most important ingredients are without a doubt the local cheeses: alpine cheeses cooked in copper cauldrons and then left to age in natural grottoes or cellars, dairy cheese, semuda cheese, fatty or semi-fatty cheese, fresh or aged goat’s cheese and the typical "zincarlin", a kind of ricotta seasoned with black pepper. A good plate of mixed cheeses should always be accompanied by honey (preferably chestnut) and walnuts, which together with the chestnuts, wine and oil, complete the picture of the local food and wine excellences. The typical desserts reflect the poor past of these territories: cakes made of bread or dough with flour and water, enriched with walnuts, raisins and figs or, simply, sugar. The calendar of events for summer is packed with village festivals and food shows, giving tourists the opportunity not only to take a closer look at the local folklore, but also to taste delicious, simple dishes that are truly captivating.