When it comes to main courses, meats reign supreme: typical Vigezzo recipes involve goat’s kid, which, if it is branded, must be raised exclusively with mother’s milk and slaughtered when it weights between nine and twelve kilograms. Game, often combined with polenta, completes the picture with its strong flavours. Even Val d’Ossola’s abundant water provides an important contribution to local gastronomy: streams, rivers and Alpine lakes (perfect for sport fishing, which is very popular in Val d’Ossola) in the Ossola are the perfect habit for the area’s traditional fish.
Fish are prepared just as they are in Lombardy and the Novara area: trouts found in the sparkling Ossola streams are marinated with a mix of white wine and vinegar and seasoned with ancient, rather mysterious herbs.
Freshwater crayfishes are now becoming rarer, although there are important farms in Lower Ossola which breed them and other native fish species. Today, mountain frogs and snails are once again part of Ossolan cuisine.
Lake and river fishes increasingly feature in recipes by certain Ossolan chefs – including Marco Sacco, a multi Michelin-starred Chef, in his elegant restaurant on Lago di Mergozzo – who are committed to uniting neighbouring areas (Lake Maggiore is located just a few kilometres away), often combining high-quality local fish with fragrant wild mountain herbs.
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