A journey across the products to savour
If you happen to eat in Livigno, you’ll get to choose from many options. You can come across a mountain hut while hiking or discover an agriturismo nestled in nature. For example, the one in Val Federia offers complimentary lunch to guests staying at our hotel with half board (discover the offer). You can also opt for a restaurant in the city centre—preferably in the shopping streets—or enjoy a simple picnic with your family. In any case, don’t miss the chance to enjoy Livigno’s typical products and dishes.
Let’s discover the best ones. Here are our picks.
Typical food to savour in Livigno
Alpine cheeses
Valtellina is famous for its dairy products, in particular for the Casera and Bitto, two cheeses marked with the PDO label. However, Livigno and its mountains have a long history of producing many kinds of cheese. This is because of its cow breeding, the daily supply of fresh mountain milk, and the history of local cheesemakers. In Livigno’s alpine pastures, local cheesemakers apply techniques, knowledge, and secrets passed on from generation to generation to transform milk into delicious young or matured cheese (soft or semi-hard). Some of the most famous local cheeses include Scimudin, Latteria, and Grotta, the latter known for their unmistakable mountain taste.
Slinzega and bresaola
If you come to Livigno, you can’t leave without tasting our bresaola. Livigno’s bresaola and Valtellina’s bresaola are two different products. Of course, it’s the same cured meat with the same characteristics that make them protein-rich, light and lean, but you’ll notice the difference from the very first bite. Livigno’s bresaola tastes special. Thanks to its unique texture, it melts in your mouth. Both bresaolas are still artisanal, and the long curing in the valley’s climate plays an essential role. At our restaurant, we serve sciatt on a bed of bresaola slices.
Another product to enjoy is Livigno’s slinzega, which is a type of bresaola but smaller and with a wilder taste. While bresaola is sliced thinly, slinzega is cut with a knife and is ideal for authentic mountain aperitifs.
Livigno’s blueberries
Growing fruits and vegetables at 2000 metres of altitude is not an easy task. Agriculture in Livigno is primarily for subsistence as it is constrained in terms of the variety of crops compared to regions at lower altitudes. However, nature always lends a hand to humankind. The high mountain landscape that dominates Livigno’s valley is the ideal place for growing wild berries, especially blueberries. Livigno’s wild blueberries are small and combine beneficial nutritional properties with an excellent, fresh, authentic flavour. You can order them at the restaurant for dessert, perhaps paired with gelato, or pick them directly from the plants along the trails while hiking.
Erba Iva in Livigno
Livigno’s typical products also include alcoholic beverages. Besides bombardino, largely appreciated by skiers, Valtellina is known for its digestive liquor, which locals call Tanéda. This drink is obtained from alpine herbs growing at a high altitude: musk yarrow or, as the locals call it, erba iva. Musk yarrow is found above 2000 metres, especially in some side valleys, such as Val delle Mine. Its dried flowers (whose collection is regulated by law) are used to prepare digestive herbal teas or the Taneda.
Now, are you craving Livigno’s best foods and products? At Carpe Diem restaurant, in Livigno’s city centre, we use and serve them regularly, depending on its availability and season. Pay us a visit and enjoy them with our pizza and other specialities, from pizzoccheri to polenta.
