“En bona compagnia, el pan l’è mei che’l vin”
In good company, bread tastes better than wine
Food is at the heart of Trentino culture – from hearty mountain dishes that sustained our ancestors through long winters to the wines and cheeses that make the region famous today. Here you’ll find recipes passed down through generations and the stories behind our culinary traditions.
A FEW RICETTE DEI NONNI (Grandparents’ Recipes)
Here are two dishes our families brought from Trentino to the US – recipes refined over generations in mountain kitchens. We’ve adapted them to California ingredients, and lovingly preserved by those who remember.
CANEDERLI
A Brief History
Canederli have been feeding people in the Alps for a very long time. The oldest known image of the dish appears in a fresco painted around 1180 in the chapel of Hocheppan Castle in South Tyrol, where a nursemaid is shown tasting one from a pot. She’s been nicknamed the Knödelesserin (“the dumpling eater”) and is arguably the first food blogger in history.
Some food historians go even further back, pointing to Neolithic lake dwellings in Austria as evidence that Alpine people were making something dumpling-like as far back as 5,000 years ago. But wherever they came from, canederli were born from cucina povera: stale bread, eggs, milk, and whatever was on hand. Nothing was wasted.
Over the centuries they became something far greater than their humble ingredients suggest, and today they’re one of the signature dishes of Trentino and Alto Adige. Whether you serve them in broth, with melted butter, or fried golden, they’re a little taste of home that has survived Alpine winters and the passage of millennia. We think they’ll survive your dinner table too.
Many recipes exist. Here is one!
CANEDERLI DI SPINACI (Spinach Canederli)
Shared by Maria Mortati
INGREDIENTS:
300 grams (10.5 ounces) of dried bread cut into cubes
2 eggs
50 grams (1/3 cup) of flour
1/8 liter (1/2 cup) of milk
1 onion
A little bit of butter
400 grams (14 ounces) of chopped, cooked spinach
Salt, pepper, nutmeg
50 grams (1/3 cup) of grated parmesan
INSTRUCTIONS:
Put the bread in a bowl, and pour the milk over the bread. While the bread is absorbing the milk, sauté the onion in butter. Then mix in the spinach and add a bit of nutmeg and pepper. Cover with a lid and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
Beat the eggs and add them to the bowl with the bread, along with the spinach, flour, salt and cheese. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients together as though you were kneading bread. Form small canederli balls.
Place them in boiling, salted water and cook them lightly for 15 minutes. Top them with with a bit of melted butter and grated parmesan. Note these are not served in broth as traditional canederli.
Also, Maria found that some were falling apart in boiling water and opted to place them in the oven rather than boil them. Either boiled or baked, you’ll be in Trentino heaven with this recipe Maria shared with us!
CAPUN – Traditional dish from Cologna
Cologna is a village in the municipality of Pieve di Bono-Prezzo. Several families from Cologna settled in the Central Valley of California. The church in Cologna is named St. Rocco. August 16th is the feast day of St. Rocco, and in Cologna there is always a large celebration. Many of our members in the Central Valley do the same. Capun is a delicacy made on this occasion (note some refer to it as capuc).
INGREDIENTS:
2 loaves of dried grated French bread
2 loaves of fresh bread soaked in ½ gallon of milk
6 bunches of Swiss chard, cut and sautéed
2 large bags of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and sautéed
2 lbs. parmesan cheese, grated
1 lb. Swiss cheese, grated
2 lbs. dry jack cheese, grated
12 Italian sausages, casing removed and sautéed
2 lbs. bacon, chopped and sautéed
1 lb. butter, melted
1 ½ head of garlic, chopped and sautéed
4 yellow onions, chopped and sautéed
2 white onions, chopped and sautéed
6 eggs
1 head of celery, chopped
1 bunch of parsley, chopped
Salt & pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix all the ingredients together well. Make into patties 2½” x 2½”. Wrap in concord grape leaves and tie with string in pairs of two – with the ingredients above, about 60 pairs. Place in salted boiling water for 20 minutes.
HAVE A FAMILY RECIPE TO SHARE?
We’re building a collection of authentic Trentino recipes from our members. Contact us with your nonna’s specialties – with a story if you have one!
TRENTINO CULINARY TRADITIONS
Understanding the food means understanding the culture. Here’s what makes Trentino cuisine unique:
Mountain Necessity
Trentino cooking was shaped by necessity – long winters, limited ingredients, nothing wasted. Stale bread became canederli. Milk became cheese that could age for months. Cabbage was fermented to last through winter.
German & Italian Influences
Straddling the border between Italy and Austria, Trentino cuisine blends both. You’ll find Italian polenta alongside Austrian strudel, Italian risotto next to German spätzle.
The Sacred Triumvirate: Bread, Polenta, Cheese
These three sustained mountain communities for centuries – bread baked once a week with nothing thrown away, polenta cooked in a copper paiolo, and cheese from high mountain pastures aged in cool cellars.
SIGNATURE TRENTINO INGREDIENTS
SPECK – Lightly smoked ham from the mountains, not as salty as prosciutto, with a delicate smokiness. Essential in canederli, divine on its own with bread.
ASIAGO & TRENTINGRANA – The cheeses of the region. Asiago from the plateau, Trentingrana (Trentino’s answer to Parmigiano) from the valleys. Both PDO protected.
GRAPPA – The firewater of the Alps, distilled from grape pomace (what’s left after winemaking). Trentino produces some of Italy’s finest grappa, smooth and warming, with varieties ranging from young and fiery to aged and mellow. Traditionally served after a big meal to aid digestion – and absolutely necessary after canederli! Our nonni always had a bottle on hand.
LUGANEGA – Fresh pork sausage seasoned simply with salt, pepper, and sometimes fennel. The Trentino version is milder than other Italian sausages.
CRAUTI (SAUERKRAUT) – Fermented cabbage, a staple of Alpine cuisine. Every family had their crock of crauti fermenting in the cellar.
GULASCH – Yes, goulash! The Austrian influence is strong. Trentino gulasch is rich, slow-cooked, and served with polenta.
TRENTINO WINES
The region produces exceptional wines, benefiting from Alpine climate and unique terroir:
TEROLDEGO ROTALIANO – The signature red of Trentino. Full-bodied, fruity, with hints of almond. Grown only in the Rotaliano plain.
MARZEMINO – Made famous by Mozart (mentioned in Don Giovanni!). Smooth red wine, perfect with game and cheese.
MÜLLER-THURGAU – Crisp white from high-altitude vineyards. Refreshing and aromatic.
TRENTODOC SPARKLING WINE – Italy’s answer to Champagne. Traditional method sparkling wine from Trentino, increasingly renowned worldwide.
NOSIOLA – A native white grape producing delicate, floral wines. Also used to make Vino Santo Trentino, a sweet dessert wine.
LAGREIN – A deep, dark red with rich berry flavors and smooth tannins.
Looking for Trentino wines in the Bay Area? Ask your local wine shop – many can special order Teroldego, Marzemino, or TrentoDOC sparkling wines.
GRAPPA & DIGESTIVI
No Trentino meal is complete without grappa – the traditional digestivo distilled from grape pomace. Trentino produces exceptional grappa, from young and fiery to aged in wooden barrels for smoothness.
Types you might find:
GRAPPA GIOVANE – Young, clear, with a strong kick. This is the grappa our nonni made in the cellar.
GRAPPA INVECCHIATA – Aged in wood barrels, smooth and golden. Mellow enough to sip slowly.
GRAPPA AROMATICA – Infused with herbs, berries, or mountain botanicals. Each distillery has its secret blend.
Serve it ice-cold in small glasses after dinner. Your nonna would insist! And she’d tell you it’s medicinal – good for digestion, circulation, and anything else that might ail you.
WHERE TO FIND TRENTINO INGREDIENTS
A complete and updated list of Bay Area sources for authentic Trentino ingredients coming late spring.
In the meantime, most Italian delis and specialty stores carry polenta, speck, and Italian cheeses. Ask them about special ordering if you’re looking for something specific.
TRENTINO CULINARY RESOURCES
ASSOCIAZIONE CUOCHI TRENTINI (Association of Trentini Chefs)
Founded in Arco in 1978, this organization of 450 professional chefs preserves and promotes authentic Trentino cuisine. In 2008, they created Donne Chef Trentine, a group devoted to women chefs with 60 members.
https://www.assocuochitrentini.it
ARTISANAL PASTA TOOLS
There is an artisan in Sonoma, Terry Mirri, who makes handcrafted pasta tools and very attractive polenta boards – the real deal, made the traditional way.
https://www.artisanalpastatools.com
COOKING TIPS FROM ‘OUR NONNI’
“Never throw away bread” – Stale bread becomes canederli, breadcrumbs for schnitzel, or bread soup. Our nonni survived winters on what we’d call “leftovers.”
“Polenta must be stirred continuously” – For at least 40 minutes. This was a social activity – family members took turns stirring while catching up on the day.
“Cheese tastes better when shared” – A wheel of Asiago was meant for the whole table, sliced thick, with bread and wine. No fancy cheese boards – just good cheese, good company.
“Grappa cures everything” – Stomachache? Grappa. Cold coming on? Grappa. Big meal sitting heavy? Grappa. Our nonni kept a bottle in the kitchen and weren’t afraid to use it. Served ice-cold in tiny glasses, it was both medicine and celebration.
“The best meal is the one made with love” – Our nonni didn’t have fancy equipment or exotic ingredients. They had time, care, and generations of knowledge. That’s what made the food special.
SHARE YOUR STORY
Do you have memories of cooking with your nonna? A recipe you’re afraid will be lost? Photos of your family’s maso kitchen in Trentino?
We want to preserve these stories and recipes for future generations. Contact us to share your recipes and stories.