Discovering the enogastronomical patrimony of Verona

Verona's typical products, with the Roman ruins in the background (c) Maria Vonotna / Shutterstock.com
Verona's typical products, with the Roman ruins in the background (c) Maria Vonotna / Shutterstock.com
The enogastronomical products of Verona's territory are really many. Have fun discovering them by going directly to the place of production, by shopping in the stores of the historical center or even by cooking them with the help of local chefs.

It would be a pity to visit Verona without dedicating some time to the discovery of the local enogastronomical excellences, some of them are internationally known, others are more niche, but equally noteworthy. So why not take advantage of a gastronomic tour, a lesson of local cooking, a visit to the Amarone wineries or a trip to the nearby mountains of Lessinia to taste the typical dairy products? Amarone is a dry red raisin DOCG wine, produced exclusively in Valpolicella, a hilly area surrounding Verona and extending from Lake Garda to almost the border with the province of Vicenza. The climate and soil of this area, protected by the Lessini Mountains to the north and influenced by the almost Mediterranean climate, mild and not very rainy of Lake Garda, contribute to determine the organoleptic characteristics of this wine with its full and velvety flavor, which goes well with full-bodied meat dishes, such as braised meat, stews and roasts, but also with cold cuts and hard cheeses.

A guided tour among the green hills of Valpolicella will allow you to satisfy all your curiosities about vineyards, production methods and bottling of this wine which is by now very loved in Italy and abroad, and of course to taste it as well! And if you are true lovers of Amarone, you cannot avoid to taste a typical recipe where it is the protagonist together with another excellent product of the territory: Vialone Nano rice. This is the delicious risotto all’amarone, which you can obviously taste in the best restaurants of Verona, but if you like cooking, you can even dabble in preparing it under the guidance of a professional cook. Another traditional product of the area, which goes very well with Amarone and with the other red wines of Valpolicella, is Monte Veronese DOP cheese, which was born in the mountains of Lessinia, paradise for lovers of dairy products: from butters, to caciotta cheeses, to various malga cheeses. And to end on a high note, or rather on a sweet note, you must try a good homemade ice cream or, for those with a sweet tooth, one of Verona’s typical desserts: Torta Russa, a pastry cake wrapped in a thick almond paste, so-called because its shape resembles that of a colbacco.