In addition to the Ticino Merlot – widely renowned beyond its borders – many other products make up the culinary wealth of Ticino.
Cheeses, gazzosa, cold cuts, beers, risotto, polenta, Farina Bóna. So many tastes, experiences and memorable encounters are waiting for you in the different regions.
Cheeses
Ticino cheeses have character! In total, no less than 1,600 tonnes of cheese are produced each year in the canton. Their variety is exceptional: alpine and dairy cheeses, fresh or aged, flavoured or plain, made from cow’s or goat’s milk. So many reasons to enjoy a cheese tasting when you visit a “grotto” or other restaurant!
Zincalìn is a small, tangy, fresh cheese shaped like an upside-down cup. Zincalìn de la Val da Mücc, produced only in the Valle di Muggio, is a Slow Food’s Presidium, whose aim is to safeguard traditional techniques and know-how.
Il Formaggio d’alpe DOP is a semi-hard cheese from the Ticino mountain pastures. When young, it has a mild and delicate taste. As the months go by, it becomes sharper and more flavorful. The flavors and aromas of this cheese come from the natural environment where it is produced.
Büscion is a soft fresh cheese. Due to its creaminess, it is perfect to spread on a slice of bread. The name was given to these cheeses produced in the Sottoceneri comes from the dialect and means “cork”, in reference to its cylindrical shape.
Ul Bleu Ticines is the blue cheese of Ticino. Labelled “Capra Ticino”, it is an authentic goat’s cheese that requires a lot of know-how, effort and love when it is made.
More about Ticino cheeses
There are many other cheeses from Ticino, such as Formaggelle, Caprini and many others! Find out more below!
Where to taste it?
The best way is to go to a cheese dairy or to a typical Ticino restaurant. You can then enjoy a magnificent cheese platter and taste the different kinds of cheese produced in the canton.
Farina Bóna
Farina Bóna is a roasted corn flour, originating from the Onsernone Valley, not far from Locarno. Its history goes back to the beginning of the 19th century with the arrival of corn in Vergeletto. Although it all but disappeared in the 1960s, Farina Bóna is once again being used in a variety of recipes, such as pancakes and ice cream. Like Zincarlìn, it is a Slow Food Presidium.
Recipe idea
Farina Bóna is especially great for making pancakes. Discover Letizia and Francesco Pessino’s recipe!
Where can I buy it?
Farina Bóna can be bought in various specialised shops in Ticino, but also in various Coop supermarkets throughout Switzerland. It is also possible to order it via the website.
Polenta
Although the origins of polenta date back to the Greeks and Romans, it was only in the 19th century that corn polenta began to spread in Switzerland. During the last centuries, it was one of the main foods of the Ticinese population, alongside chestnuts and potatoes.
Where to eat it?
The best place to enjoy a good traditional Ticinese polenta, prepared on a crackling fire according to tradition, is in the grottos and restaurants of Ticino! Have a look the menus and make your choice.
Traditional recipe
Sara Pieretti, chef at the Grotto Grassi in Tremona, gives her recipe for Ticino Polenta. Make it at home tonight!
Risotto
Rice has only been cultivated in Ticino for a couple of decades, but the recipe for it, which originated in Italy, has been known for a long time. It has found its place on Ticino tables, and is prepared with other typical Ticino products such as Merlot.
Where to eat it?
Risotto can be found everywhere, from grotti to gourmet restaurants. Every year, the Risotto Festival is organised in Locarno at the end of August by GastroLagoMaggiore e Valli in collaboration with Ticino a Tavola. It is an opportunity to taste risottos prepared by local and guest chefs, with music and other entertainment.
Recipe idea
The recipes for risotto are endless, with rice blending perfectly with mushrooms, saffron and many vegetables. But since Ticino produces the best Merlot, we have selected a recipe for Merlot Risotto with Luganighe sausage from Ticinella. Enjoy!
Cicitt
Cicitt are goat sausages made from the least prized parts of the animal, to be eaten grilled. They originate from the valleys of the Locarno region and are recognizable by their long, thin shape.
The Cicitt are also part of the Slow Food Presidi, with the aim of promoting traditional Cicitt.
Where to find it?
In November, the Goat Meat Gastronomical Festival aims to promote various specialities made from goat meat and to make this local product known.
Gazzosa
Gazzosa is a sweet, flavoured, slightly sparkling water – also known as “poor man’s champagne” because its bubbles and aromatic taste gave it a festive air for special occasions.
In the past, Gazzosa was made by natural fermentation; though today most Gazzosa producers use carbon gas and fruit syrup, some Ticino families still maintain the tradition with the natural method.
Where to buy it?
Gazzose Ticinesi SA produces and markets “Fizzy” gazzosa. It is available in various shops selling local products and also in some Coop supermarkets. It can also be found on stands at events related to local produce and gastronomy.
Nocino
Nocino is the most popular liqueur in the canton of Ticino. This brown liquor is obtained by macerating green walnuts in a mixture of grappa, sugar and aromas.
It seems that the Capuchin friars of Bigorio are at the origin of the beverage, formerly known as “ratafiá”. The original recipe is said to have been kept in the monasteries – but has also been handed down for generations in many Ticino families.
Nocino, known for its digestive properties, is often served at the end of a meal in the grottos and restaurants of the canton.
Where to taste it?
In most typical Ticino places, such as grottos and other restaurants. Check out the restaurants of the canton – cheers!
Sweets
There is no shortage of sweet treats in the canton of Ticino… and they are irresistible!
Pastefrolle are crispy S-shaped shortbreads from the Bedretto Valley, made with butter from the Ticino alpine pastures for over 100 years.
Tortelli di San Giuseppe are rectangular or round puffs, sometimes filled with cream, originating from Ticino and northern Italy. They are usually prepared between February and March on the occasion of festivals such as Carnival. In Vacallo, thousands of Tortelli are made at dawn and sold in the town square.
Torta di pane is a pudding made of stale bread softened in milk. It usually contains dried and candied fruits. This dessert was created to avoid wasting any remaining stale bread.
Bissoli are typical Bellinzona pastries, made of chestnut cream and chocolate. Covered in dark chocolate, they proudly bear a white chocolate Sforza emblem on top. Taste them during your visit to the capital of Ticino!
Panettone is the symbol of the Ticinese pastry tradition. Born in Milan, where it is mainly eaten at Christmas, this cake is eaten year round in Ticino. Flour, butter, sugar, eggs and sourdough, together with traditional recipes and expert hands, are the ingredients of the real Ticino Panettone.
There are many other typical Ticino pastries to discover in the canton.
Regional actors
