Specialties in Ticino: Delicacies and recipes
We show you delicacies from Switzerland's southernmost canton and two traditional recipes.
Everything you need to know at a glance
Ticino combines Italian joie de vivre with Alpine down-to-earthness and offers a cuisine full of traditional specialties. Classics such as Polenta Rosso del Ticino, spicy cheese, and various sausages reflect the regional diversity, complemented by fresh fish from Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore.
Desserts such as torta di pane or chestnut cake and regional liqueurs such as nocino round off the culinary experience. The dishes are often accompanied by Ticino Merlot, which characterizes the region's wine culture. Ticino specialties are best discovered at local markets and in traditional restaurants, although recipes can also be recreated at home.
Enjoyment in Switzerland's Mediterranean heartland
Italian joie de vivre reigns in Ticino. The canton is also known as the Mediterranean heart of Switzerland, the window to the south. This also has an impact on the cuisine: if you want to eat really good pasta or pizza in Switzerland, for example, Ticino offers the widest selection.
But Ticino cuisine also has its own character, where the Alps and the Mediterranean meet. It is often simple, hearty country cooking with corn, chestnuts, goat's and cow's milk products, sausages, and fish from Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore. A good drop of wine is also a must in this region.
The ultimate Ticino specialty: Polenta Rosso del Ticino
Polenta Rosso del Ticino is probably the best-known dish from Ticino. It is a traditional cornmeal polenta. It is made from Ticino red corn, which is why it is red on the outside. The polenta is either mixed with salted water or refined with veal stock and whipped cream.
Whether as a side dish to cheese, sausage, or meat dishes, or on its own as a nutritious snack, Polenta Rosso del Ticino is ubiquitous in Ticino. In past centuries, it was one of the staple foods of the Ticino population. You could hardly make a more classic choice if you want to get to know Ticino's specialties and cuisine.
Ticino cheese and sausage products: hearty and tasty
In Ticino, the aromatic scent of flowering alpine meadows finds its way onto your plate in the form of various types of cheese. Around 1,600 tons of cheese are produced in this canton every year. These include alpine cheese, formagella, formaggini made from cow's or goat's milk, and zincarlin.
The best way to sample the selection is on a hike through a Ticino alpine pasture. You will probably come across several cheese dairies along the way.
But Ticino's sausages and various meat dishes are also sought after throughout Switzerland and far beyond: for example, Brasato al Merlot beef stew, Ossobuco, Luganighe or Luganighetta pork sausage, Cicitt goat sausage or Carne secca, the region's typical air-dried beef.
Ticino: a paradise for those with a sweet tooth and liqueur enthusiasts
The selection of sweet specialties in Ticino is also huge: wonderful sweet delicacies include Pane ticinese milk bread, Torta di pane bread cake, chestnut-based cakes, and desserts made with Farina bóna, a roasted corn flour.
During Carnival in particular, lard cakes dusted with sugar are sold everywhere. If you like cookies, you should try the traditional pastefrolle or those with lemon flavor.
The digestif can also be sweet: Nocino, also known as Ratafià, is a liqueur made from green walnuts and is the most popular bitter liqueur in Italian-speaking Switzerland. Apart from this Ticino specialty, grappa is often served after dinner.
Ticino as a wine destination: excellent Merlot
Ticino is a region with a strong wine tradition and culture. Merlot in particular is omnipresent. Whether added to sauces for hearty stews, served with cheese, or as an accompaniment to an upscale menu, this grape dominates the region, accounting for more than 80 percent of the wine produced.
Since 1997, Merlot del Ticino has been awarded the D.O.C. (denominazione di origine controllata) designation. This is a mark of quality for wines, guaranteeing their controlled origin.
A recipe: Torta di Pane
One of the most traditional Ticino specialties is Torta di Pane, the Ticino bread cake. Perhaps you would like to make it yourself at home? For a classic preparation, you will need the following ingredients:
- 300 grams of stale bread (ideally Pane ticinese or white bread)
- 700 milliliters of milk
- 120 grams of sugar
- 2 eggs
- 50 grams melted butter
- 2 to 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 80 grams coarsely chopped dark chocolate
- 80 grams raisins (soak for 15 minutes in 2 to 3 tablespoons grappa, rum, or tea)
- 50 grams pine nuts
- 1 organic lemon or its grated zest
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 pinch ground cloves, 1 pinch salt
- Optional: 1 small apple, diced
- For the pan: butter and some breadcrumbs
It takes about 20 minutes to prepare the dish, plus about 2.5 hours for soaking and baking.
- Soak the bread: Cut the bread into pieces, pour hot milk over it, and let it stand for 1 to 2 hours. Then mash it with a fork to form a paste.
- Mix the mixture: stir in the sugar, eggs, melted butter, cocoa, chocolate, raisins (with liquid), pine nuts, lemon zest, spices, and apple (if using). The mixture should be thick but spoonable. Add up to 3 tablespoons of milk if necessary.
- Prepare the pan: Butter a springform pan and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Pour in the batter, smooth the surface, and sprinkle with a few more pine nuts if desired.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (top/bottom heat) for 45 to 60 minutes until the center is just set and the surface is slightly cracked.
- Allow to cool: Serve lukewarm or at room temperature. Enjoy on its own, with a little whipped cream or a scoop of gelato.
Interesting fact: For a variation, you can fold in chestnut flour or finely mashed, pre-cooked chestnuts.
Discover Ticino with the Gold Card or Platinum Card?
Ticino specialties: lots of delicacies to try
Ticino cuisine combines northern Italian influences with alpine down-to-earthness. Polenta, cheese, and sausage traditionally play a major role, but pasta and risotto are also often served, along with freshwater fish from Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore. Dishes made from simple, regional ingredients are characteristic, often accompanied by Ticino Merlot.
To find the best delicacies, take a stroll through the numerous traditional Ticino markets, for example in Bellinzona, Lugano, Ascona, or Locarno. Be sure to take your American Express Platinum Card with you, as it will enhance your enjoyment with attractive dining benefits.
Frequently asked questions and answers
Ticino is known for its honest and simple cuisine, featuring polenta, stews, fresh fish from local lakes, and delicious cheese and sausage.
Merlot is the dominant grape variety in Ticino. Other varieties such as Chardonnay, Bondola, and Pinot Noir play only a minor role.
With the Platinum Card, you receive a credit of CHF 40 once per quarter for visits to Swiss GaultMillau restaurants that accept American Express, provided you have spent at least CHF 200 on food and drink. This means you can secure up to CHF 160 in credits per year.
