• Food & Wine

What to eat in Cremona and the surrounding area

A menu of traditional Cremonese dishes: from marubini and tortelli to Gran Bollito, from Cremona IGP salami to mostarda and typical cheeses.

 

There's still a way to enjoy typical local dishes, while staying safely at home: savour traditional dishes, genuine culinary delights, telling tales bursting with flavour. Let's take a closer look at some typical food of the Cremona area. Is your mouth watering yet?

 

A journey immersed in flavour, amidst the tastes of Cremona: first courses

Let's start at the beginning, namely the first course: Cremonese marubini. These are filled pasta shapes (the size of a chestnut) made with durum wheat flour, common wheat and egg, stuffed with beef marinated with vegetables or red wine, with the addition of roasted veal and flavoured with sage or rosemary. As an alternative to veal, pork sprinkled with white wine or "pistum" (a mixture of Cremona salami) are also used.

But as they say, different place different pasta, and the filling can vary from one town to another. Marubini ai tre brodi is a must to try, which involves combining chicken (capon or chicken), beef, pork and vegetables in cold water. 

Another first course you absolutely must sample is tortelli cremaschi, a subtle blend of flavours with a sweet and spicy filling and a savoury pasta and dressing. The secret to preparing them is to balance the quantities of filling and pasta, and to avoid using egg pasta, because it would be unable to withstand the cooking time (20/40 min.). The result? A delicious, indulgent dish you won't want to miss. There are several different varieties of tortelli, using different ingredients. Want to try them all?
 

Whats' cooking? His Majesty the Gran Bollito
A simple but tasty dish, a mixture of the cheapest cuts of meat, cooked for hours in boiling water: this is the Gran Bollito. A main course that is a firm favourite on tables throughout Cremona. The ingredients have to cook for a good three hours in the pot. It's a "Sunday dinner" and so is best prepared (and enjoyed) slowly, perhaps in one of the traditional restaurants of the area.

 

Unmissable treats: Cremona IGP salami and mostarda  
Two things you simply have to try in and around Cremona are the local salami and mostarda. 
Even historians agree: the Po Valley has probably always been the ideal location for pig farming, ever since Roman times. Hence there were already some "rudimentary" types of salami on tables in Lombardy in those days. One thing's for sure: the taste of Cremona IGP salami is unmistakable, aromatic and spicy, with a strong taste that makes it perfect with a wide range of pairings, from the classic hunk of bread to fruit.
Another must-try? Mostarda, of course! This is a condiment made of fruit, sugar and mustard extract, it is usually very spicy and is served alongside boiled and grilled meats, as well as between courses at large banquets and special occasions.

 

Typical Cremona cheese
Cheese is the star of most traditional lunch menus in Cremona (as well as throughout the rest of the Lombardy region). The only problem in Cremona is which to choose. You can't leave without taking some time to taste Quartirolo Lombardo DOP, a soft cow's milk cheese, or treat yourself to a little Taleggio DOP, best served with jams and various types of honey or polenta.
Lastly, don't forget the long aged Provolone Valpadana DOP and Grana Padano DOP, known and loved all over the world.

 

A beautiful ending: Cremona desserts
To end your meal on a sweet note, opt for a slice of dolce Cremona (made with sugar, eggs, butter, flour, starch and almonds), a piece of nougat or the famous Sbrisolona, whose recipe dates back to before the 17th century. Sweet treats full of history.

-

Ph: eastlombardy.it e turismocremona.it

On the same topic

Cremona Nougat Recipe

It is a variation of the traditional sweet that includes the addition of aromas such as vanillin and candied fruit, which make the mixture softer based on sugar, honey and album
  • Food & Wine
Cremona Nougat Recipe, homemade goodness

Wine Cellars in Casteggio

An ancient village in the Oltrepò Pavese, rich in high quality vineyards
  • Food & Wine
Wine cellars in Casteggio, a hidden treasure

Wines of Valtellina

The extreme variety of the Lombardy territories is reflected in a very wide range of absolutely fine and famous red and white wines all over the world
  • Food & Wine
Discover and savor the wines of Valtellina

Pavese Rice

The province of Pavia, Italian rice capital!
  • Food & Wine
Risotto

Zuppa Pavese Recipe

The pavese soup, taste of old dishes, those that were born from the few ingredients available
  • Food & Wine
Zuppa Pavese recipe, a soup fit for a king

Wine and Flavor Trail Valtellina

A scenic road through the terraced vineyards
  • Food & Wine
Strada vino e sapori Valtellina, percorriamola insieme

Receipts of Cremona's tradition

Tasty news from the Museum of folk Culture “Cambonino”
  • Food & Wine
Receipts of Cremona's tradition

Flavours of the Oltrepò Pavese: Autumnal weekends away within a stone’s throw of Milan

Discover Pavese – Enjoy an autumn weekend of tradition, culture and flavour among the most charming villages of the Oltrepò Pavese. Take a look at this list of ideas and get inspired.
  • Food & Wine
 Flavours of the Oltrepò Pavese:  Autumnal weekends away within a stone’s throw of Milan

Discover Lodi with traditional cuisine and produce

Chef Simone Virtuani and his secrets to making the perfect risotto
  • Food & Wine
Discover Lodi with traditional cuisine and produce

Flavors on the lakes: Como and Varese

Lakes and mountains. Tasty dishes, heritage of rural culture
  • Food & Wine
Flavors on the lakes: Como and Varese

Typical Lombardy mountain dishes

Discover Lombardy's typical high-altitude dishes. Dive into traditional Alpine cuisine and its authentic flavours
  • Food & Wine
Typical Lombardy mountain dishes - Pizzoccheri Valtellina

Eating in Lodi: starters to dessert

From cheese to amaretto biscuits, here's all you need to know to indulge in some delicious Lodi specialities
  • Food & Wine
Risotto_giallo_con_la_raspadura

The road of Cremona's flavours

The best elements of Cremona's territory in a selection of products, places and itineraries proposed by The Road of Cremona'sFlavours.
  • Food & Wine
The road of Cremona's flavours

Pane di San Siro

I San Sirini: a typical sweet of the feast of the patron saint of Pavia
  • Food & Wine
Pane di San Siro

Bergamo, hunting for flavors

Valleys of extraordinary beauty, like the city that looks at them from the walls. Wines, cheeses, pasta.
  • Food & Wine
Bergamo, hunting for flavors

Malfatti: a culinary delight from the Oltrepò Pavese

Piatto della tradizione contadina dell’Oltrepò Pavese
  • Food & Wine
Malfatti: a culinary delight from the Oltrepò Pavese

Garda s olive oil

Recognized by everyone as an exceptional oil, especially when paired with certain dishes. Its freshness and delicacy are increasingly appreciated throughout Europe
  • Food & Wine
Garda’s Olive Oil

Polenta e Bruscitt Recipe

Typical dish of Lombardy made with polenta and stewed beef strips
  • Food & Wine
Polenta e Bruscitt recipe, a specialty from Busto Arsizio

Campagna Amica, the Sunday markets

In Stradivari Square in Cremona
  • Food & Wine
Campagna Amica, the Sunday markets

For Wine Cellars in Lombardy

Rows of vineyards line the countryside, producing some of the finest wines in the world. Exploring Wine Cellars in Lombardy
  • Food & Wine
Vineyards in Sondrio in Valtellina