The Cooking of Lombardy and Milan

Lombardy has acted as a pathway for many different tribes to pass through the Alps, some of whom stayed long enough to leave their mark on the local cuisine. Common elements link all of Lombardy’s gastronomy. Generous use of butter is the main hallmark of Milanese and Lombard cooking, as is the general preference for rice or polenta over pasta. Meat, especially veal, is considered the king of the dinner table.

Rice is generally transformed into risotto with tender spring asparagus or freshwater shrimps, turned golden by the addition of saffron, and scented with herbs such as rosemary or sage.