For centuries, traditional Trentino cuisine has had to contend with its mountainous territory, harsh and difficult to cultivate, almost entirely mountainous and 70% above 1000 metres above sea level. In fact, in our valleys for centuries, the staple food was precisely the so-called "yellow gold," maize polenta, accompanied by cabbage, beans, and potatoes - vegetables resistant to low temperatures and easier to cultivate and preserve - or simply with milk. In the past, farming families sold meat, eggs, milk, and cheese to make a living.
For this reason, traditional Trentino cuisine has been defined as "simple" in contrast to the opulent cuisine of the court, the prince-bishops (Council of Trent 1545-1563), which allowed Trentino gastronomy to be heavily influenced from outside, from all over Italy but also from abroad, through visiting delegations. Enriching it and giving it a strong Central European influence. Even today, it is still potatoes and maize that dominate the table in Trentino, along with meat, eggs, and mainly cow's milk, and its derivatives combined with apples and indigenous wines.
In the past "old" bread couldn't be missing from the dinner table, as nothing could be wasted. Over time, however, various ways were found to reuse it. It was transformed and enriched with other ingredients such as cheese, eggs, vegetables, and cured meats or sausages, such as luganega (lucanica) or speck. And that's why the proposal of these three menus based on potatoes, stale bread, and filled pasta, namely strudel, the starting bases of traditional courses, three proposals with simple yet enriched and revisited ingredients, thus obtaining tasty gourmet dishes.
