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Cortina: skiing, high society & haute cuisine
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The Tre Croci Pass in the high canyon of the Piave leads to the Cortina valley, a natural amphitheater open to the rays of the sun but protected from the wind. Surrounded by the most spectacular group of the eastern Dolomite peaks, from the center of this picturesque town you get a great view of the Sorapiss, the Antelao, the Croda da Lago, the Tofanes, the Croda Rossa and the Cristallo. Cortina became a popular tourist destination around the middle of the nineteenth century, and came to be known as the "Queen of the Dolomites" by the beginning of the next century.
Located in the heart of the Ampezzo region, it boasts innumerable attractions: first and foremost, its 115 kilometers of downhill ski runs and 58 kilometers of cross-country trails. Then, of course, it's a favorite haunt of the smart European jet-set and this has led to the development of a very sophisticated culinary tradition. So this enchanting corner of Italy offers a lot to curious travelers. |
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The Ampezzo region boasts a traditional alpine cuisine, characterized by wholesome, natural ingredients that are often transformed into rare delicacies. Widespread use is made of mountain herbs to flavor vegetable and legume dishes. The most typical dish of this region is polenta made from rich yellow cornmeal, cooked in a special copper pan (paiolo). Once it has been arranged on a taier, it is usually served with potatoes, sausage, fried and melted cheeses, goulash and grilled vegetables.
When it comes to meat, the emphasis is on game, as well as chicken and rabbit. Two of the favorite local specialties are pastin, a chopped salami mixture flavored with sage and sautéed, and pork ribs with cabbage.
For dessert, we recommend trying the kodinzons, delicate pastries featuring sun-dried apples, and sbatudin, a delicious shot of energy composed of egg yolk and sugar beaten together. When it comes to digestive liqueurs, this region offers an infinite variety of potent grappa concoctions, everything from a mild blueberry-flavored version, to a distillation for heartier souls, straight from a bottle containing a very well-preserved viper. |
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THE DELICACIES OF CORSO ITALIA |
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Cortina boasts a wealth of fine restaurants, but in order to sample authentic traditional Ampezzano cooking, we recommend driving down-valley toward Vodo di Cadore. Following the main road you'll run into the "Al Capriolo" restaurant, an extraordinary eatery in which technique and creativity are skillfully fused to create traditional dishes with an intriguingly innovative flair.
The most famous hotel in Cortina is probably the venerable "De la Poste (1866), a former a receiving facility of the Austro-Hungarian postal system that has been transformed into a truly deluxe establishment.
And one must not forget the town's specialty food shops, selling all sorts of sophisticated Ampezzano delicacies, everything from alpine cheeses to tangy speck and sausages.
On Corso Italia, the main street cutting through the "queen of the Dolomites", you'll find both the "Cooperativa di Cortina" at number 40, a big store offering a vast selection, including both local products and mountain craft items, and the "Piazzetta" at number 53, where you can shop and also find interesting local food specialties in the excellent delicatessen section.
Staying on Corso Italia, at number 191 you'll find the legendary Alverà bakery, known for its superb "puccia", a special type of bread made from rye, available in either a soft or dry version. The special thing about the puccia in Cortina is that they add to the dough a variety of local wild sage, called, zigoinr, in the local dialect. More recent adaptations also feature the addition of speck or raisins. Being the most commonly found grain in the dolomite region, due to its robustness and ability to adapt to the extreme climate and terrain, rye is featured in a number of other local breads. These include tasty little French loaves sprinkled with sesame and poppy seeds and tender specialty loaves flavored with spices and flax seed, as well as hearty pumpkin-seed and whole-grain breads.
When it comes to wine, although there are lots of good wine bars in this area, it's worth the trouble to find your way to the venerable old Via del Mercato establishment in order to sample the excellent local specialties, accompanied by exquisite tramezzini (light sandwiches). |
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 Hotel De la Poste
Piazza Roma 14
32 043 Cortina (BL)
Tel and fax: 003904364271 - 00390436868435
Internet: http://www.hotels.cortina.it/delaposte/
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