A Culinary Guide to the Italian Towns Hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics

"Their mountain cuisine is built on elemental processes, like fire and fermentation, and makes use of wild herbs, freshwater fish, game meats, and cheeses crafted in the malghe, the seasonal dairy farms that speckle the hillsides. It's also shaped by the Ladin, the region's minority ethnic group, who speak a language separate from Italian, and by the traditions of nearby Austria."

"Unique dishes can be found in these small communities, including those hosting the events. From Cortina d'Ampezzo, the hub for mountain sports, comes casunziei all'Ampezzana-half-moon-shaped ravioli stuffed with turnips or beets and dressed in butter and poppy seeds. Snowboarding and freestyle skiing will be in Livigno, where buckwheat is used for manfrigole, crêpes filled with cheese and air-dried beef. Meanwhile, Bormio, which will host downhill skiing and ski mountaineering, is known for pizzoccheri, a buckwheat pasta."

"Helga Mussner has been cooking at this mountain lodge in Selva di Val Gardena ever since her husband, a former Olympic skier, opened it in 1964. Though there is now a new head chef, Mussner still comes in to make apple strudel every day. The restaurant was renovated in 2010, but retains its homey roots with dishes like crafuncins (rye-flour ravioli) and Italian-style goulash."

Italian Alpine cuisine centers on elemental processes such as fire and fermentation and relies on wild herbs, freshwater fish, game meats, and cheeses made in seasonal malghe dairy farms. Ladin language and cultural traditions, along with nearby Austrian influences, shape flavors and preparations across valley communities. Distinct regional dishes include casunziei all'Ampezzana from Cortina d'Ampezzo, buckwheat manfrigole in Livigno, and pizzoccheri in Bormio. Mountain restaurants and lodges preserve generational recipes and seasonal ingredients, offering rustic dishes like crafuncins and Italian-style goulash alongside innovations that sometimes borrow techniques from other cuisines.

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