Trentino Alto Adige sits astride a cultural border:
The southern half of the region (Trentino) is Italian, whereas the northern half (Alto Adige, or Südtirol) is German, and was annexed by Italy at the end of WWI. There has been remarkably little integration, and the cuisines of the two areas are quite distinct.
Trentino draws heavily from the Veneto and Lombardia, with polenta, both plain cornmeal and made with corn meal and a variety of other grains, including buckwheat, playing the role of both bread and pasta. Fish is also extremely important -- there are hundreds of other lakes in addition to Lake Garda, as is furred game from the high Alpine valleys. Much of the land is better suited for meadows than crops, and there are many alpine cheeses. Trentino is also known for apples, as is the Alto Adige, and both provinces are known for speck, smoked prosciutto.
If you visit the Alto Adige you may be served pasta as a side dish, so stick to local foods -- knödel, bread balls often flavored with speck or mushrooms (they're called canederli in Trentino), sauerkraut, wurst, and again excellent stewed game. You'll also find superb German pastries and cakes in the Alto Adige.
Wines? Trentino's Teroldego, a red, is superb, as is the Alto Adige's Lagrein. And then there's Moscato Rosa, or Rosenmuscateller, a sweet rose-laced gift from the Gods.
Recipes from Trentino Alto Adige on Site
