Food and wine and typical products

About five centuries ago, a singular friar, Teofilo Folengo, wrote a comic poem in which the muses who inspired his art lived among mountains of cheese, rivers of broth, seas of guazzetto, and so on... This friar stayed for a long time at the sanctuary of S. Maria del Giogo, in a panoramic location on the mountains above Sulzano.

We do not know if the greedy Fra' Teofilo, observing from above the lake of Iseo, has fantasized about its gastronomic delicacies. But we can do it, maybe while we sail the Sebino. The fish waters are home to delicious fish on the palate: sardines, chubs, tench, whitefish, perch, and many other varieties.

Some (sardines and chubs) in Monte Isola are left to dry in the sun and then preserved in oil. Looking towards the slopes of the hills sloping down towards the lake, we will see many olive groves, from which olives are extracted, in the mills of Marone and Sulzano, an oil with a delicate flavor.

And looking higher, towards the mountains that surround us, we will see the areas of production of mountain cheeses. Mount Bronzone, overlooking Predore and Tavernola, gives the name to a pleasant soft cheese "stracchino" (https://visitlakeiseo.info/en/products-and-flavours/formaggella-bronzone/). The mountains above Marone are home to mountain huts where hard cheese is produced, the Casolet.

And again, looking towards the heights of Monte Isola, we will see the places where there is a rare slightly smoked salami. In the valleys close to the lake, in autumn, abundant chestnuts are harvested, and beekeeping and the cultivation of small berries are dedicated. Appreciated mineral waters flow from nearby springs (in Gaverina and Boario Terme).

Looking towards the southern part of Sebino, we will see a crown of sunny hills where the grapes give great white and red wines, in the areas of Franciacorta (https://franciacorta.wine/en/) and Valcalepio (www.valcalepio.org) and a precious sparkling wine renowned internationally (Franciacorta doc). The Bergamo hills are instead a traditional place of grappa production.

Wherever we disembark from the boat, we will find restaurants and trattorias where we will be offered typical dishes based on fish, famous is the "baked tench" of Clusane (https://www.otcclusane.it/ristoranti).

We can taste the traditional polenta (made with corn flour) accompanied by game, mushrooms or mixed with cheese (polenta taragna); we can taste the casoncelli (ravioli stuffed with meat, cheese, and vegetables)tasty local cold cuts and many other dishes using beef or poultry.

All these delights would certainly have been a precious source of inspiration for Brother Theophilus!