Every region and city in Italy has its own specialities and culinary traditions. In the north of Italy people generally use more butter and rice compared to the south of the country. We also have a post about the local wine here.

Here are the dishes and specialities:

• Risotto alla Milanes con Osso Buco
• Minestrone alla Milanese
• Cassoeula
• Polenta
• Trippa alla Milanese (busecca)
• Cotoletta alla Milanese
• Mondeghili
• Michetta
• Panettone

Risotto alla milanese con Osso Buco

Who doesn’t love risotto? Italy is Europe largest producer of rice and it is grown mainly in the flat and marshy Po valley aka the rice bowl of Italy and the Milanese love rice as much as they love pasta, the Risotto alla Milanese is a delicious creamy dish with saffron, which gives it its characteristic yellow colour, it can be eaten on its own but is often accompanied by marrow bone or as it is called in Italian Osso Buco – literally bone with a hole.

Minestrone alla milanese

Minestrone – or vegetable soup – in itself is not a typical Italian dish, it is served all over the country but the Milanes twist is that is prepared with rice in stead of pasta

Cassoeula

This is a pork and cabbage stew that is mainly eaten during the cold months of the year and can be hard to find at other times – you also probably would not want to eat it during summer heat. It is often served with polenta – see the next item on the list

Polenta

Polenta is a kind of cornmeal porridge and it can be served with a variety of things; cassoeula (se above), cheese – e.g. gorgonzola, which is a Milanese cheese, and cream. Polenta is so typically Northern Italian that people form the south often use the derogatory term “Polentone” when speaking of their northern compatriots.

Trippa alla milanese – Busecca

Busecca is tripe, or cow’s stomach, in Milanese dialect and it has long been a staple in the socalled peasant cuisine, it is prepared with beans, vegetables and broth and is a well-loved dish here in the north.

Cotoletta alla milanese

The cotoletta alla milanese is a breaded veal cutlet fried in butter, if it is very big it is featured on the menu as orecchio d’elefante – elephant ear – there are many local arguments over whether it should be boneless or have a bone, be very flat – more akin to a schnitzel – or higher and juicy,.

Mondeghili

Milanese meatballs that are made with leftover meat from e.g. making broth, usually beef mixed with liver mortadelle, grated cheese and bread, sausage and eggs just like other polpette, the big difference is that the meat for Mondeghili is pre-cooked.

Michetta

The michetta is the typical white bread roll from Northern Italy, the rolls are puffed and therefore nearly hollow and often used for panini – sandwiches – Michetta rolls must be eaten fresh and only last for one day.

Panettone

The panettone is the popular traditional Milanese Christmas cake, it is a tall, round and naturally leavened cake with candied citrus and raisins, it is a welcome gift when you are invited to people’s homes and supermarkets and pastry shops are brimming over with them from November to December.