Lombardia

Lombardia, the final Norther Region of Italy, which borders Switzerland to the north and Emilia Romagna to the south, and surrounded on it's sides by Piemonte, Veneto and Trento Alto Adige. The region is made up of very steep mountains, and no sea water in sight, so all the cuisine is made up of either meat, vegetables, fruit or freshwater fish.

From 10,000 B.C. to 1000 B.C., the people called Camuni inhabited this region, and were the first to survive in this area. The only thing left of these people that we can see today are the many rock-carvings that have been found in caves along the mountains towards the north and south of the region, which gave us an insight on both hunting and fishing patterns that they used. After the Camuni, of course, came the Roman empire, cause, you know, Romans. Then the Barbarians, called the Lombards, or the Longobards (Long Beards), which were named such due to the fact that they were a Germanic tribe, and they did not shave their faces, leaving a strong impression with the local Italian people.

Cuisine in Lombardia was not as strong as Piemonte, as the region was divided in terms of food and culture. With these divides, however, comes more instances of differing cultural phenomenon that we can see in terms of cuisine and lifestyle. The birth of new types of Salumi and Cheese pop up, which may have stemmed from either the Lombards or the fact that Lombardia is bordering Switzerland. Either way, the culture in terms of Salumi and Cheese flourished. This also may have to do with the climate in this area, as the mountainous region provides the perfect climate for curing meats and making cheese.

In conclusion, we can see the cuisine of Lombardia is very split when compared to, say, Piemonte, however, that does not mean that the food is not good. Many of the regions that I have gone over in my blog so far have all had split cuisine, and many have differing cultural influences. Being able to study these regions, both from food and historical standpoint. This concentration has been nothing bu a pleasure so far, and I cannot wait to begin studying the Southern regions of Italy starting next week!