Tegole - The typical biscuits of Valle d'Aosta are called tegole, prevalently made with hazelnuts, sugar, egg white, flour and, possibly, almonds and vanilla. During the preparation, the dough must be even and quite soft, in order to be“knifedout” into thin circular shapes. It is important to know that, in some periods of the year, the component of hazelnut, characteristic of these sweets, makes them sticky (the nuts absorb humidity from the environment); this takes place when the percentage of nuts used is sufficiently high, as is required by the old recipes. It is advisable therefore to conserve the tegole in a dry environment, and if the inconvenience previously described should take place, put them in the oven, for a few minutes at low temperature; it will be sufficient to give back, to our dainty treats, their original crunchiness . These small round crumbly biscuits, created by bakers of Val d'Aosta in 1930, have become the sweet specialty of this small Alpine region; they can also be enjoyed with custard, ice cream or dark chocolate.

The bread of Valle d’Aosta - Year after year, at the historical ovens located in the villages of Valle d'Aosta, the number of events in honor of the preparation and baking of Pan Ner increases, prepared with traditional ingredients, in a festive atmosphere involving the entire community: the women knead the dough and the men take care of the wood-fired oven. Rye flour, wheat flour and water are skillfully mixed together with the "culture yeast" and, after a time-consuming preparation, take the form of long loaves. Before being put into the oven, the bread is left to rise up to as much as 3 hours; in the meantime, the oven is warmed up, and when it reaches the right temperature it is ready to receive the loaves. After the baking, the result of so much work appears: a black bread, rich with healthful fiber, tasty and with a delicious fragrant smell. Some enrich it with walnuts, raisins or fennel seed sandwith aromas which give it a mouthwatering original taste. The baking of bread, which at one timetook placeonce or twice a year, still represents, for mountain dwellers, a social occasion where tradition is perpetuated.