The area of Lake Maggiore and its surrounding valleys have a rich gastronomic tradition: fish, meat, cheeses and sweets.... and of course excellent wines! The king of all fish is perch, followed by species such as trout, tench, carp, pike and whitefish. The valleys have a rich tradition in the production of cold cuts, such as Ossolana mortadella (recognized by Slow Food), Vigezzo Valley ham, Macugnaga Lard and 'carne secca'. Excellent alpine cheeses include 'l'Ossolano d'Alpe', the well-known Bettelmatt, plus goat cheeses and ricottas. Simple traditional foods such as cornmeal-based polenta, game and wild mushrooms, rye bread and 'Crescenzin' (rye bread enriched with nuts, figs and raisins) are delicacies to delight the tastebuds and impart a flavour of this rugged, beautiful land. If you have a sweet tooth, local biscuits such as Mergozzo's 'Fugascina' or Stresa's 'Margheritine' are a must. Prized wines from the nearby hills complement every dish: Nebbiolo, Ghemme, Gattinara and Vespolina wines from the area to the south, or Prunet, Neuv Bruschett, Cà d' Matè, Ossolanum, Tarlap, and Balòss wines from the Ossola hills to the north.