The 'Cultura Gastronomia delle Città d'Arte della Pianura Padana' is the title of a small pamphlet highlighting the typical food, dishes and gastronomy found in the main towns of the flood plain of the River Po. They include: Bologna, Brescia, Cremona, Ferrara, Lodi, Mantova, Modena, Pavia, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, Verona.

By Lake Como we mean here the eastern bank which stretches from Lecco in the south to Colico in the north. There are over 80 restaurants in the zone which can be split into fives areas; Lecco, the Lake, Brianza, Valle San Martino and Valsassina, Valvarrone and Val D'Esino.

The province of Cremona is characterized by the flood plain of the River Po and its borders with Emilia Romagna. Interestingly, it's not the famous salami from the zone which catches the eye, it's the mustard. Indeed, Cremona is Italy's mustard capital.

The local wine of Bergamo is Valcalepio produced in an area which has been dedicated to wine making for two thousand years.

Purists will note that in the last one hundred years, however, the local grapes such as Marzemino, Rossolo and Groppello have been largely replaced by French imports.

Mantova is a great place from where to discover Italy's rice fields and Italian rice industry. The area east of the city, and bordering the province of Verona, contains the so-called rice route which stretches from Roverbella to Governolo taking in Castelbelforte, Porto Mantovana, San Giorgio, Castel D'Ario, Villimpenta and Roncoferraro. All these towns are gastronomic centers for risotto.

The area of Oltrepò Pavese lies at the most southernly part of Lombardia. Oltrepo Pavese is simply known as DOC land and is even shaped like a bunch of grapes and has been adopted for the new logo of the territory.

We feel visitors to Italy should always spend at least an afternoon in a local supermarket during their stay. You may, if you're lucky, come across Taleggio DOP.

There are two main wine growing zones in the province of Brescia. The first occupies the slopes towards Lake Garda while the second is the the famous Franciacorta to the west of the provincial capital on the sweet slopes of the 'colline moreniche' facing Brescia and Lago d’Iseo.

Along with parmigiano reggiano and grana padano, Gorgonzola is the most famous of Italian cheeses. It is a soft cheese or 'pasta cruda' made from full cream cow's milk. The characteristic blue streaks in the cheese are mold which forms during the maturing period.

Although the cereals grown in Lombardia are predominantly rice and corn, on the lower slopes of the mountainous areas of Valtellina in northern Lombardia, Grano Saraceno or Saracen's Grain is considered the most important.

As can be guessed the grain has origins further to the east thanks to the brief presence of Tartars and Turks, in the late medieval period who preferred their own flat bread. It is also known as 'grano nero' thanks to the black coating on the triangular grains.

It grows in areas where other grains and wheats cannot adapt such as South Tirol and Valtellina and the short growing period, from spring to autumn, makes the cereal perfect for cultivating in the mountains.

A good wine should be tasted with a good cheese and Grana Padano is perfect with either white or red.

With this in mind, the Consorzio has been promoting the wine with one of the best adverts on Italian television. It features a taste tester's knife flying through grapes, honey and wine glasses before sticking in a huge round grana padano cheese with a firm thud.

The Colle di San Colombano are located due south of Lodi and the San Colombano d.o.c. wine is the only DOC wine produced in the province of Milano.

The hills are surrounded, rather incongruously, on all sides by the lowlands of the River Po plain. Yet, the minerals absorbed from millennia of floods have left a terrain ideal for producing good wine.

The cuisine of the Province of Sondrio and the surrounding Valtellina mountains is designed to keep the inhabitants warm in the cooler months.

The pastas are cooked with butter not olive oil and are subsequently heavy and thick such as the classic 'pizzocheri'.

'Bitto' is a wonderful Alpine cheese used in a lot of the cooking in the high Valtellina mountains. There are dedicated cheese festivals and fairs every October in Morbegno or Sondrio, officially titled 'Mostra del Formaggio Bitto e Fiera Regionale dei Prodotti della Montagna Lombarda' or 'Formaggi in Piazza'. They are showcases for the many small producers of bitto and other traditional cheese in Lombardia.

Cremona is famous for its mustard of course, but perhaps it should be more famous for its sweet Christmas nougart called torrone. The annual Festa del Torrone, or Torrone Festival, takes place in the third week of November and is the ideal festive appointment before Christmas.

The historical center of Cremona is full of stands celebrating the sticky sweet. Not just torrone from Cremona, but other versions from all over Italy.

Most torrone is made from honey, vanilla, eggs, almonds and toasted hazelnuts and Cremona is Italy's capital. The event is full of processions, spectacles and many free hapenings, not least for the kids.

'The flavors of Italian cooking; the colors of Vietri crafts' is the tag line of the Unione Ristoranti del Buon Ricordo.

This is the association of over 120 restaurants located across the Italian regions famed for their colorful hand painted plates offered to diners.

"Could you please let me know when the Mantova cheese and salami festival is this year. many thanks. Robin, UK." Its all very well ploughing the beaten track to seek out the ultimate in rustic local food experiences. But sometimes it's just better to wait for the one of Italy's major exhibition organisers to do all the legwork for you.

Panettone is the classic Christmas cake eaten across Italy during the festive period or holiday. Panettone is, in fact, a typical cake from Milan.

Although there are several versions of the story, the legend of how panettone was born is one cherished by the Milanese.

A traditional polenta, if cooked well, takes about two hours of continuous stirring with a wooden spoon. Not exactly what you feel like doing having commuted back home from a long day at work. So available in all Italian supermarkets is quick cooking polenta, or pronto polenta.

On Easter Monday in Staghiglione di Borgo Priolo, province of Pavia, there is a annual festival dedicated at the traditional donughts called 'brasadé'.

Who makes the best Risotto alla Milanese in Italy? Well now we know thanks to the initiative "GIALLO MILANO" which was a competition to find out. The event was developed to promote and save the gastronomic traditions of the city of Milan and the territory 'ambrosiana'.

Over 50 restaurants in Milan and the province of Milano participated.