Coffee isn't actually grown in the hills of the Valley, but the preparation of the drink in its many forms has become a well known ritual. The 'café à la cogneintze' is one of the most typical of the region. It is prepared with a mouthful of boiling coffee, grappa, red wine, sugar and a dose of lemon then reheated over an open flame.

The proportions need to be just right although a little experimentation does no harm. It is served in a round and shallow wooden cup called a grolla which is closed with a 'coperchio' or top featuring normally 6 holes from which the coffee is drunk in company.

The whole moment is thus transformed into a collective rite. Salute.

We receive many requests from readers asking for the exact amounts to make real traditional dishes and all our references are as vague as yours.