Trento and Bolzano, the two provinces of Trentino-Alto Adige, although divided by history and linguistically, have a lot in common in terms of traditions and culture, even in terms of cuisine and gastronomy in general. The region, as a whole, includes alpine and subalpine territories, so the traditional recipes of Trentino-Alto Adige are mainly inspired by the mountains. Among the key foods of Alto Adige cuisine are apples and speck. Trentino cuisine is also influenced by both Austrian and Venetian cuisines, while decidedly Tyrolean is that of Alto Adige.

Polenta, similar to the Venetian one, is found only in Trentino, and is prepared with different flours depending on the area. In Val di Non, yellow cornmeal is mixed with buckwheat, while in the Lake Garda area, white wheat flour and potatoes are used. Black polenta is based on buckwheat. Many traditional dishes of Trentino are reminiscent of German or Austrian cuisine, such as Canederli (Knödel in Alto Adige), white, with cheese, speck or vegetables, eaten dry or in broth or as an accompaniment to various soups, which are to be tried, for example, with a Lake Caldaro Classico DOC wine or with a Santa Maddalena.

Spätzle, from Alto Adige, are dumplings made from soft wheat flour, eggs, and water, in white, green with spinach, and red with beets versions and pair best with a fragrant Gewürztraminer from Alto Adige. Tyrolean sauerkraut accompanies the smoked sausages (Würstel) of Alto Adige, but also meat or game dishes. Gröstl is a pan-fried dish of meat, potatoes, and onions, all browned together and often served at the table right in the same pan. It is to be tried with a bold red wine, such as an Alto Adige Merlot. A characteristic of Trentino is the Carne salada, a cured meat obtained from the adult beef, salted and spiced and aged for 2 to 5 weeks, to be tried paired with a Marzemino d’Isera DOC. The forests are rich in mushrooms, such as chanterelles and porcini, found in many recipes, for example, with polenta and cheese, to be paired, for example, with a Trentino DOC Cabernet. Fish, abundant in rivers and streams, is the protagonist of recipes like trote alla trentina, sautéed and seasoned with lemon sauce, mint, and raisins, to be paired with a Trentino DOC Nosiola. There are also numerous traditional game-based recipes, such as hare, flavored with lard, onion, pine nuts, raisins, lemon zest, cinnamon, and butter, and roe deer, with various dishes including the famous stew, which, depending on the area, can be traditionally paired with a Teroldego Rotaliano DOC or with an Alto Adige DOC Lagrein. The assortment of cheeses is also rich, such as Vezzena in the province of Trento, Algunder, sweet or spicy, Almkäse from Val Venosta, and Toblach. Among the cold cuts, the Luganega (sausage) in Trentino, the Speck, and the Kaminwurzen (smoked sausages) in Alto Adige are noteworthy. Fruit production is very important, such as the Apple of Alto Adige IGP, the Susina di Dro DOP, strawberries, raspberries, broccoli from Torbole, and corn from Storo.

Trentino-Alto Adige is also famous for its sweets, such as the Strudel, a puff pastry filled with apples, raisins, pine nuts, and breadcrumbs, browned in butter and scented with cinnamon, which we can pair with a late harvest Gewürztraminer, sweet but at the same time fresh and aromatic. Zelten is the typical Christmas sweet with dates, dried figs, sultanas, pine nuts, walnuts, cinnamon, grappa, and cognac, mixed in rye bread dough. We also remember the Krapfen from Merano with jam, cream, or poppy seeds, the Tyrolean plum cake, and the rhubarb tart.