Chnéffléne a traditional dish from Aosta Valley
Chnéffléne are typical gnocchi from the Aosta Valley, symbolizing tradition and conviviality.
Recently, I tried some Alpine dishes. One dish really impressed me, and I want to tell you about it. It's the chnéffléne, delicious dumplings from the Aosta Valley, especially the Gressoney valley. Many people talk about the valley for skiing, but I want to talk about the food.
Brought by the Walser between the 12th and 13th centuries, these small, irregular bites are a Germanic legacy adapted to Italian mountain tastes. They remind me of the spätzle I tried in Bavaria, Germany: there, I ate them hot and gooey with melted cheese.
What exactly are they? Chnéffléne are tiny fresh pasta dumplings, similar to South Tyrolean spatzle: basic dough of flour, milk, an egg, and a pinch of salt. Unlike the longer spätzle, chnéffléne are irregular little spheres.
A gooey, fragrant dish, perfect against the Alpine cold!
After a nice walk by the lake, we looked for a lunch spot in Gressoney-Saint-Jean. We stumbled upon Ristorante Pizzeria Lo Stambecco. They welcomed us even though it was late.
The atmosphere is informal and relaxed. The staff was friendly and helpful right away. We ate really well: an appetizer to start, two chnéffléne dishes, then we shared a main of carbonada with polenta. It was tasty and well-made. We finished with two desserts.
We drank a carafe of sparkling water and half a liter of wine. The final bill was 80 euros, which matched the food quality and overall experience.
