In the province of Sondrio (Lombardy), the area of Teglio has been known throughout Italy for its bountiful harvests of buckwheat (fagopyrum esculentum, Monch) for more than four centuries. In fact, Teglio is universally recognized as the place where Valtellina's pizzoccheri originated.
Over time, buckwheat cultivation has assumed a role of identity and identification with the province’s heritage and cultural knowledge of the territory: The land around the town is colored by the soft flowers of the plant throughout the year.
Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free because it is not a variety of grass. Instead, buckwheat is a kind of flowering plant of the Polygonaceae family. If in the rest of Italy the cultivation of this plant has almost disappeared, buckwheat is still the basic ingredient of many typical dishes in Valtellina, despite a drastic reduction in local production, many of which are now famous even outside the borders of Valtellina, like pizzoccheri, shàt, polenta taragna and chisciöi.
Among the many local recipes, we asked the town’s Mrs. Nadia to make sciatt and to show us how to make them at home for ourselves. What is sciatt, you ask? It’s a deliciously crispy fritter with a round shape and a warm center of melted cheese that is usually served on a bed of chicory.
The Recipe for ‘Sciatt’: Savory (Or Sweet) Fritters from Valtellina
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 lb buckwheat flour (we suggest Molino Tudori)
½ teaspoon salt
Sparkling mineral water
1 tablespoon grappa
11 oz soft casera cheese or chopped dark chocolate (for sweet fritters)
Sunflower oil for frying
Method:
Mix the flour, salt, and grappa very well with a whisk, slowly adding water until you have a soft – but not too soft – dough: The consistency of the dough should be stringy. Let the dough rest for about an hour at room temperature. Then add the cheese (cut into 2 cm cubes).
When the oil in the pan is boiling hot, pick up a piece of dough with cheese using a spoon, making sure to cover the cheese cube completely with the dough, and drop it into the oil to fry.
Let the sciatt fry until they come to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve hot over a bed of finely chopped fresh chicory.
For the chocolate variant, the recipe is identical to the savory sciatt recipe. Just use pieces of dark chocolate for the filling instead of a cheese cube. Fry and serve dusted with powdered sugar. They’re like cherries: Once you start eating them, it’s hard to stop!