The regional cuisine of Lombardy is heavily based upon ingredients like maize, rice, beef, pork, butter, and lard. Despite being a form of Italian cuisine, Lombard food, like other cuisine of Northern Italy, tends to have little in common with Central or Southern Italian dishes, in many cases lacking the presence of tomato and olive oil, being more meat-based and buttery. In many aspects, Lombard cuisine has much in common with that of Austria and central Europe in general with dishes such as Milanese scallop, Spätzle and Spezzatino also known as Gulasch.
Similarly to Italian cuisine, Lombard cuisine has much variety and every city and part of the region offers its own specialities. A characteristic Lombard dish is risotto, most famously risotto alla milanese (which contains saffron), with rice-based food being highly common throughout the region.
Similarly to risotto, maize-based dishes such as polenta are also common parts of the regional cuisine. Famous Lombard dishes include cotoletta, cassoeula and ossobuco.
The region also offers several delicacies and desserts, amongst which noted ones such as mostarda and panettone. Regional cheeses include Robiola, Crescenza, Taleggio, Gorgonzola and Grana Padano (the plains of central and southern Lombardy allow intensive cattle-raising). The various Lombard provinces have their own specialties.
