Fabrizio, a farmer and cook from the Dolomiti Bellunesi, explains how life on a malga, a traditional mountain farm, has shaped him since childhood: waking to the smell of smoke from the curing process, followed by long days spent milking, caring for the animals, tending mountain pastures and turning fresh milk into cheese.
In the Dolomiti Bellunesi, malghe are much more than places of production. They are a living part of the mountain landscape, where livestock farming, meadow care and everyday work help preserve the land, keep mountain pastures open and protect their biodiversity. This is where mountain cheeses, local produce and distinctive flavours are made, alongside a practical culture and knowledge that reflect the deep connection between people, animals and nature
Grazing livestock means far more than producing food close to where it is consumed. It means passing on rural traditions, safeguarding a delicate balance and keeping an essential part of mountain identity alive. It is an age-old way of life that has become increasingly valuable today, offering another way to experience the Dolomiti Bellunesi through their flavours and aromas, the changing seasons and the slower rhythms of life at altitude.
In the Dolomiti Bellunesi, the people who live and work in the mountains every day keep this tradition alive: something you can witness in the landscape and rediscover in the produce of the land.
