Chisciöl is a traditional buckwheat pancake prepared in the upper Valtellina, especially around the town of Tirano. This beloved fritter made with buckwheat flour, plain flour, grappa, beer, soda bicarbonate, oil, salt, and young Valtellina Cesara cheese is fried in a pan until crisp and golden brown.
It is then sliced and often served with finely chopped chicory salad which should be flavored with vinegar and oil. Chisciöl is similar to
sciatt, another popular local fritter, but it is larger and flatter. Every year in Tirano, there is a celebration called
Sagra dei chisciöl, organized by
Confraternita del Chisciöl, an organisation whose ongoing mission is the promotion of this mouth-watering local treat.