The short version: missoltini are Lake Como’s signature dish — agone, a small freshwater shad, salted and dried in the sun, then pressed and stored in tins called missolte. To serve, they’re grilled over embers and eaten with polenta and a splash of red-wine vinegar. Salty, oily and intense, they’re a taste of the old lake, and you’ll find them on menus in Varenna, Bellagio and around the shore.
At a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| The fish | Agone — a small shad (Alosa agone) from the lake |
| How it’s made | Salted, sun-dried, then pressed and aged in tins (missolte) |
| How it’s served | Grilled over embers, with polenta and red-wine vinegar |
| Tastes like | Salty, oily, intense — closer to an anchovy than a fresh fish |
| Where | Traditional trattorias around Lake Como and nearby Lake Iseo |
What missoltini actually are
Missoltini (singular missoltino; misultitt in the local dialect) are agone — a small shad that lives in Lake Como and other pre-Alpine lakes. Freshly caught in early summer, the fish are salted, laid out to dry in the sun for a few days, then packed tightly with bay leaves into round tins called missolte and left to press and cure for months. The name of the dish comes from the tin. It’s a preservation method born of necessity — a way to keep the lake’s glut of agone through the year — that has become the shore’s most iconic speciality.
How they’re served, and how to eat them
To bring a missoltino to the table, it’s briefly grilled or warmed over embers to crisp the skin and release the oil, then dressed with a little olive oil and red-wine vinegar. The classic partner is polenta — soft or grilled — which balances the fish’s salt and richness. Expect an intense, oily, savoury mouthful, far closer to a cured anchovy or sardine than to fresh fish; a robust red like Valtellina Nebbiolo stands up to it well. Eat it as a rustic secondo or antipasto in an old-school trattoria.
Where to try missoltini
Look for missoltini in traditional lakeside trattorias around Varenna, Bellagio, Menaggio and the quieter northern shore, especially places that cook the lake’s catch — it often shares the menu with risotto con pesce persico (perch risotto) and grilled lavarello. For the wider table, see what to eat on Lake Como, and to cook the lake’s dishes yourself, a Lake Como cooking class in a Varenna home is the way in. Plan the trip from the Lake Como hub.
Frequently asked questions
What is missoltini?
Missoltini are agone — a small Lake Como shad — that are salted, sun-dried and then pressed and aged in tins called missolte. They’re grilled and served with polenta and vinegar, and are the lake’s signature dish.
What does missoltini taste like?
Salty, oily and intense — much closer to a cured anchovy or sardine than to fresh fish, thanks to the salting and drying. Polenta and a robust red wine balance it.
Where can I eat missoltini on Lake Como?
In traditional trattorias around Varenna, Bellagio, Menaggio and the northern shore that cook the lake’s catch — usually alongside perch risotto and grilled lavarello whitefish.
Taste the real Lake Como
Cook the lake’s fish in a Lake Como cooking class, read what to eat on Lake Como, or plan from the Lake Como hub.
