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Italian Food
Alessandria
food and wines | Asti
food and wines |
Turin food and wine
Piedmont specialties |
Piedmont: where eating |
Wines in Piedmont
 Cafe'
Al Bicerin |
Piedmont food:
Piedmont (Piemonte in Italian) - "at the foot of the
mountains" - consists mainly of the extensive Po Plain. Between the Alps and the
Apennines this fertile area is intersected with long rows of poplars where
grassland alternates with cereals and rice growing. Three fifths of the Italian
rice production is concentrated in the districts of Vercelli and Novara.
Southeast of Turin the gently rolling chalk hills of the Monferrato bear the
well-known Asti
wine and produce the Gorgonzola cheese. Numerous hydro-electric
power stations supply electricity for the textile factories of Biella and the
metal, engineering and chemical works of Turin. Turin, home to Fiat, is a
dynamic town which attracts followers of fashion and those with a passion for
cars.
Cooking here is done with butter. A popular dish is
fonduta, a melted cheese dip of milk, eggs and white truffles (tartufi
bianchi). Polenta is a staple. Cardi (chards) are prepared
alla bagna cauda, i.e. with a hot sauce containing oil or butter, anchovies,
garlic and truffles. Monferrato produces the famous Gorgonzola cheese and
delicious wines: Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Grignolino, red Freisas, white
Asti, still or sparkling (spumante). with a strong flavor of grapes.
And... don't forget cioccolato, Piedmont has been the kingdom of cocoa
products for hundreds of years (visit the historic Caffe' Bicerin to get a good perspective)
Adapted from the 'Michelin Guide to Italy'
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Chocolate was produced in Turin even before Switzerland, and chocolatiers Giroldi and
Giuliano were already famous in 1700 where their shop in Via Doragrossa served
hot chocolate to faithful customers. They were joined by Peyrano, who today uses
nine different types of cocoa in their production which includes bitter
gianduiotti (made with almonds), pistachio shells and other specialties. Baratti
& Milano and Caffarel are other famous names. And the French might be surprised
to know the most French of desserts, the Montblanc, made with chestnuts and
whipped cream, came originally from the Varaita Valley in Cuneo, and was
translated into the elegant dessert in Turin and named after the nearby mountain
Mont Blanc.
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Specialty Foods of Piemonte
The white Alba
truffle is the most delicious and sought-after
truffle in the world. This “noble mushroom,” as the ancient Romans called
it, is found in the Langhe, the hilly countryside around the town of Alba. The
gathering of white truffles, between October and November, when they have
reached the peak of flavor, is a difficult process requiring the knowledge of a
trifulau, or professional truffle hunter (and his trained dog) who will
keep secret the areas where he knows truffles to grow. Truffles usually weigh
between two and four ounces – and the price can reach 150 to 200 dollars for
four ounces. Sliced raw and paper-thin, the rich flavor of the white truffle
enhances the flavors of even the simplest local dish, from the simplest
tagliolini (thin egg noodles) to the most elaborate beef filet.
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Bagna cauda, a delicious dipping
sauce made with butter, olive oil, garlic, and anchovies, is served whenever the
Piemontese are hungry, usually with a glass of red wine. The name translates as
“hot bath,” because raw vegetables – such as celery, peppers, and artichokes –
are dipped into the hot sauce for an explosion of flavor.
Gorgonzola is one of the Italy’s
most famous cheeses, and the majority of its producers are based in the Novara
area of the Piemonte. A full-fat cow’s milk cheese, gorgonzola is made
from pasteurized milk and inject with Penicillium glaucum, a mold that
aids fermentation and produces the cheese’s characteristic blue veins.
Gorgonzola has a place on any cheese board, and can be served as an
appetizer or at the conclusion of a meal.
Robiola di Roccaverano is a
delicate, creamy cheese made in a very limited area between the provinces of
Asti and Alessandria in the northwestern region of Piemonte. This delicious
example of the cheesemaker’s art can be made from three different kinds of milk:
cow’s, sheep’s or goat’s. According to gourmets all over Italy, Robiola di
Roccaverano that is made from 100% goat’s milk is one of the finest of all
delicacies, although the mixed versions made from a blend of sheep’s and goat’s
milk are also much sought after.
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(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
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