Torino and Piedmont Cuisine

Piedmont food:

Piedmont (Piedmont 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'

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.

Specialty Foods of Piedmont

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.

Bagna cauda, a delicious dipping sauce made with butter, olive oil, garlic, and anchovies, is served whenever the Piedmontse 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 Piedmont.  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 Piedmont.  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.