Piedmont Specialties
All you need to know about food and drink for gourmets from the Piedmontese cuisine
Piedmont is famous for its culinary specialties and exquisite delights. In addition to the famous Barolo and Barbaresco wines, the northern Italian region also offers other fine wines such as Gavi and Arneis.
Local cuisine is characterized by variety and simplicity, using fresh, local ingredients. Well-known dishes include tajarin pasta, agnolotti, bagna cauda, vitello tonnato and carne cruda.
Also, Piedmont produces a variety of delicious cheeses such as Robiola, Castelmagno, Bra and Toma Piemontese. And if you like sweets, you should try the chocolate of Turin or the famous Baci (engl. kisses).
And did I mention salami, nocciole Piemonte (Piedmontese hazelnuts), porcini mushrooms and truffles?
As you can see, the region offers a wealth of delicious and typical Piedmontese dishes and products that you should definitely try. Here you will find an overview of many (certainly not all) Piedmont specialties.
Wines of Piedmont
Piedmontese wine is world-famous and is considered one of the best wines in Italy. The region is known in particular for its red wines made from the grape Nebbiolo and especially in autumn lots of people come to taste those famous wines.
This grape is demanding and grows best in a cool climate with a high temperature difference between day and night.
The most important varieties of Nebbiolo are Barolo and Barbaresco, both produced in the Langhe Roereo Monferato hill region, recognized by UNESCO, around the towns of Alba and Asti.
⇨ By the way, beautiful wine villages in the Langhe are Monforte d’Alba, Dogliani and La Morra. You can do some fantastic road trips from Turin in order to explore the extraordinary wine country.
Barolo is a deep red wine with complex aromas of dark fruits, spices, and chocolate. It is often referred to as the “King of Wines” and is known for its tannins that soften over time, making it an excellent wine for aging.
Barbaresco is a milder wine than Barolo and tends to be lighter in color. It nevertheless has a complex aromatic palette and is often referred to as the “little brother” of the world-famous Barolo.
In addition to Nebbiolo, the region also produces other outstanding wine varieties such as Barbera, Dolcetto and Moscato d’Asti.
Barbera is a dry, fruity wine with low tannin content, while Dolcetto is a light, fruity wine with higher tannin content. Moscato d’Asti is a sweet white wine with a low alcohol content and a strong aroma of peaches and apricots.
The quality of Piedmontese wine is a result of the geographical characteristics of the region and the long experience of the winemakers in the area.
The combination of the unique climate and the sophisticated cultivation techniques provides these excellent palate pleasures for any wine lover.
Wine – Tasting at Ascheri in Bra
Since 1880, the family-run Ascheri winery is located in the town of Bra. By appointment, Ascheri offers an interesting and tasty wine tasting with guided tours, through the only Barolo production facility, outside the Barolo production area. Here are produced 12 different types of wine and about 240000 bottles per year.
⇨ You can also stay overnight at the Albergo Cantine Ascheri. Above the popular winery, centrally within the city of Bra, the Ascheri family offers a small luxury hotel with modern designer rooms in 4-star standard, even with a relaxing spa & wellness area.
Cheese from Piedmont
Piedmontese cheese is an important part of the region’s culinary traditions and is appreciated by locals and tourists alike.
The region produces a variety of heavenly delicious cheeses made from different types of milk such as cow’s, sheep’s and goat’s milk, 8 of which have been awarded DOC status.
Toma, Robiola, Gorgonzola, Sernium, Bra, Murazzano, Castelmagno and Fontina are the most famous cheeses from Piedmont.
One of the most popular varieties is Robiola, a soft cheese made from cow’s or sheep’s milk. It has a mild flavor and a creamy consistency.
Castelmagno is a tangy, semi-soft cheese made from cow’s milk, has a strong flavor and is usually used as an accompaniment to other dishes. It is often called the most valuable cheese in Italy.
Fontina, also produced in Valle d’Aosta, is a firm cheese with a soft interior and is often used for cheese fondue.
Another well-known cheese is Bra, a hard cheese made from cow’s milk, with a mild, nutty flavor, which is also known outside of Piedmont.
Toma Piemontese is a semi-hard cheese made from cow’s milk that comes in many variations. It is available from mild to spicy.
The designation “Toma Piemontese DOP” is reserved for Toma cheeses from specific regions within Piedmont.
The high quality and popularity of Piedmontese cheese is due to local tradition and the use of local ingredients.
FYI: Im mid September every year, the Bra Cheese Festival will take place in the slow food city of Bra. For the long weekend, various events and cheese markets will take place in the squares, courtyards, and streets of the historic center of Bra. A must for all cheese lovers!
Cheese – Tasting at Giolito Formaggi in Bra
Fiorenzo Giolito’s grandmother was already trading cheeses from the surrounding valleys at the beginning of the 20th century. Since the 70s, the delicious products are ripening in the first cheese dairy in the city of Bra.
The tour includes the ripening cellar and a ripening room with a small interesting museum about the art of dairy. And of course, the many delicious cheese specialties can also be tasted.
Pasta and rice from Piedmont
Did you know that Piedmont is the largest rice producer in Europe? Most of this delicious natural product comes from the provinces of Vercelli and Novara, in the northeast of the region.
The most well-known type of rice is Arborio, which is used in many recipes for risotto. Another important rice is Carnaroli, which is also particularly suitable for the preparation of creamy risottos due to its high starch content and its ability to absorb a lot of liquid.
Very popular: Risotto al Barolo ⇨ Carnaroli rice cooked in the local red wine.
Among the pasta specialties from Piedmont, the “Agnolotti del Plin” is particularly famous. These are small pasta pockets well filled with meat or vegetables, usually served in ragù, with local truffles or in sage butter.
Another special type of pasta is the “tajarin”: thin, long egg pasta, often served with butter and Parmesan cheese, originating from the region around Cuneo.
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Meat and sausages from Piedmont
Piedmont is also famous for its hearty meat and sausage specialties, often made from regional ingredients. The export hit is the popular appetizer Vitello Tonnato.
The Piedmontese original consists of boiled veal nut or veal ball, thinly sliced and served cold, with a sauce based on mayonnaise, tuna, anchovies, and capers.
One of the most famous specialties, around the city of Cuneo, is the Bollito Misto Piemontese, a dish of boiled beef, pork, and chicken served with various sauces.
Another local specialty is Fassona beef, a special breed raised exclusively in Piedmont. The meat is particularly tender and has a delicate flavor.
Piedmont’s sausage specialties are also known worldwide. Perhaps the most famous sausage is Salame di Felino, a raw pork sausage made according to a traditional recipe.
Other favorites are Salami di Cuneo and Salsiccia di Bra, a coarse, spicy sausage made with pork and bacon.
In addition to meat and sausage specialties, there are also some dishes that use offal. For example, bagna cauda, a sauce made with garlic, oil, butter and anchovies, is often served with vegetables and offal.
Desserts and sweets from Piedmont
Now it’s getting sweet and to my favorite food from Piedmont! The region offers some outstandingly delicious desserts and sweet specialties.
One of the most famous Piedmontese desserts is the “Bonet” (engl. hat). This delicious chocolate pudding is made with amaretti cookies, coffee, and rum and topped with a cream of milk, eggs, and sugar. Soooooo good!
Another traditional dessert, known in Piedmont since the 10th century, is the “Panna Cotta”. Yes, this “dolce” also comes from the northern Italian region!
Less known, but another sweet specialty from Piedmont is the “Gianduja”. This chocolate cream made from roasted Piedmontese hazelnuts and cocoa is considered the forerunner of Nutella. In Germany, it is known simply as nougat. The most popular product here is the Gianduiotto praline.
Nutella, more accurately Ferrero, the world’s third-largest confectionery manufacturer, incidentally comes from Alba in Piedmont. Since imported cocoa was too expensive in the post-war period, Pietro Ferrero experimented with Piedmontese hazelnuts from 1947. In the 1960s, this resulted in the world-famous Nutella spread.
Another sweet Piedmont specialty are the world-famous “Amaretti”. The small almond pastry, often served as an accompaniment to coffee or wine.
The “Baci di Dama” (engl. Ladies’ kisses) are a well-known classic among Piedmontese desserts. In this case, two layers of short pastry are joined together with a layer of chocolate, touching each other like two kisses. A dream!!!!
Chocolate – Tasting at Barbero in Cherasco
Since 1881, the family business Barbero produces, according to a traditional recipe, the popular Baci di Cherasco®(engl. Kisses of Cherasco).
Today, there are also many other super delicious chocolate specialties that can be tasted at a tasting.
Other specialties of Piedmont
Truffle
Truffle lovers get their money’s worth in Piedmont. The most famous truffle from the region is the white Alba truffle, also known as “Tartufo Bianco di Alba”.
It is found in the hills surrounding the town of Alba and is highly sought after worldwide for its distinctive aroma and rare occurrence.
The truffle season in the region begins in October and ends in December, when truffle farmers and their dogs go out into the woods in search of the “white gold”.
The Alba truffle is usually served raw and in paper-thin slices on pasta or risotto to bring out its full flavor.
It is also very popular as an ingredient in sauces, on crostini or in combination with cheese. In addition to the white Alba truffle, there are also black truffles in the region, such as the “Tartufo Nero di Norcia”, which is found mainly in the area around Norcia and is also used in cooking.
My Tip: A delicious and regional souvenir to take home are truffle chocolates or chocolate truffles (tartufi), which are also made from hazelnuts of Piedmont.
Sunset Truffle Hunting with Tasting & Wine
Join a local truffle hunter, a professional “trifolao”, with his dog as he searches for wild black and white truffles and learn all about this local Piedmont specialty.
Hazelnuts
Piedmont hazelnuts are known for their intense flavor and have been grown in the region for centuries. They are also called “Tonda Gentile delle Langhe” and are a protected designation of origin (PDO).
⇨ By the way, 95% of Italian hazelnuts come from Piedmont.
Hazelnuts are used in many Piedmontese dishes and desserts, and also in export hits such as Nutella.
Piedmontese salami and hazelnuts are also often combined, as another of the many Piedmontese specialties.
Grissini
And another Piedmontese specialty that you probably know, but did not know that it comes from this diverse region: Grissini!
The thin, crispy breadsticks, also known as “Grissini Torinesi” because they originate from Turin. Grissini are often served as an appetizer or eaten as a snack and are available in many Italian restaurants and stores around the world, in different flavors and sizes.
Vermouth – Liqueur
Vermouth, as we know and drink it, probably originated in the Kingdom of Savoy.
The inventor of today’s vermouth is Antonio Benedetto Carpano, who invented the aromatic drink in Turin in 1786 and offered it as an alternative to red wine by adding sugar, caramel and about 30 different herbs.
His vermouth was so successful that his store was open around the clock. Today, Italian vermouth is mostly offered as a sweet variety, while French vermouth, which originated a little later, is usually dry.
Conclusion on Piedmont specialties
I think it has become clear that Piedmont is an absolute paradise for gourmets. In my enumeration of Piedmont’s specialties, there are certainly still some culinary highlights missing.
The incredibly diverse cuisine of the region offers both down-to-earth home cooking and the highest culinary delights for exquisite connoisseurs.
Disclosure
I was able to write this article because I was invited by Wonderful Outdoor World, ATL Cuneo and ATL Langhe Monferrato Roero to participate in a press trip. My opinion was not influenced in any way, nor was I given any direction for this article. Many thanks for that! Thank you also for the great experiences and adventures that I was able to make on site.
