Piedmont Region - At the Foot of the Alps
The Piedmont region is surrounded on three sides by the Alps. It presents a unique and varied geography which greatly influenced its food and wine culture, contributing to the evolution of Piedmont cuisine and the birth of some of the best Italian dishes. Piedmont wine is rather iconic in its powerful red expressions, such as “the three B’s”: Barolo, Barbaresco and Barbera, among others.
In this short but exhaustive food guide, we will explore some of the best dishes Piedmontese cuisine has to offer, witnessing flavours old and new and experiencing the influence of an ever-present slow food culture. The Slow Food movement itself was born in this very region and for many years it has been encouraging both food enjoyers and producers to privilege the use of local products, in order to experience all the heartiness of homemade meals. Finally, we will recommend some of our partner wineries in the Piedmont region, giving you the chance to book a dreamy wine trip and taste the best Piedmont wine.
Gnocchi - Piedmont Region Food Guide
Gnocchi are an almost omnipresent dish within Italian cuisine. This is all the more accurate when it comes to Piedmont cuisine, with the Piedmont region inheriting a long and rich tradition of Gnocchi production. While very few other Italian dishes are as traditionally associated with Italian “nonnas” (Italian grandma’s) as Gnocchi, Piedmont cuisine has nowadays evolved and experimented, welcoming techniques and flavours old and new. The results are modern but evergreen Gnocchi recipes, sure to satisfy all palates.
Originally, this Piedmont food consists of small lumps of dough, prepared with a solid mixture of potatoes, flour, eggs and salt. Simple but effective. Several variations exist, including the addition of breadcrumbs, cheese and other fitting ingredients. One of these variations are the Castelmagno gnocchi, blended with a delicious cheese native to the western part of the Piedmont region. Gnocchi should traditionally be eaten on the day they are made, but they can also be refrigerated or frozen and consumed later.
Gnocchi - Piedmont Wine Pairing
When it comes to Gnocchi and the wide range of recipes involving them, many Piedmont wine varieties proved they could pair perfectly for a delicious and fulfilling meal. Most Nebbiolo denominations are able to play a great role in contrasting the typical oily texture of Gnocchi dishes with their natural acidity. A good Barbera d'Alba Superiore could prove the perfect candidate. Nebbiolo’s disposition for ageing further allows for an exceptional choice of wines.
The Gnocchi King
In Castel Goffredo, a Lombard city near Piedmont, a Gnocchi King is elected every four years during the Carnival. The tradition dates back to the 1500s and is also observed in the Veneto region. The Gnocchi King is a legendary figure, granted special powers to dispense unlimited food and wine to the people and ensure the festivities are unforgettable. All hail the Gnocchi King!
Vitello Tonnato - Best Italian Dishes from Piedmont Region
Vitello Tonnato, also known as Vitel Tonnè in the Piedmontese dialect, is a popular dish in Piedmont cuisine that can be served as a rich appetizer or a filling main course. The name "Tonnato" originally referred to the slow and delicate cooking process, similar to that of fish. Later, the name came to represent the addition of a tuna-based sauce, which is the main ingredient of this creamy and delicious dish. Vitello Tonnato has been documented in recipe books and historical records since the 1700s, but its use of expensive meat and veal made it a dish reserved for the nobility. Today, it is a common dish but still retains its association with luxury and refinement, often served for special occasions and celebrations.
The most traditional Vitello Tonnato recipe requires a very specific veal cut, “Girello di Fassone”, which should be marinated for a long time in dry white wine and flavoured with several vegetables, including carrots, onions and celery. Both warm and cold variants exist, with the latter being primarily popular during the hotter summer season. For the true meat enjoyers on the other hand, la Carne Cruda Piedmontese style (sometimes known as Piedmontese Tartare) involves the tasting of high-quality meat, beaten and prepared with seasonings, but left raw, preserving all the texture of the veal.
Vitello Tonnato - Piedmont Wine Pairing
Being quite the intense dish, Vitello Tonnato carries a very high level of fatness and oiliness. It surprises with a flavour which can indulge for a long time in the mouth, mixing the added sweetness of a marinated preparation with the innate saltiness of the meat. A well-rounded but fresh glass of Freisa d’Asti would properly complement this Piedmont food, at the same time avoiding the overpowering taste of stronger wines.
Agnolotti del Plin
Agnolotti del Plin is a type of pasta with a meat filling that is specific to the Piedmont region of Italy. The name comes from the sound of fingers plucking guitar strings when playing, which is the same gesture used to close the dough once it's been filled. Traditionally, Agnolotti del Plin was served boiled in broth and wrapped in a napkin without any sauce or seasoning, allowing the flavour of the filling to be enjoyed on its own.
Brasato al Barolo - Piedmont Cuisine for Wine Lovers
The taste for Piedmont cuisine and its flavours can be perfectly resumed in the recipe for Brasato al Barolo or braised beef with Barolo Wine. This rich preparation consists of the seasoning and braising of a second quality cut of beef, such as a brisket or a chunk. (The longer braising time was originally meant to soften and tenderize the texture of these secondary parts of the animal’s meat).
Brasato al Barolo is very comforting and hearty, especially as a warming-up recipe during the colder winter months. However, the quality and value of the ingredients involved confirm it as an elegant and valuable preparation, one of the best Italian dishes from the Piedmont region.
Brasato al Barolo - Piedmont Wine Pairing
It should come as no surprise that the best-recommended wine for the iconic Brasato al Barolo is a glass of good Barolo wine, preferably from the same bottle utilized during the braising process. This marriage of flavours is practically perfect, with the Barolo’s natural spices and notes perfectly encompassing the tender quality of the soft braised meat, empowered by the wine’s reduction, which occurred during preparation. This wine pairing proves victorious in combining with the traditional side dish accompanying Brasato al Barolo, a comforting serving of Polenta.
Finanziera - From Rags to Riches
In the Middle Ages and early Modern Era, meat was a luxury reserved for the wealthy. Those in lower classes had to make do with what they had, resulting in dishes like Finanziera, a typical Piedmont cuisine dish. Originally a poor people's stew made from leftover animal parts, Finanziera eventually gained popularity among the wealthy, particularly bankers and merchants. It became so beloved that it was named "Finanziera," meaning "dish of finance."
Tajarin with Alba White Truffle - Piedmont Region Food Guide
Let’s allow the Brasato some more rest in the pot while we go back to the main course. We are involving, this time, one of the richest and most expensive ingredients available in Italian cuisine: the iconic and luxurious Alba White Truffle.
Tajarin themselves, a thin and delicious type of pasta, reminiscent of thinner tagliatelle, were born in the farmhouses of the breathtaking Langhe region. Langhe is one of the most iconic areas of the Piedmont region, where cultivated hills roll up and down, dotted in their green beauty by masserie and aziende agricole. This is where the very thin and rigorously homemade Tajarin are made. Preparing this pasta is not easy, as the pasta dough finalizes into a very tough and hard-to-pull material, almost certainly requiring a small machine to complete.
The Alba White Truffle, on the other hand, needs very little introduction. Depending on size and quality, this variety of truffles is one of the most precious and expensive variants of truffles purchasable on the market, so valuable that it’s often referred to as the “diamond”. Its intensity and concentration of flavours are unmatched.
Tajarin with Alba White Truffle - Piedmont Wine Pairing
When it comes to dishes enriched by the precious Alba White Truffle the rule is simple but important: the wine should never overpower the delicate taste of the truffle. This is even more important for recipes including White Truffle, far more sensitive to this issue than his darker cousin. For a dish of Tajarin with Alba White Truffle, our recommendation is Dolcetto d’Alba. Besides having its origin close to the same town of Alba, a good Dolcetto is pleasant, dry and very characteristic with a delicate and respectful flavour to the palate, perfecting for allowing the Alba White Truffle to take the main scene for itself.
Truffle’s Best Friend
In the early days of truffle hunting, pigs were trained to sniff out the prized fungus in the underwood. However, their tendency to eat the truffles themselves made them less than ideal. As the demand for truffles grew, hunters turned to dogs, specifically breeds like the "Lagotto Romagnolo" known for their keen sense of smell and willingness to work alongside humans. Today, truffle hunting is strictly regulated, but dogs continue to play an important role in uncovering these treasures from the forest floor.
Bunet - Delicious Dessert from Piedmont Region
As tradition commands, we will conclude our journey throughout Piedmontese cuisine with a dessert worthy of kings. According to tradition, Bunet was the conclusion to lavish and rich meals consumed by the medieval nobility of northern Italy. The name allegedly refers to a “Bonèt”, a hat in the Piedmontese dialect, as such was the shape of the original moulds utilized to prepare it. Belonging to a time when cocoa was still unknown to Europe, this old variant lacked chocolate and was in time supplanted by the addition of such newfound flavour brought to Europe from the New World. Early on, only bourgeois families could afford such an expensive ingredient, but nowadays Bunet is a popular dessert, available to everyone in all its richness and simplicity. Piedmontese desserts in general remain today some of the best Italian dishes.
Bunet - Piedmont Wine Pairing
The sweetest but most intense closing note to this Piedmont cuisine discovery will be offered by the relatively unknown but delicious Barolo Chinato, the perfect companion to a spoonful of sweet and fresh Bunet. Barolo Chinato is a DOCG Barolo wine, produced with 100% Nebbiolo grapes, prepared with a special aromatization process involving herbs, spices and bittering agents. The result is a very refined and high-quality “digestive”, the perfect closure to a rich and fulfilling Piedmont meal.
Where can you taste wine and food in Piedemont?
Cascina Belvedere 1932
Rural lunch or dinner with a menu agreed upon from time to time with the guest based on local traditional products, accompany by Piedmont wines.
Cantina Olivero
You can taste 5 glasses of wine within their Barricaia, provided a selection of typical local products and typical food that vary according to the season, perfectly cooked by the nearby typical Piemontese restaurant.
Cascina Orizzonte
A tour of the Cascina Orizzonte will give you an insight into winemaking at Piedmont. Drink some of their finest wines and taste wines fermented in barrels accompanied by local food.
Broccardo
The Langhe region, in its best expression of Monforte d'Alba are home to the mesmerizing beauty of the broccardo vineyards, Producers of DOCG and DOC Broccardo wines.
