Bagna Cauda - a hot autumn ritual
Bagna Cauda is more than a sauce. It's a social ritual traditionally associated with autumn in Piedmont. Seasonal vegetables - celery, Jerusalem artichokes, beetroot or roasted peppers - are dipped into a hot mixture of anchovies, garlic and olive oil. The sauce is served in ceramic fujot bowls that keep it hot in the middle of the table.
It's an intense flavour experience, but also surprisingly harmonious. The secret lies in the slow, almost creamy melting of the anchovies, so that they are neither salty nor "sharp". Bagna Cauda is food that brings people together - long sips, talking, tasting. Some Piedmontese towns even hold Bagna Cauda Days, small festivals celebrating this traditional dish.
Vitello tonnato - an experience more delicate than you expect
At first sight a simple dish, in fact a Piedmontese classic that demands precision. Vitello tonnato is made from very thin slices of veal that are slow cooked with wine, root vegetables and herbs to keep it juicy and tender.
The creamy sauce is not a "mayonnaise dressing" as it is often mistakenly prepared. The true Piedmontese version combines tuna in oil, capers, anchovies and meat stock - mayonnaise only a minimum, more for mellowing. The result is light, balanced and ideal as a starter and summer main course. Vitello tonnato is one of the dishes that show how delicate and elegant Piedmontese cuisine can be.
Tajarin - thin noodles full of egg yolks (and foodporn)
If any pasta can represent Piedmont, it's tajarin - extremely thin noodles that have an intense yellow colour thanks to the huge amount of egg yolks. No austere industrial production, but hand-cutting and a dough that contains perhaps 40 egg yolks per kilo of flour. This makes the noodles silky, soft and incredibly full of flavour.
Traditionally, they are served with butter and sage, veal or rabbit ragu, or truffles - ideally white ones from the Alba region.
Piedmontese cuisine is based on tradition, honest ingredients and strong flavours - and it is Bagna Cauda, Vitello Tonnato and Tajarin that show its essence at its best. Each dish has its own story, seasonality and rituals, but all are united by the region's deep commitment to craft and simplicity. When you visit Piedmont, be sure to try them!
