The flavors of its hilly heart – Langhe, Roero, Monferrato – are expressed through truffles; stuffed pastas, such as agnolotti al plin steamed; beef meats, like the Fassone breed, used for braises and boiled dishes accompanied by bagnet verd, a savory green sauce. From rice-growing provinces like Novara and Vercelli come ancient recipes, such as paniscia di riso, fried frogs, or goose in a pan. And from the slopes of Monte Rosa, typical mountain flavors, such as polenta, tome cheeses, game, Sesia trout. Interestingly, the regional specialty par excellence, bagna caoda, borrows a flavor from Liguria, anchovies.
A very important chapter is that of wines: we are in the homeland of full-bodied nectars, robust and masculine in character, which pair well with braises and stews and were among the first to bring prestige to modern Italian winemaking: Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Nebbiolo, and many others.
Good addresses in Turin include the Sotto la Mole restaurant, very central, where it’s common to meet cinema personalities during film festivals (the Mole also houses the Cinema Museum), and where you can savor delicacies like “Piedmontese agnolotti with roast sauce”; Il Diplomatico on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, famous for its Barolo braised dishes; or Il Vigna Reale, with refined tasting menus that open little journeys into regional flavors. In Asti, there’s L’Angolo del Beato, the ideal place to enjoy bagna caoda, very fresh giardiniera, or potato and mushroom flan. While in Barbaresco, in the Cuneo area, stands out Antiné, with its marinated goose breast and veal tongue in green sauce.
