Piedmont: a Foodie’s Mecca

Many know that Piedmont is home to world-class Barolo and Barbaresco.   Others may know it is home to the most highly prized white truffle in the world.  But, Piedmont offers so much more for the discerning gastronome.  This hilly region in northern Italy at the base of the Alps, is the epicenter for a cornucopia of culinary treasures.

               Easter eggs at an artisinal chocolate maker in Turin that Wine-Knows will visit

In the 17^th century Piedmont was the chocolate capital of Europe.  At this time Piedmont was part of the important House of Savoy which controlled eastern France and most of Italy.   The Duke of Savoy married the King of Spain’s daughter and she brought with her a dowry which included chocolate from Spain’s New World colonies.  In 1678 the very first chocolate store opened in Piedmont’s main city, Turin.  Chocolate has been part of the culinary fiber of Piedmont ever since.

Today, Turin produces 40% of Italy’s chocolate.  Walk around the historical center and you’ll see windows filled with chocolate sculptures worthy of Michelangelo.  One of its high-end Tiffany-esque chocolate stores offers >60 types of chocolates.  Moreover, the entire town is replete with gorgeous old-world cafes---their specialty is hot chocolate, although there are exquisite chocolate tarts and other chocolate confections to devour.

             An over-the-top rendition of white & dark chocolate with hazelnut-infused gianduja

             

Piedmont, however, is more than wine, truffles and chocolates.  The area’s hazelnuts are the most prized in all of Italy.  In fact, their hazelnuts are so extraordinary that they have been granted a special status by the Italian Government.  Hazelnuts are big business in Piedmont, adding an estimated 25 million US dollars annually to the economy.  It’s no wonder that many of Piedmont’s hazelnuts are paired with chocolate to create an ultimate marriage for foodies, gianduja.

Piedmont is home to a host of other culinary products.  The low flat-lands of the Po River Valley are used to grow some of Italy’s best rice for risotto.  Grissini (yard-long breadsticks) grace the table of most Piedmontese restaurants.   Wine-flavored salamis abound.  Last, but in no means least, Piedmont’s cheeses are exquisite.  Castelmagno cheese, rare to find outside the region, has almost a cult following.

                                 Freshly baked grissini are very typical of Piedmont

If you’re one of the lucky folks (the tour has sold out) who is coming with Wine-Knows this autumn for the Truffle Festival in Piedmont, you will be able to experience all of these delectable culinary treasures.  Better yet, you can bring them all home in your suitcase.

Viva Piemonte!

Italy's King of Truffles

 White truffles are the gastronomic world's most decadent ingredient

This weekend Italy begins its official 2017 season for the world’s most expensive culinary item, the illustrious white truffle.  I may be 10,000 miles away, but I can almost feel the excitement beginning to pulsate as the annual festival kicks into gear.  Foodies from all over Europe are preparing to descend upon the town of Alba, home of not only Barolo and Barbaresco, but the epicenter of the White Truffle Festival.  The enchanting town will soon swell to nearly double its size as masses of gastronomic pilgrims pay homage to Italy’s "edible diamonds."

                   Colorful truffle hunters descent upon Alba to sell their products during the festival

Truffles are an exotic fungus, a kind of distant relative of the wild mushroom family.   They come in black and white, but the white version is overwhelmingly the most prized because of its intense aroma.  You can notice the intoxicating smell of a white truffle the minute you walk into a restaurant where even a very small truffle is being served.  The white truffle is also known to have the most intense taste of all of the truffle family. While black truffles are found in Umbria and some parts of France, the white truffle is only found in northern Italy in the district of Piedmont.

                     Wine-Knows forages truffles in the forest with two truffle hunters 

Unlike a mushroom, the tartufo (truffle) grows several inches underground.  This makes finding the hidden treasures challenging.  Truffles are found with the help of special breeds of dog.  The dog spends months at a doggie university (don’t laugh---there is actually such a place in Piedmont!).  The dogs are used for their keen sense of smell.   Due to the current exorbitant price of white tartufi, these specially trained dogs have become equally valuable (in fact, some have actually been stolen and held for a sizable Euro ransom).  No joke.

                                            Dogs are vital to finding the buried truffles

The pleasure of indulging in a white truffle comes at a mammoth price which has escalated dramatically over the last ten years.  In the last few years the prices have ranged between $6,000-10,000 US a pound. Just what the price for this year will not be known until the festival begins tomorrow.  It’s all about supply and demand.  The demand seems to be never-ending.  

Wine-Knows will be attending next year's Truffle Festival in Alba.  There are only two spots remaining in the group.   Come and experience the magic of this special culinary festival with us.