Piemonte, Land of Big Red Wine and Luscious Truffles

Piemonte, Italian for Piedmont is found in the northwestern part of Italy. The name Piemonte signifies, at the foot of the mountain. To the south west and north Piemonte is surrounded by enormous mountain ranges known as the Italian Alpes. The spine of Piemonte is the Po River Valley. Just south of the Po River one finds the low lying intensely cultivated hills of Monferrato and Langhe. In the foothills of the Italian alps you will find the incredibly beautiful great lakes of Italy Maggiore and Orta. The Majestic Po river provides the region with ample water creating a very favorable environment for the cultivation of crops. The lush meadows of Piemonte provide excellent pasture lands for cattle, creating a prosperous base for a formidable dairy industry. The fertile soil and gentle climate of the lowlands afford ample production of vegetables, fruit, wheat, rice, milk and cheese. The terra south of the river Po is also renowned for its production of many of Italy’s amazing high-quality wines. The best-known wines of the region are Barolo and Barbaresco which are made from the Nebbiolo grape.

The cuisine of Piemonte is infamous for an immense variety of antipasti plates large enough that in any other region they would be considered main courses. These antipasti plates are almost always accompanied by grissini which is a long narrow breadstick approximately one meter in length

Of course, we cannot discuss the cuisine of Piemonte without a brief review of one of the most treasured ingredients, the truffle.

A truffle is the fruiting body of a subterranean fungus. Think of it as a type of mushroom on steroids that grows underground. Truffles are normally found growing in the ground around the roots of trees, often among the roots of oak trees. Some truffle species are editable and highly prized as food in many cuisines throughout the world including Italy.

Because truffles grow underground, they are somewhat rare and both difficult to locate and harvest. Animals that possess a keen sense of smell are utilized in the hunt and gather of the truffle. Traditionally pigs were used to hunt truffles. The female pig’s sense of smell is attracted to the aroma of the truffle because it contains a compound which is like a sex pheromone found in the saliva of boars. Unfortunately, if the truffle hunter was not fast enough the pig would eat or severely damage the fruit. In Italy the use of pigs to hunt truffles has been banned since 1985 due to the damage that was caused by the pigs digging which began to have a negative impact on the production rate in the area. An alternative animal which does not have a desire to eat the truffle is a dog. Since dogs do not have an appetite for truffles, they can be trained to locate the truffle without digging them up.

There is also a certain species of fly that is attracted to the smell of the truffle. They lay their eggs above the truffles to provide food for their offspring. These flies are called Suilla and can been seen swarming above the ground where truffles are growing.

The white truffle or the Trifola d’Alba Madonna (Truffle of the White Madonna) holds claim to be the most valued. They are mostly found in the area surrounding the cities of Alba and Asti both of which are in the region of Piemonte.

The black truffle is the second most commercially valued species. The black truffle is predominately found within the root system of oak, hazelnut, cherry, and other deciduous trees and is typically harvested in late fall and early winter.

Because they are costly, and the aroma is pungent, a small amount is all that is needed to enhance the flavor and perfume of a dish.

The aroma dissipates quickly when heated, therefore truffles are generally served uncooked. Normally they are lightly shaved over simple dishes such as Tajarin, a traditional handmade pasta dish simmered in beef broth then served with butter and sage sauce topped with grated Grana Padano cheese and shaved truffles.

Insalata di Carne Cruda is a minced raw beef or veal appetizer prepared with a marinade of lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. When available a fine shaving of truffles is used to garnish the dish.

The flatlands of Piemonte are Italy’s prominent producer of Carnaroli rice. Carnaroli, a short grain rice prized for its creamy consistency is the preferred rice by cooks throughout Italy for the preparation of risotto. The risotto is often served with a buttery sauce and crowned with shaved truffles.

Panissa is a risotto flavored with borlotti beans, pork rind and salam d’ la duja (not to be confused with nduja, from Calabria, is a real delicacy in Piemonte. This salame is cured in clay pots packed in lard).

Piemonte boasts many other delicious dishes as well. Gnocchi alla Brava are potato dumplings sauced with butter and garnished with grated Fontina and Grana Padano cheeses.

Polenta cùnsa is cornmeal cooked and mixed with Toma and Fontina cheeses. It is then garnished with grated Grana Padano cheese.

As you can see the piedmontese are very fond of cheese and butter, both of which are widely utilized in a multitude of ways in the cuisine.

Piemonte also produces large amounts of hazelnuts. They are often used in cakes and other pastries as well as candies and cookies.

Continuing the use of dairy in the diet other desserts are Bonèt, a custard cake flavored with coffee or chocolate., Panna Cotta, a shimmering custard prepared with cream and caramel, thickened with gelatin and Zabaione, a lighter custard made with Marsala wine and sweetened egg yolks which is sometimes used to flavor semifreddo or ice cream.

There are many other standout dishes to be found in the cuisine of Piemonte. We will continue our journey through the classic dishes of the lush countryside of Piemonte in my subsequent post.

Until then, alla prossima!

Buon cibo e buon appetito a tutti!!