ALEX'S ADVENTURES IN THE LANGHE
My trip to Piemonte puts into perspective a cuisine I have been studying from this side of the pond for the past decade. To know the recipes, techniques, and style is never enough to know a cuisine. You must witness it first hand to comprehend not only what they eat, but also how they eat it, which is of equal importance. Furthermore, speaking with the chefs and locals is essential to understanding the culture out of which the traditions have grown.
My brother and I stayed in Monforte d'Alba for two weeks, one of the principal towns in the Barolo district, in an area of Piemonte known as the Langhe. While there I worked at da Felicin, one of the most respected restaurants in the Langhe. We also had the good fortune to visit with several wine producers.
The foods I learned about were the Piemontese staples, all the restaurants seem to share many menu items, but the preparation varies greatly from chef to chef. It is common to send a series of antipasti to all the guests prior to the primi; the most frequent players were salumi, vitello tonnato (poached veal with a tuna mayonnaise), carne crudo (raw beef, veal or pork, dressed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and topped with shaved Parmigiano), and bagna cauda (anchovy and garlic puree with vegetables). For the primi we saw the ubiquitous ravioli or agnolotti del plin (fresh pasta stuffed with braised beef,) the ever-present tajarin (Piemontese hand cut angel hair) served with a variety ragouts, gnocchi with cheese sauce, and an abundance of variously prepared risotti. The secondi take an interesting form, as the plates mostly come with the same vegetable accompaniments the main variance being the protein and sauce. More commonly a menu will feature several different braises such as, veal, beef, boar, and rabbit. There is also a great tradition of steak. Fish and seafood are somewhat of a rarity in the secondi.
The hazelnut is king in Piemonte. You will frequently see a few desserts featuring filberts on a menu; in addition there is usually a panna cotta, and a series of ice creams and sorbets. The regional specialty is called bunet, it is a thick flan made with amaretti cookies and cocoa powder.
The other Piemontese staple, which I have yet to mention, is the white truffle. Indigenous to Piemonte, it is one of the greatest (and most expensive) delicacies the world has to offer. As my trip took place in April, I was outside of the truffle season.
The wines of Piemonte are considered by many to be the finest on the peninsula. The main white grape varietals are Arneis and Cortese (used to make Gavi). The reds are Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo (used to make Barolo, Barbaresco, and Langhe Nebbiolo). Piemonte is also known for three dessert wines, Moscato, Brachetto, and Chinato, a bittersweet red fortified with grappa and steeped with wormwood, usually made with Barolo, but sometimes made with Barbera.
The most notable wineries we visited were Produttori Barbaresco, a communal winery producing Barbaresco, Sottimano, making many single vineyard Barbarescos, and Mauro Molino, making mainly Barolo. All three also produce a Langhe Nebbiolo, which is how they use grapes from vines too young to produce Barolo and Barbaresco.