Piedmont, as well as home to beautiful rolling countryside, beautiful architecture and beautiful people, is also the birthplace of the Slow Food Movement.
In 1986 in the town of Bra a group of journalists, angered by the imposition of fast-food companies on their culture and on their dining experience, wrote a manifesto of complaint which changed the destiny of food production in the region forever. Now the fastest growing attraction in Piedmont is its slow food – and it tastes delicious.
The movement isn’t just about food miles, knowing the origin of produce, supporting local agriculture and eating quality goods. It’s also about how you dine – taking time over a meal, savouring good company and making food a foundation of life rather than a sandwich or burger rammed in to fill a gap.
For holiday makers this pace of life is worth experiencing. I worried, travelling with a baby and a toddler, that slow food could equate with slow service, but that’s not the case. It’s simply good service in a bistro, cantina or trattoria rather than counter service in a fast-food environment. It was time to take the tastebuds on a tour.
WHERE TO STAY
Agriturismo Brusalino
The Agriturismo brand is spot-on for gastro-tourists. These working farms and vineyards combine great accommodation in ridiculously stunning settings with excellent grub. Visitors can see their food growing in the nearby fields or running around in the pens. We took our children for a walk through the vineyards. We passed the hazelnut trees and we visited the pigs in the yard. That evening the tasting menu (four courses for 25 euros) incorporated many of the products grown on site, a range of wines and at breakfast guests are offered cured meats and red grape chutney straight from the farm. The location of our agriturismo home, Brusalino, was perfectly positioned for visiting all the towns highlighted below.
WHERE TO EAT
Truffles
The location of sought after truffles is a heavily guarded secret but the town of Alba very publicly celebrates them. Peppered between the enticing boutiques are truffle shops selling everything from solid chunks of truffle, costing hundreds of pounds, to affordable oils, salts, pastas and butters. We bought a bottle of oil with a shard of truffle in it and I worried we were being naive tourists but the flavour and scent is spot-on. It’s rich and potent so don’t judge a truffle by its size.
Visit Ratti Elio on Via Vittorio Emanuele –
http://tartufiratti.it/it/en
– and for true aficionados the annual white truffle festival will run from October 8-November 27 this year.
Chocolate
The hot chocolate in Piedmont is dark, thick and intense but the history of solid chocolate starts in Turin. In 1678 the queen of the Savoy state granted the first licence to produce solid chocolate to Turinese chocolatier Gio Antonio Ari and hence solid chocolate and its availability to the masses began.
Today the city is renowned for the chocolate/hazelnut flavour, gianduiotto, and there’s a range of chocolate houses and cafes to explore all tastes and combinations. For a sense of occasion visit a historic cafe such as Baratti & Milano, established in 1858, where diners experience architecture, culture and flavour. We sampled the Classic Hot Chocolate and the Coffee Baratti & Milano which combined coffee, chocolate, cream and hazelnut.
Baratti & Milano, Piazza Castello, Turin –
http://barattiemilano.it
Snails
The French are known for their love of snails but the Italians want a slice of this slow action. Cherasco is the destination for snail lovers, especially its annual snail festival which falls on September 23-26 this year. Now that is slow, slow food.
WHERE TO DRINK
Red wine
The small town of Barolo is also the namesake of a world renowned wine of the nebbiolo grape. Its production is so particular and cherished that the wine falls under the Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin (DOCG). Strict criteria have to be met before a bottle can proudly carry the label Barolo, from the area of the vineyard to the alcohol level and the ageing process. There are various enotecas to drop into to sample and purchase Barolo, or you can simply enjoy a glass over lunch at La Cantinetta Ristorante on Via Roma, Barolo.
More red wine
If Barolo is a strong hero in the Piedmont wine scene then Barbaresco is an elegant leading lady who can steal the limelight. This small town is full of relaxing enotecas where you can take time sampling the local wines (also DOCG). The skyline is pierced by the Tower of Barbaresco where it’s possible to be served a glass of vino on the rooftop terrace, but if heights aren’t appealing then the views from Azienda Vitivinicola Boffa Carlo take wine tasting into a whole new realm.
Azienda Vitivinicola Boffa Carlo, Via Torino 17 –
http://www.boffacarlo.it/ing/azienda.htm
If this somehow isn’t enough to tempt the tastebuds then remember that the Piedmont area is also home to the Ferrero Rocher and Nutella story as the hazelnuts here are of such plenitude and quality. Cinzano’s tale starts in Turin, Asti is of course renowned for its sparkling wine and let’s not forget the beautiful cheeses, cured meats, oils, pizzas, pastas and gelatos which are ideal for all the family. It’s now time to roll back to Scotland.
- Janice Hopper is an Aberdeen based travel writer and family travel blogger. To read more of her experiences visit www.tots2travel.wordpress.com
- Janice flew from Edinburgh to Milan with Easyjet and visited Turin before heading to the hills of Piedmont, staying at Agriturismo Brusalino near Mango. http://www.agriturismo.it/en/