According to legend and oral tradition, Piedmont’s culinary heritage is deeply rooted in ancient times. When it comes to food, this is one of the Italian regions that proves hardest to beat.
Many of the historical recipes first appeared in Turin and later made their way throughout Italy and even the world, such as that of grissini (breadsticks), or amaretti di Mombaruzzo.
Piedmont’s dishes are known mainly for their intense flavors: the garlic and anchovies in bagna cauda, or the sharp fragrance of white truffles native to the Langhe area, which are used to dress a local pasta called tabarin. These strong flavors go along perfectly with robust red wines such as Barbera d'Asti or aged vintages like Barolo. However, given the region’s proximity to France, there are also some very delicate dishes that express a more simplistic, refined side to the local cuisine.

Piedmont’s geographical features go from soaring Alps to rolling hills, green meadows, expansive plains, and various rivers, the longest of which being the Po. This variety makes for a wide array of superior products – from dairy, grains, fruit and vegetables, to meat products and fine wines appreciated worldwide. In the past, meat was a privilege only afforded to a few. Animals were used for working the fields until they grew too old and weak. By that point their meat was tough, and so it became customary to marinate it in the local wines, which were robust and aromatic and successfully covered the aging process, rendering the large chunks of meat tender and flavorful.
Today, the dish that best exemplifies this traditional culinary method is without a doubt Brasato al Barolo – a triumphant matching of prized beef and one of Piedmont’s finest wines.
However, Piedmont is not famous just for its meat; actually one of the dishes most indicative of this region is bagna cauda, which is a combination of raw vegetables dipped in a "bath" intensely flavored with garlic.
Another of the area’s symbols is the truffle. According to the natives, Piedmont has no entrees that can’t benefit from a few shavings of the extremely fragrant white truffle.
This region’s culinary tradition also includes some fresh pasta varieties such as tagliatelle or taglierini (“tajarin”), and sheets of pasta, which are used to make the much appreciated agnolotti and ravioli.
Finally, special mention should go to the cheeses. In Piedmont, one can count more than 60 local varieties, from fresh tomini to the aged brus and gorgonzola.