Bagna cauda, or bagna caoda, is much more than just a simple recipe: it is one of the culinary symbols of Piedmont, a communal experience, a celebration of friendship. A journey through time and flavours, inviting you to slow down and fully enjoy the pleasures of the table.
The recipe, which originated in the Piedmont countryside as far back as the Middle Ages, used anchovies, oil and garlic as a dip for fresh vegetables in the autumn season when vine growers prepared it to celebrate the end of the grape harvest in the company of friends, relatives and fellow workers.
Although the origins of the dish have been lost in the memory of time, the presence of anchovies – its main ingredient – tells the story of a Piedmont that, albeit far from the sea, was able to intertwine its tradition with Mediterranean flavours, thanks to the strategic importance of the salt and salted anchovies trade.
If ‘bagna’ means the sauce, the gravy, ‘cauda’ stands for hot: bagna cauda is traditionally served in a fujot, a small earthenware container with a flame, which keeps the sauce hot throughout the meal.
Our own recipe
The preparation of bagna cauda is a ritual that engages all the senses. Each family treasures its own version of the recipe and, although purists will turn up their noses, variations include butter, milk or cream to make the sauce more delicate and less tangy.
Our own recipe is the result of years of experience and feedback from our loyal customers, who by September are already eagerly asking for reservations for our big ‘Bagna Cauda Day’ event.
According to tradition, garlic is cooked rigorously without adding any milk, butter or cream, crushed and added to extra-virgin olive oil in which the anchovies are melted: slow cooking, stirring frequently, is the secret to giving bagna cauda its proper creaminess.
As for the dosages, our chefs do not have a written recipe (and more importantly do not reveal it to anyone!), they go ‘a stim’ (i.e. by the eye, or rather, by taste).
The vegetables that accompany bagna cauda are the seasonal ones: cardoons, peppers, Jerusalem artichokes and onions, but also potatoes and cabbage.
Today, some reinterpretations also include fruits such as apples or even raw meat, without ever betraying the authentic spirit of the dish. However, our favourite ending is the slow cooking, directly in the fujot, of an egg (scrambled or fried) with the last spoonfuls of bagna cauda. And for a glorious finale on the egg, a sprinkle of grated white truffle can be added.
Bagna Cauda and wine: the marriage is served
Bagna cauda, with its strong, enveloping flavour, calls for wines that enhance its character without overshadowing it.
Vinchio Vaglio’s reds are perfect for pairing: Barbera d’Asti D.O.C.G. Superiore I Tre Vescovi and Barbera d’Asti D.O.C.G. Superiore Vigne Vecchie 50 both deliver excellent acidity and a rich bouquet of red fruits, ideal for balancing the complexity of the sauce.
For those who prefer a more structured wine, Nizza DOCG, with its soft tannins and spicy notes, is a very elegant companion.
Finally, Barbera del Monferrato D.O.C. Rive Rosse, whose fizz can be a surprising choice for those looking for a less conventional yet widely successful pairing.
Bagna Cauda Day: a celebration of tradition
Ever since 2013, each November, Piedmont has been celebrating Bagna Cauda Day, an event that brings together enthusiasts and connoisseurs around this iconic dish. Restaurants, osterias and wineries turn into temples of taste, offering traditional and innovative versions of bagna cauda.
The dates we have been proposing for Bagna Cauda Day sell out every year in just a few hours: if you want to be among the first to receive news of the opening of bookings, sign up for our newsletter!