Asti is the capital of Spumante and Barbera wines, thanks to its soil and climate which is particularly mild on these rolling hills that, from the Po Valley, rise gradually towards the Alps and guarantee the right slopes and the best exposure to the sun. Other quality wines are Arneis, Brachetto, Cortese, Dolcetto, Freisa, Grignolino, Malvasia of Casorzo, Malvasia of Castelnuovo D.B., Moscato of Asti and Ruché.
The Piedmontese food tradition blends the everyday simplicity with exquisite haute cuisine touches. Tourists are always amazed by the great variety of starters, both cold and hot: country sausages, vegetables with sauces, veal with tunny sauce, "flan" (vegetable mousse).But the "stars" of this regional cuisine are the Fritto Misto alla Piemontese (a platter of different fried meats) and the Bagna Caôda, a banquet of vegetables (both cooked and raw) such as the cardo gobbo of Nizza (a kind of thistle) or the peperone quadro of Motta (a kind of pepper) to be dipped into a hot anchovy-sauce mixed with oil and garlic.
As for pasta dishes, agnolotti (ravioli), best served "al plin", risottos, vegetable soups and "tajarin", that is a kind of homemade tagliatelle (a particular kind of egg noodles).
The kings among the main courses are bollito misto (the one prepared in Moncalvo is the best), meat and game cooked slowly in fine wines.
The best known cheeses are the robiole of Cocconato and Roccaverano, tome and ricotte.
Among the desserts, we can mention the delicious "bunet", the Monferrina cake, stuffed peaches or tiny pastries, such as amaretti of Mombaruzzo, finocchini of Refrancore, canestrelli of Cinaglio, astigiani with rum. We could never forget to mention the white truffle, fruit of the Piedmontese oak woods, with its distinctive and unforgettable fragrance and, legend has it, its aphrodisiacal powers. Serve it in paper-thin slices on butter fried eggs, fonduta cheese, risottos or Albese raw meat.
The Piedmontese food tradition blends the everyday simplicity with exquisite haute cuisine touches. Tourists are always amazed by the great variety of starters, both cold and hot: country sausages, vegetables with sauces, veal with tunny sauce, "flan" (vegetable mousse).But the "stars" of this regional cuisine are the Fritto Misto alla Piemontese (a platter of different fried meats) and the Bagna Caôda, a banquet of vegetables (both cooked and raw) such as the cardo gobbo of Nizza (a kind of thistle) or the peperone quadro of Motta (a kind of pepper) to be dipped into a hot anchovy-sauce mixed with oil and garlic.
As for pasta dishes, agnolotti (ravioli), best served "al plin", risottos, vegetable soups and "tajarin", that is a kind of homemade tagliatelle (a particular kind of egg noodles).
The kings among the main courses are bollito misto (the one prepared in Moncalvo is the best), meat and game cooked slowly in fine wines.
The best known cheeses are the robiole of Cocconato and Roccaverano, tome and ricotte.
Among the desserts, we can mention the delicious "bunet", the Monferrina cake, stuffed peaches or tiny pastries, such as amaretti of Mombaruzzo, finocchini of Refrancore, canestrelli of Cinaglio, astigiani with rum. We could never forget to mention the white truffle, fruit of the Piedmontese oak woods, with its distinctive and unforgettable fragrance and, legend has it, its aphrodisiacal powers. Serve it in paper-thin slices on butter fried eggs, fonduta cheese, risottos or Albese raw meat.
