Piemonte Trips

Throughout our time in Germany, I have been able to visit the Monferrato villages in Piemonte. It has been such a blessing getting to know the culture, cuisine and agriculture of the land my family came from.

Each trip I have made has had different purposes: exploring the Monferrato specific wine grapes, understanding the origin of white truffles, the food that is unique to Piemonte, the climate/land and how it provides an abundance of food. Through all the culinary/agricultural learning, I was also able to bring my brother to Castagnole Monferrato, to see where our Noni used to live and visit the village cemetery where distant relatives rest.

Ruché Wine

There are countless varieties of grapes around the world that create wine for every palate. I have been an admirer of wine since I was little watching my family visit while cooking and drinking red wine. Not sure if it was natural bias or my palate developing but I have preferred Northern Italian grapes most of my adulthood. Even as far as Tuscany with the Chianti's and Sangiovese's, northern grapes just had a more pure, fresh way about them all while bursting with different flavors. The wine that was always found in my home was Barbera, Nebbiolo and special occasion Barolos.

My wine world was turned upside when I discovered Ruche. I was roaming through a wine shop in Annapolis, MD when i came across a bottle that had my Noni's village name on it. Immediatley I sent a picture to my Noni and she was shocked. She hadn't heard of the wine, later learning the grape wasn't rediscovered in Castagnole until the 1960s, years after my great grandparents left.

The Ruche grape was rediscovered by the Castagnole Monferrato Parish Priest Don Giacomo Cauda. He discovered a few rows of withering grapevines and brought the grape back to life. The small backyard vineyard has grown into a booming business by Lucas Ferraris who took over the vineyards in 2016.

This grape is truly a Castagnole Monferrato treasure, it is being grown in seven villages in Piemonte but its home is Castagnole. Often, Italians outside of the immediate Piedmont area don't know what Ruche wine is. In my travels I have been able to buy directly from the winemakers in the village, it has been amazing getting to know these people that have so much pride in their hometown grape. In my discovery of Ruche I also discovered other amazing local grapes such as Grignolino and Fresia.

These wines are truly what I enjoy most, it just so happens the grapes originate in Piemonte! I didn't grow up there like my ancestors did, but I will carry the pride of these wines in life and share them with customers, friends and family. Like the sign says when you enter the village:

"...Se a Castagnole Monferrato qualcuno vi offre Il Ruche e perche ha piacere di voi"

"If someone in Castagnole Monferrato offers you Ruche, it's because they like you"

White Truffle

Being in the culinary world in America and just as a consumer, I have seen how much Truffles are overused in restaurants and even in the grocery stores. Seems like America has been obsessed with truffles to the point people now reject them. Some chefs and companies think putting truffles on anything will make it taste better, but more importantly they can charge more. While Michelin driven restaurants strive for elevated dishes by putting truffle on everything (even sushi), the people of Piedmont have been using it for centeries on everyday dishes.

Piedmont is home to the White Truffle, it has been primarily growing there for centeries. Italians have been using them the same way for just as long, especially in Piemontese cuisine. It wasn't until my trips to Piemonte, I really got to experience them. We have white truffle oil in America but little to no white truffle. Once a white truffle is dug up, it needs to be used within 3-5 days. Yet again, another Piemonte specific ingredient that brings so much flavor to certain Piemont dishes. If you go to Piedmont between September-January you'll find white truffle menus with flavor back and dish enhancing shavings all over your plates.

The white truffle is a staple ingredient in Piemontese cuisine, its traditions and history go far deeper than America's new age understanding of this buried treasure.

Agriculture

As I grew up, I discovered that my family, along with many other Northern Italian families, immigrated to California partly because the land felt familiar. I didn't fully grasp this until my first visit to Piemonte. Driving to the village, I was struck by how familiar this unfamiliar place seemed. The climate in Northern California closely resembles that of Northern Italy, resulting in similar crops and a variety of them in such climates.

During my trips, I have learned about what is grown in Piemonte and what is traditionally used in their cuisine. Italy boasts numerous regions with different climates, which contribute to its diverse cultures. More often than not, when people think of Italy and its food, they often think of pizza, spaghetti with meatballs, Chicken Parmesan, etc. However, Italians take great pride in their specific regions, leading to numerous distinct subcultures within the country. The diverse climates result in a wide range of crops. For instance, you won't find many seafood dishes in Piedmont as it is one of the furthest areas from the sea in Italy. In contrast, Naples features seafood in almost every dish. Therefore, the type of dishes you'll encounter depends on the part of Italy you visit. In Piemonte, you won't find much pizza, but you'll enjoy cold meats and cheeses with every meal. Piemontese spaghetti and meatballs is Tagliolini (Tajarin) with rabbit ragu.

I've realized that the food traditions of the Piedmont region are little known to the world and even to other Italians. With my family background and my career in cooking, I was amazed by the rich flavors enjoyed by the residents of Piemonte. Tourism in Piemonte mainly highlights the world's finest grapes like Barbera and Barolo, and visitors often stumble upon the area's rich, traditional, and simple foods that is Piemontese Cuisine.