Travel Italy Foods of Turin (Torino)

From LoveToKnow Travel
The foods of Turin are varied and delicious…and very distinct from those red sauces we generally associate with Italian cuisine. Cooking in Turin, the capital of the Piedmont province in northwestern Italy, shows the influence of its closeness to France in its use of butter and complex sauces. The cooking of Piedmont combines the hearty cooking of the mountains with a cosmopolitan, “big-city” flair. This region is also the home of solid chocolate, bread sticks (called grissini) , risotto, and some of Italy’s most renowned wines, including Barolo, Barbaresco, and Barbera d’Asti. Italian vermouth, in Italy an aperitif, is another product of Turin, first produced by Benedetto Carpano in the mid-18th century. In fact, Turin is still the headquarters of many vermouth manufacturers, the most famous of which is Martini and Rossi.
Risotto with Truffles
Risotto with Truffles


antipasto
antipasto
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The Foods of Turin: Risotto

Risotto, the hearty dish made with starchy Aborio rice, is a staple of Torinese cuisine. The foothills of the Piedmont region are lined with rice paddies and one of the country’s leading rice producers. Many ingredients can be added to risotto – ham, mushrooms, onion, vegetables – but to be called risotto, the rice grains must be toasted in a skillet before cooking and butter and Parmesan cheese must be added. After that, the cook may be as creative as she wishes.


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Chocolate

Turin is the birthplace of solid chocolate. The process to make chocolate, as we know it, was invented by a man named Prochet in the late 18th century. Today Turin and the Piedmont region produce a variety of fancy chocolates and are particularly known for their Gianduiottos, half-moon shaped hazelnut chocolates wrapped in gold or silver foil.
Italian Chocolates
Italian Chocolates
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The Foods of Turin: Truffles

Pungent white truffles are one of the most prized foods of Turin. In season, between October and December, you’ll find shavings of this delicacy added to almost every dish – from soup to pasta to meat dishes to eggs. This sought-after fungus grows in the foothills underground in the root systems of oak, poplar, chestnut, and hazel trees. Special “truffle” hounds are bred to sniff out the delicacy.


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Dining in Turin

Turin is a cosmopolitan city of around one million people and restaurants of all genres abound in the city. The traditional Torinese meal begins with a series of antipasto dishes, small plates of food similar to mezes in Greece or tapas in Spain. These may be small plates of cured meats, olives, seafood, peppers, or cheese, among other things. The antipasti are followed by a pasta course, almost always served with an olive oil or white sauce. Typical Torinese main dishes include roast rabbit or pork, braised beef, or game birds. The main dish is followed by a crisp green salad and then a dolce, or dessert. The most famous dessert in the region is the Dolce Torinese, a rich chocolate torte containing almonds and butter cookies.


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