M | A | N | A | G | E | M | E | N | T GUEST COLUMN

chocolate shops, gelato bars and restaurants. It’s also home to over 60 open-air An Italian expedition markets, including Europe’s biggest at Porta Pallazo, a In the upper corner of Italy lies the relatively unexplored region of Piedmont, an area blessed with lush purveyor of many culinary delights. It was the Savoys landscapes, rich cuisine and opulent palaces who brought chocolate to Turin. An interesting titbit of the region’s choco-histo- ry is that it was the Turinese who taught the art of choco- late making to the Swiss! Cheese is also integral to the region’s cuisine. Peculiar to the region is the sharp Toma cheese, a local cheese made from cow milk, which differs in each valley it’s produced; Castelmagno, a DOP cheese produced from milk from mountain pastures; and also a sharp or sweet Gorgonzola DOP, eaten with honey or polenta (a dish prepared from cornmeal), amongst others. Popular appetisers include grissini - extra long, thin, bread- sticks. First course luminar- ies in the line up include hink Italy and it’s the 17th and 18th century been a necessary stop on plump agnolotti (pasta more likely than not collectively are a World the path of the pilgrim who stuffed with meat, vegeta- that one gets riveted Heritage Monument, rightly weaved his way from the bles and truffles). A sweet Twith the vivacity of so. It’s at the Piazza Alps en route to Rome. On a tooth prevails here too. its iconic destinations: Castello, a bustling square rainy day, I visited San Memorable desserts include majestic Rome, romantic that illustrates the dynasty’s Giovanni Battista’s the mouth-watering giandu- Venice, stunning Florence, magnificence. A soaring Cathedral, where, through a ja - chocolates stuffed with and tantalising Naples. A edifice, the Palazzo sea of people, I glimpsed hazelnut paste; zabione – a preoccupation with such Madama, current home to the Shroud of Turin, the frothy cream made from titans crimps a traveller’s the Municpal Museum of sacred cloth that wrapped eggs and liqueur; and desire to discover the allur- Ancient Art, sums up suc- Christ’s body. panna cotta – cooked ing charms of the rest of cinctly the history of Turin Gastronomy is insepara- cream. Alpine liqueurs, Italy’s expanse. Rather than in its inner chambers: ble from Italy, irrespective grappas and vermouth, an fall prey to the familiar, I Roman Era towers, middle- of whichever part you visit, aromatised, fortified wine welcomed a chance to bur- age ruins, and embellish- but each region has its own that originated from Turin, row into Piedmont’s many ments from the Baroque speciality. So does are all must tries. Coffee, temptations. Located just at period. Piedmont. The streets of such as the traditional the foot of the Alps, Turin’s a city of firsts. Turin are sprinkled with Turinese speciality Bicerin – Piedmont’s cosseted with Italian cinema first clapped trattorias, a frothy brew made of cof- many delights: soaring off here, I discover at the fee, chocolate and cream Alps, mirrored lakes, a National Museum of milk, produced since meandering river, rolling Cinema, the only one in Napoleonic times is delec- hills and flat plains. And, I Italy. The city’s table. discover, the benefactor of Egyptian Museum is But it’s the wine that this variegated landscape is the second most dominates. In Piedmont, a culture of cuisine that important one in the there are over 45 controlled savours every morsel which world, after Cairo’s. denomination of origin finds its way to a plate. It’s a city of faith too. (DOC) wines and about 11 I began the journey at Turin’s controlled and guaranteed the patrician city of Turin, denomination of origin residence of the House of (DOCG) wines that account Savoy - the Italian royal for 80 per cent of the total family - for centuries, and wine production. Out of the the former capital of Italy, a annual output of 3,000,000 title it held briefly. The cap- hectolitres, reds account for ital of Piedmont, it’s sur- 70 per cent. The best known rounded by dense hills and red grape varieties include girdled by the lilting River the Nebbiolo that yields the Neeti Mehra Po. An industrial capital garnet red, full bodied (think Fiat cars and luxuri- Barolo and the harmonious ous textiles), it now inches Barbaresco; while the to become a new culture whites include the Moscato capital too. It’s not surpris- from which comes the ing, considering over 80 sparkling dessert wine - the museums dot the city. But a Asti Spumante. mantle it holds most ele- From the city we moved gantly is that of a royal city; to the rolling, breezy hills of a distinction credited to the Langhe, a region that offers Savoys. Today the circuit of noble wines, truffles, hazel- exquisite residences built in nuts and Murazzano cheese.

32 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD www.expresstravelworld.com July,374 2010 M | A | N | A | G | E | M | E | N | T

These undulating peaks, Celebrating laced with vineyards as far as the eye can see, are home to memory and India the famous Barolo and Barbaresco wines. In the It was books that brought us Barbaresco municipality, we to Piedmont.The 23rd edition went for a truffle hunt, a of the International Book Fair rather successful one that was held at the classic venue, yielded a stash of summer the Lingotto Fiere, in Turin, the truffles, the Scorzone. Autumn is the season of the capital of Piedmont. This edi- king of truffles, the elusive tion celebrated India as the white truffle. And tucked in honorary guest country. Its the sweeping landscape of theme was memory – stem- the hills is the tiny town of ming from the realisation that Grinzane and the fabled 11th century castle of Grinzane. the relationship with the past Host to an illustrious array of is distracted, intermittent and events including The World annoying. With over 1400 Alba White Truffle Auction, it exhibitors and 3 lakh visitors, also houses the Piedmontese The International Book Fair ties, involving activists from cheese; 48,000 bottles of Regional Wine Cellar, plus is over 150 countries. wine on display, and; exten- the head quarter of The was a bibliophiles’ delight. Education too has been given sive varieties of the finest Order of the Knights of the pre-eminence, with the olive oils, pastas, etc, plus a Truffle and Wines of Alba - origins of food. Raising the University of Gastronomic selection of food items pro- and The National decibel of debate around Sciences, dedicated to food duced under the slow food Organisation of Cheese food, it’s launched Terra culture, that’s ranked numero movement. Eataly’s chal- Tasters. There’s more for gas- Madre, a series of world uno in Italian universities lenging traditional formats tronomes in Piedmont – he meetings of food communi- according to an official of retailing with top can visit the Museo del Gusto notch quality and mass – the taste museum – that’s affordability. located in the Olympic With this food for Mountain Area which traces thought, we moved from the history of food from the the rugged terrain to beginning of civilisation to embrace the lush topogra- the present day phy of Lake Maggiore. At But what piqued my the botanic gardens of Villa interest in the region in the Taranto, 20,000 botanic first place was the slow food varieties of plants speckled movement. Piedmont’s the in a fountain dotted land- seat of this closely watched scape, framed with the food revolution, whose able Alps, confronted us. This mascot is the persevering symphony prepared us for snail. Founded in 1989 by what lay ahead: Emerald journalist Carlo Petrini, its waters, picturesque islands, relevancy in today’s world is boutique hotels, and pretty indubitable. As a counter to lakeside towns. Of the fast food and fast lives, the islands, the most charming organisation resurrects food is the Borromean Island, traditions and aims to devel- Isola Bella, perched on Lake op people’s interest in the Maggiore, and it echoes a ship’s shape. The elegant report. It’s a lovely visit to Palazzo Borromeo, resi- the university campus locat- dence of the Borromeo ed in the tiny town of Princes, led to the breath- Pollenzo, situated in a former taking baroque splendour of Savoy residence. In its cellar the terraced gardens with is a wine bank, Petrini’s white peacocks preening in brainchild to conserve disap- the background. Lake Orta, pearing and rare Italian with gabled homes and a wines. Altogether it’s a stag- perfect view has a hidden gering effort to create a new gem – The Island of San gastronomical language. Giulio - with a lovely Another fascinating Romanesque church that encounter was Eataly, boasts eight centuries of art mind-boggling stockist of in its chambers. Hiking and Italian artisanal produce. mountain biking circuits The store’s an alliance of encircle the lake where one small-scale producers of can discover the peaks and quality products, sold at valleys of this Alpine sustainable prices. It’s an region. And as the impressive effort to dispel Piedmontese journey came the notion that artisanal to an end over a table of products are elitist. Sample pike perch, octopus, Barolo this: Barbera wine’s avail- and pannacotta, I raised a able on the tap for as less as toast to a journey of tasteful 1.8 per Euro per liter. The pleasures, in more ways current resident of a former than one. vermouth factory, its racks, tables and shelves are lav- The writer is a freelance writer and can ishly stacked with over 150 be contacted at [email protected]. types of cured meats The views expressed are her own.

34 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD www.expresstravelworld.com July,375 2010