Piedmont

Sugar cookies, commonly dipped in coffee, hot chocolate, wine, rosolio (rose-flavored liqueur)

The gnocco fritto or crescentina ( Italian: [kreʃʃenˈtiːna]) is an Italian bread from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, prepared using flour, water and lard as primary ingredients. Cracklings are sometimes used in its preparation as well. In Emilia-Romagna, it is typically sliced into diamond shapes and then fried, and may be accompanied with cheese and salumi. When it is fried, the bread puffs up, and it may include yeast or baking soda to leaven it. Versions prepared with milk are softer than those prepared with water. It may be served either as an appetizer or as a main dish. Despite the name by which in Italy it is often referred to as a kind of gnocchi, it is technically not. The name crescentina is derived from the Italian verb crescere, meaning 'to grow', referring to it puffing up during the cooking.

Baci di dama are a type of northern Italian sandwich biscuit consisting of two hazelnut biscuits joined together by a chocolate filling, representing the "kiss" in the name. Considered a standard of Italian confectionery, these are a common item at bakeries throughout Italy and in Italian diaspora communities. Though traditionally made with hazelnut cookies, there are currently many modern flavour variations. The most common variations are made with almonds, pistachios, and cocoa in place of hazelnuts. Baci di dama originate from the town of Novi Ligure in the region of Piedmont. They were created in the 19th century as a way to utilize hazelnuts, which are local to Piedmont [it]. Baci di dama have been classified as a traditional, protected Piedmontese product (PAT, i.e. prodotti agroalimentari tradizionali).

Baicoli are Italian biscuits, originating in the 1700s in the city of Venice. They are made with sugar, butter, flour, yeast, eggs, and salt. Baicoli gained their name because their shape resembled that of small mullets, which in the local dialect are called baicoli.

Sugar cookies, commonly dipped in coffee, hot chocolate, wine, rosolio (rose-flavored liqueur)

Pudding or custard made with chocolate and amaretti cookies, and topped with rum-flavored caramel sauce and amaretti

Sweet leavened ring-shaped cake

A simple cake or sweet bread made with butter, vanilla, lemon peel

Carnival fritters

Gianduja or gianduia[a] is a homogeneous blend of chocolate with 30% hazelnut paste, invented in Turin during Napoleon's regency . It can be consumed in the form of bars or as a filling for chocolates. Gianduja is chocolate stretched with hazelnut butter. Similarly to standard chocolate, it is made in both plain and milk versions. It may also contain other nuts, such as almond. As a bar, gianduja resembles normal chocolate, except for the fact that it is softer due to the presence of hazelnut oil, which is liquid at room temperature unlike cocoa butter. However, like conventional chocolate, gianduja is usually tempered.

Krumiri are a kind of biscuit which is regarded as the particular delicacy of Casale Monferrato, the city in north-west Italy where they were invented in 1878 by the confectioner Domenico Rossi. They are made without water from wheat flour, sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla, in the form of a slightly bent, rough-surfaced cylinder. This handlebar shape is said to have been chosen in honour of the extravagantly moustachioed Victor Emanuel II, the first king of united Italy. They may be eaten with—or dunked in—tea, liqueurs, wine, zabaione, etc. Krumiri were awarded a bronze medal at the 1884 Universal Exhibition held in Turin and the following year the manufacturers received a Royal Warrant to supply the Duke of Aosta. Warrants from the Duke of Genoa and from King Umberto I followed in 1886 and 1891. Today krumiri are among the Piedmontese specialities included in the Region’s official list of Prodotti agroalimentari tradizionali.

Marron glacé is a confection originating in France or Italy that consists of a chestnut candied in sugar syrup and glazed. It is an ingredient in many desserts and is also eaten on their own.

Eggplant slices covered in chocolate sauce

A Mont Blanc is a dessert of sweetened chestnut purée in the form of vermicelli, topped with whipped cream. It was created in nineteenth-century Paris. The name comes from Mont Blanc, as the dish resembles a snow-capped mountain. Mont Blanc has been an autumn and winter favorite at Parisian pâtisseries, notably the Parisian tea shop Angelina. For a long time considered old-fashioned and heavy, it has become newly popular in the 2010s in a lighter form at trendy shops like Pierre Hermé, with many variations. A dessert with three distinctive characteristics of typical Mont Blanc: sweet, made of chestnut purée in the form of vermicelli served as a mount or a ring, and heaped with whipped cream, existed by the mid-19th century.

Nutella is a brand of brown, sweetened hazelnut cocoa spread. Nutella is manufactured by the Italian company Ferrero and was introduced in 1964, although its first iteration dates to 1963. Pietro Ferrero owned a bakery in Alba, an Italian town known for the production of hazelnuts. In 1946, he sold the initial 300-kilogram (660 lb) batch of Pasta Gianduja, derived from gianduja. Originally sold as a solid block, Ferrero started to sell a creamy version in 1951 as Supercrema gianduja. In 1963, Ferrero's son Michele Ferrero, alongside Francesco Rivella, revamped Supercrema gianduja with the intention of marketing it throughout Europe. Its composition was modified, and it was renamed "Nutella". The first jar of Nutella left the factory in Alba on April 20, 1964. The product was an instant success and remains widely popular.

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin and molded. The cream may be aromatized with coffee, vanilla, or other flavorings. The name panna cotta is not mentioned in Italian cookbooks before the 1960s, yet it is often cited as a traditional dessert of the northern Italian region of Piedmont. One unverified story says that it was invented by a Hungarian woman in the Langhe in the early 19th century. An 1879 dictionary mentions a dish called latte inglese (lit. 'English milk'), made of cream cooked with gelatin and molded, although other sources say that latte inglese is made with egg yolks, such as crème anglaise; perhaps the name covered any thickened custard-like preparation. The dish might also come from the French recipe of fromage bavarois from Marie-Antoine Carême in le pâtissier royal parisien, which is the same as the modern panna cotta, except that one part of the cream is whipped to make chantilly and included in the preparation before adding the gelatin.

Cornmeal cookies

Pears poached in red wine

Pine nut cookies

Sweet version: spongecake with a layer of hazelnut butter cream, filled with chocolate and hazelnut buttercream, and topped with marzipan

Cake filled with dried fruit, nuts and honey, common during Christmas

Ring- or ribbon-shaped cookies

Torta monferrina is a cake made with pumpkin or apples, sugar, amaretti, chocolate, eggs and rum, and baked. It is an autumn speciality of the Montferrat hills, in northwest Italy.

Chestnut pie

Chocolate and hazlenut cake using gianduia spread

Zabaione or, through hypercorrection, zabaglione ( UK: /ˌzæbəlˈjoʊni/, US: /ˌzɑːb-/; Italian: [dzabaʎˈʎoːne])[a] is an Italian dessert, or sometimes a beverage, made with egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine (usually Moscato d'Asti or Marsala wine). Some versions of the recipe incorporate spirits such as cognac. The dessert version is a light custard, whipped to incorporate a large amount of air. Since the 1960s, in restaurants in areas of the US with large Italian populations, zabaione is usually served with strawberries, blueberries, peaches, etc., in a champagne coupe, and is often prepared tableside for dramatic effect. In France, it is called sabayon. The dessert is popular in Argentina and Uruguay, where it is known as sambayón (from the Piedmontese sambajon) and is a popular ice cream flavour.

Anise or lemon cookies

Asti is a sparkling white Italian wine that is produced throughout southeastern Piedmont, but is particularly focused around the towns of Asti and Alba. Since 1993 the wine has been classified as a denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG) and as of 2004 was Italy's largest producing appellation. On an average vintage more than ten times as much Asti is produced in Piedmont than the more well-known Piedmontese red wine Barolo. Made from the Moscato Bianco grape, it is sweet and low in alcohol, and often served with dessert. Unlike Champagne, Asti is not made sparkling through the use of secondary fermentation in the bottle, but rather through a single tank fermentation utilizing the Charmat method. It retains its sweetness through a complex filtration process. Another wine called Moscato d'Asti is made in the same region from the same grape, but is only slightly sparkling (frizzante) and tends to have even lower alcohol.

Barbaresco is an Italian wine made with the Nebbiolo grape. Barbaresco is produced in the Piedmont region in an area of the Langhe immediately to the east of Alba and specifically in the comunes of Barbaresco, Treiso and Neive plus that area of the frazione San Rocco Seno d'Elvio which was once part of the comune of Barbaresco and now belongs to the comune of Alba. It was granted Denominazione di origine controllata status in 1966 and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) status in 1980. The wine is often compared with Barolo—another Nebbiolo-based wine from the Piedmont area. Though the wines do share many similarities, there are some distinct differences between them. The area under vine has increased dramatically over the last few decades - from 484 hectares in the early 1990s to 733 hectares in 2019. Although it was already well known for the quality of its Nebbiolo grapes, the widely accepted birthdate of Barbaresco is 1894, when Cantina Sociale di Barbaresco was founded, as before that date Nebbiolo grapes from the Barbaresco area were mostly sold to Barolo producers. Domizio Cavazza, a young and brilliant agronomist born in Modena, was named to be the founding director of Alba's Royal Enological School in 1881, and soon started to develop its passion for Barbaresco, which led to his purchase of a farm and a vineyard in 1886. He cultivated its vineyard with Nebbiolo and with a group of nine growers founded the Cantina Sociale, outfitted with barrels and winemaking equipment in order to produce what are considered the first wines to be officially called Barbaresco. After a good start, Barbaresco fell on hard times with World War I and the premature death of Cavazza in 1915.

Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy . It produces good yields and is known for deep color, full body, low tannins and high levels of acidity. Century-old vines still exist in many regional vineyards and allow for the production of long-aging, robust red wines with intense fruit and enhanced tannic content. The best-known appellation is the DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) Barbera d'Asti in the Piedmont region: the highest-quality Nizza DOCG wines are produced within a sub-zone of the Barbera d'Asti production area. When young, the wines offer a very intense aroma of fresh red cherries and blackberries. In the lightest versions notes of cherries, raspberries and blueberries and with notes of blackberry and black cherries in wines made of more ripe grapes. Many producers employ the use of toasted oak barrels, which provides for increased complexity, aging potential, and hints of vanilla notes. The lightest versions are generally known for flavors and aromas of fresh fruit and dried fruits, and are not recommended for cellaring. Wines with a better balance between acid and fruit, often with the addition of oak and having a high alcohol content are more capable of cellaring; these wines often result from reduced-yield viticultural methods. Barbera is believed to have originated in the hills of Monferrato in central Piemonte, Italy, where it has been known since the thirteenth century. Documents from the cathedral of Casale Monferrato between 1246 and 1277 detail leasing agreements of vineyard lands planted with "de bonis vitibus barbexinis" or Barbera, as it was known then. However, one ampelographer, Pierre Viala, speculates that Barbera originated in the Lombardy region of Oltrepò Pavese. In the 19th and 20th centuries, waves of Italian immigrants brought Barbera to the Americas where the vine took root in California and Argentina among other places. Recent DNA evidence suggest that Barbera may be related to the French-Spanish vine Mourvedre. In 1985, the Piedmont region was rocked by a scandal involving Barbera producers illegally adding methanol to their wines, killing over 30 people and causing many more to lose their sight. The bad press and publicity saw a steady decline in Barbera sales and plantings, allowing the grape to be eclipsed by the Montepulciano grape as Italy's second most widely planted red grape variety in the late 1990s.

Barolo is a red denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG) wine produced in the northern Italian region of Piedmont. It is made from the nebbiolo grape and is often described as one of Italy's greatest wines. The zone of production extends into the communes of Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba and parts of the communes of Cherasco, Diano d'Alba, Grinzane Cavour, La Morra, Monforte d'Alba, Novello, Roddi, and Verduno, all in the province of Cuneo, south-west of Alba. Although production codes have always stipulated that vineyards must be located on hillsides, the most recent revision of the production code released in 2010 goes further, categorically excluding valley floors, humid and flat areas, areas without sufficient sunlight, and areas with full-on northern exposures. Barolo is often described as having the aromas of tar and roses, and the wines are noted for their ability to age and usually take on a rust red tinge as they mature. Barolo must be aged for at least 36 months after the harvest before release, of which at least 18 months must be in wood. When subjected to ageing of at least five years before release, the wine can be labelled as Riserva.

Bicerin is a traditional hot drink native to Turin, Italy, made of espresso, drinking chocolate, and milk served layered in a small glass. The word bicerin (Piedmontese for 'small glass') is the equivalent of Italian bicchierino (diminutive of bicchiere, lit. 'glass').

Brachetto is a red Italian wine grape variety grown predominantly in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. At one time the grape was thought to be related to the French wine grape Braquet, but recent thought among ampelographers is that the two are distinct varieties. In Italy's region of Piedmont the grape is somewhat more widespread: production mostly falling within an area of the provinces of Asti and Alessandria between the rivers Bormida and Belbo plus various parts of the province of Cuneo. At Canelli, on the border between the hills of Asti and the Langhe proper, the grape is known as Borgogna. The most notable wine here is the red Brachetto d'Acqui Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) which is made in both still and spumante (fully sparkling) versions. The Piemonte Brachetto Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC), also a red wine, is made with a minimum of 85% Brachetto; it is usually still, but may be frizzante (lightly sparkling). The grape is also used for up to 10% of the blend for the Ruché-based Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG. Brachetto tend to produce light-bodied, highly aromatic wines with distinctive notes of strawberries. In the DOCG region of Brachetto d'Acqui, the grape is used to produce a slightly sweet sparkling wine that is similar to Lambrusco and is sometimes called the light red equivalent of Moscato d'Asti.

Erbaluce di Caluso o Caluso è una DOCG riservata ad alcuni vini la cui produzione è consentita nelle province di Torino, Biella e Vercelli. La maggior produzione si svolge sulle colline intorno a Caluso, in Canavese. La zona di produzione comprende l'intero territorio dei seguenti comuni: Agliè, Azeglio, Bairo, Barone, Bollengo, Borgomasino, Burolo, Caluso, Candia Canavese, Caravino, Cossano Canavese, Cuceglio, Ivrea, Maglione, Mazzè, Mercenasco, Montalenghe, Orio Canavese, Palazzo Canavese, Parella, Perosa Canavese, Piverone, Romano Canavese, San Giorgio Canavese, San Martino Canavese, Scarmagno, Settimo Rottaro, Strambino, Vestignè, Vialfrè, Villareggia e Vische in provincia di Torino; Roppolo, Viverone e Zimone in provincia di Biella; Moncrivello in provincia di Vercelli..

Il Carema è un vino DOC la cui produzione è consentita nel solo comune di Carema. Il Carema è ottenuto dal nebbiolo e prevede un affinamento minimo di 24 mesi di cui almeno 12 in legno. Nella tipologia riserva l'affinamento minimo è di 36 mesi di cui 24 in legno. La fama e diffusione del Carema è stata in parte dovuta alla presenza nel territorio di produzione della Olivetti, che spesso distribuiva bottiglie di questo vino come omaggio a clienti e fornitori, diffondendone la conoscenza in Italia e all'estero.

Cortese is a white Italian wine grape variety predominantly grown in the southeastern regions of Piedmont in the provinces of Alessandria and Asti. It is the primary grape of the Denominazione di origine controllata wines of Cortese dell'Alto Monferrato and Colli Tortonesi as well as the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) wine of Cortese di Gavi. Significant plantings of Cortese can also be found in the Lombardy region of Oltrepò Pavese and the DOC white blends of the Veneto wine region of Bianco di Custoza. Cortese has a long history in Italian viticulture, with written documentation naming the grape among the plantings in a Piedmontese vineyard as early as 1659. The grape's moderate acidity and light flavors have made it a favorite for the restaurants in nearby Genoa as a wine pairing with the local seafood caught off the Ligurian coast. One of the earliest documentations of the Cortese grape dates back to a 1659 report to the Marchesa Doria from the estate manager of the family's villa in Montaldeo that states that all the vineyards were planted with Cortese and Vermentino. In 1870, the ampelographers P.P. DeMaria and Carlo Leardi noted that the Cortese was being widely cultivated in the Alessandria province of Piedmont, where it was prized for its hardiness to grape diseases and ability to produce large crop yields as well as high-quality wine. Today, Cortese is most widely associated with the DOCG wine Cortese di Gavi, produced in the Alessandria Gavi region. There are significant plantings of the grape throughout southeastern Piedmont, including the DOC wine-producing areas of Colli Tortonesi and Cortese dell'Alto Monferrato, located a few miles to the west of Gavi and of Monferrato Casalese Cortese, which extends to the Basso Monferrato north of the Tanaro. Despite the proximity to Gavi, Cortese experiences a significantly difficult time with the grapes fully ripening in Tortona and Monferrato. Piemonte Cortese DOC can be made in the Province of Cuneo to the west, along with Alessandria and Asti.

Erbaluce or Erbaluce bianca is a white Italian wine grape grown primarily in the Piedmont region around Caluso, in Canavese. In addition to dry table wines, it is used to make sweet wines with deep golden coloring, such as passito. The grape has a long history in the Piedmont region, with the first written record dating to 1606, and most likely originated in the alpine hills of northern Piedmont. In the 21st century, DNA profiling determined that Erbaluce has a close genetic relationship with another Piedmontese wine grape, Cascarolo bianco, though the exact nature of that relationship is not yet known. Wines made from Erbaluce tend to be dry with noticeable acidity. While the grape's acidity makes it ideally suitable for sweet wine production, the dry wines need to have considerable amount of fruit in order to balance that acidity. Both the dry and sweet styles of Erbaluce tend to exhibit characteristic apple aromas and flavors. Since the 1990s, Piedmontese producers have been working on improving the quality of Erbaluce wines to compete with the whites of Cortese and Arneis.

Frangelico is a brand of hazelnut and herb–flavored liqueur coloured with caramel coloring, which is produced in Canale, Italy. It is 20% alcohol by volume (ABV) or 40 proof. Formerly, it was 24% ABV or 48 proof. When produced by the Barbaro family it was bottled at 28% ABV or 56 proof. The brand was created in 1978. It is known for its unusual packaging; its bottle was designed to look like a Christian friar, complete with a knotted white cord around the waist. It is commonly sold in two sizes: 750 ml and 375 ml. According to the manufacturer, the name of the liqueur is based on a legend of a hermit monk named Fra Angelico who lived in the Piedmont region of Italy and "created unique recipes for liqueurs". The bottle itself most closely resembles the habit of a Franciscan friar.

Gattinara is a red Italian wine with denominazione di origine controllata e garantita status produced from Nebbiolo grapes grown within the boundaries of the comune of Gattinara, which is located in the hills in the north of the province of Vercelli, northwest of Novara, in the Piedmont region. It was awarded DOC status in 1967 and received its DOCG classification in 1990. The wine is made primarily from the Nebbiolo grape variety (known locally as Spanna) which must constitute a minimum of 90% of the wine and may be blended with up to 10% Bonarda di Gattinara and no more than 4% of Vespolina. The wine is aged in wooden barrels for two years or three years if it is a riserva, with an additional two years of ageing in the bottle. The Oxford Companion to Wine asserts that wine from Vercelli hills on the west bank of the Sesia River and Novara hills are capable of producing rivals to Barolo and Barbaresco, and has at times in Piedmontese history been more admired than Barolo for its longevity. 45°36′29″N 8°22′01″E / 45.608°N 8.367°E / 45.608; 8.367

Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa or drinking chocolate, is a heated drink consisting of shaved or melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener. It is often garnished with whipped cream or marshmallows. Hot chocolate made with melted chocolate is sometimes called drinking chocolate, characterized by less sweetness and a thicker consistency.

Wine from the Langhe region of northwest Italy

Malvasia , also known as Malvazia, is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. In the past, the names Malvasia, Malvazia, and Malmsey have been used interchangeably for Malvasia-based wines; however, in modern oenology, "Malmsey" is now used almost exclusively for a sweet variety of Madeira wine made from the Malvasia grape. Grape varieties in this family include Malvasia bianca, Malvasia di Schierano, Malvasia negra, Malvasia nera, Malvasia nera di Brindisi, Malvasia di Candia aromatica, Malvasia odorosissima, and a number of other varieties. Malvasia wines are produced in Greece (regions of Peloponnese, Cyclades and Crete), Italy (including Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardia, Apulia, Sicily, Lipari, Emilia-Romagna, and Sardinia), Slovenia (including Istria), Croatia (including Istria), Corsica, the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands, the island of Madeira, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Australia and Brazil. These grapes are used to produce white (and more rarely red) table wines, dessert wines, and fortified wines of the same name, or are sometimes used as part of a blend of grapes, such as in Vin Santo. Most ampelographers believe that the Malvasia family of grapes are of ancient origin, most likely originating in Crete, Greece. The name "Malvasia" comes from the Italian name for Monemvasia, a medieval and early Renaissance Byzantine fortress on the coast of Laconia; the town's port acted as a trading center for wine produced in the eastern Peloponnese and perhaps in some of the Cyclades. During the Middle Ages, the Venetians became so prolific in the trading of Malvasia wine that merchant wine-shops in Venice were known as malvasie. The occasional claim that the name might come from the district of Malevizi, near Iraklion, Crete, is not taken seriously by scholars.

Marocchino is a coffee drink created in Alessandria, Italy. Generally, the glass cup is first dusted with cocoa powder, then topped with milk froth and espresso, with a second dusting of cocoa on top.

Asti è una DOCG riservata ad alcuni vini la cui produzione è consentita nelle province di Alessandria, Asti e Cuneo. Si tratta del vino italiano DOCG più esportato e, nella versione spumante, è lo spumante dolce a denominazione più conosciuto al mondo. La zona di produzione comprende l'intero territorio dei comuni di Acqui Terme, Alice Bel Colle, Bistagno, Cassine, Grognardo, Ricaldone, Strevi, Terzo e Visone in provincia di Alessandria; Bubbio, Calamandrana, Calosso, Canelli, Cassinasco, Castagnole Lanze, Castel Boglione, Castelletto Molina, Castelnuovo Belbo, Castel Rocchero, Cessole, Coazzolo, Costigliole d'Asti, Fontanile, Incisa Scapaccino, Loazzolo, Maranzana, Mombaruzzo, Monastero Bormida, Montabone, Nizza Monferrato, Quaranti, San Marzano Oliveto, Moasca, Sessame, Vesime, Rocchetta Palafea e San Giorgio Scarampi in provincia di Asti; Castiglione Tinella, Cossano Belbo, Mango, Neive, Neviglie, Rocchetta Belbo, Serralunga d'Alba, Santo Stefano Belbo, Santa Vittoria d'Alba, Treiso, Trezzo Tinella, Castino e Perletto in provincia di Cuneo, nonché delle frazioni di Como e San Rocco Seno d'Elvio del comune di Alba. Canelli: l'intero territorio dei comuni di Calamandrana, Calosso, Canelli, Cassinasco, Castagnole Lanze, Coazzolo, Costigliole d'Asti, San Marzano Oliveto, Moasca, nonché la sinistra orografica del fiume Bormida dei comuni di Loazzolo e Bubbio in provincia di Asti; l'intero territorio dei Comuni di Camo, Castiglione Tinella, Cossano Belbo, Mango, Neive, Neviglie, Rocchetta Belbo, Serralunga d'Alba, S. Stefano Belbo, Treiso, Trezzo Tinella e le frazioni di Como e San Rocco Seno d'Elvio del comune di Alba in provincia di Cuneo.

Nebbiolo is an Italian red wine grape variety predominantly associated with its native Piedmont region, where it makes the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) wines of Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara, Ghemme, and Roero, together with numerous DOC wines. Nebbiolo is thought to derive its name from the Italian nebbia or Piedmontese nebia, meaning 'fog'. During harvest, which generally takes place late in October, a deep, intense fog sets into the Langhe region where many Nebbiolo vineyards are located. Alternative explanations refer to the fog-like glaucous veil that forms over the berries as they reach maturity, or that perhaps the name is derived instead from the Italian word nobile, meaning 'noble'. Nebbiolo produces lightly-colored red wines which can be highly tannic in youth with scents of tar and roses. As they age, the wines take on a characteristic brick-orange hue at the rim of the glass and mature to reveal other aromas and flavours such as violets, tar, wild herbs, cherries, raspberries, truffles, tobacco, and prunes. Nebbiolo wines can require years of ageing to balance the tannins with other characteristics. Ampelographers believe that Nebbiolo is indigenous to the Piedmont region, though there is some DNA evidence to suggest that it could have originated in the Valtellina area of northern Lombardy, just to the east. In the 1st century AD, Pliny the Elder noted the exceptional quality of the wine produced in the Pollentia region located northwest of what is now the Barolo DOCG zone. While Pliny does not explicitly name the grape responsible for these Pollenzo wines, his description of the wine bears similarities to later descriptions of Nebbiolo-based wines, making this potentially the first notation of wine made from Nebbiolo in the Piedmont region. The first explicit mention of Nebbiolo dates to 1268, in which a wine known as "nibiol" was described as growing in Rivoli near Turin. This was followed by a 1303 account of a producer in the Roero district described as having a barrel of "nebiolo" (sic). In the 1304 treatise Liber Ruralium Commodorum, the Italian jurist Pietro Crescenzi described wine made from "nubiola" as being of excellent quality. In the 15th century, statutes in the region of La Morra (in what is now the Barolo zone) demonstrated the high esteem that the Nebbiolo vine had in the area. According to these laws, the penalties for cutting down a Nebbiolo vine ranged from a heavy fine to having the right hand cut off or hanging for repeat offenders. The grape first captured attention outside Piedmont in the 18th century, when the British were looking for alternative wine sources to Bordeaux due to prolonged political conflicts with the French. However, the lack of easy transport from Piedmont to London would keep the Piedmontese wine from having the enduring relationship with British connoisseurship that is associated with Bordeaux, port and sherry. Nonetheless, plantings of Nebbiolo continued to grow during the 19th century until the phylloxera epidemic hit. With vast swaths of vineyards devastated by the pest, some vineyard owners decided to replant with different grape varieties, with Barbera being a significant beneficiary. Today, Nebbiolo covers around 9% of Piedmont vineyards, compared to the 30% occupied by Barbera.

Arneis is a white Italian wine grape variety originating from Piedmont, Italy. It is most commonly found in the hills of the Roero, northwest of Alba, where it is part of the white Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita wines of Roero. It can also be used to produce DOC wines in Langhe. Arneis (literally: little rascal, in Piemontese) is so called because it is regarded as a somewhat difficult variety to grow. It is a crisp and floral varietal, and has been grown for centuries in the region. The white wines made from the Arneis grape tend to be dry and full bodied with notes of pears and apricots. Wine historians disagree on how long Arneis has been growing in the Piedmont region and under what name. A potential root of the name Arneis in the Piemontese dialect, renesi, makes an appearance in the description of several different grape varieties in the 15th century. Some historians believe that Arneis may be the Ranaysii grape that was documented in 1432 growing in the province of Turin around the village of Chieri. Around Canale in the province of Cuneo a Reneysium grape was documented in 1478. The first usage of the name Arneis appears in Italian ampelographer Count Giuseppe di Rovasenda's 1877 text where the grape was described as already being well established in Piedmont. Despite sharing several similar synonyms, Arneis has no genetic relationship to the notable Piedmontese red wine grape Nebbiolo but the two grapes do share a close historic relationship. For centuries the white Arneis grape was used to soften the tannins and harshness of Nebbiolo grape in the wines of the Barolo region, hence the common synonym of Nebbiolo bianco, Barolo bianco or "white Barolo". In the vineyard, Arneis was often planted with Nebbiolo in a field blend with the aim of having the sweet scent of ripe Arneis berries attract birds and keep them away from the more valuable Nebbiolo clusters.

Rosolio is a type of Italian liqueur made from a base of alcohol, sugar, and water in the same proportion, which is flavored by adding an essence of any of various types. Despite a common misconception based on the name, rosolio has no direct connection with roses or rose petals . In fact, the name comes from the Latin ros solis, which means 'dew of the sun': Drosera rotundifolia. The liqueur is common in Piedmont and in southern Italy. It enjoys a special popularity in Sicily, where it has been prepared since the sixteenth century and was offered to house guests as a sign of good luck.

Vermouth is an aromatized fortified wine, flavoured with various botanicals (roots, barks, flowers, seeds, herbs, and spices) and sometimes colored. The modern versions of the beverage were first produced in the mid to late 18th century in Turin, Italy. While vermouth was traditionally used for medicinal purposes, it was later served as an apéritif, with fashionable cafés in Turin serving it to guests around the clock. In the late 19th century, it became popular with bartenders as a key ingredient for cocktails, such as the martini, the Manhattan, the Rob Roy, and the Negroni. In addition to being consumed as an apéritif or cocktail ingredient, vermouth is sometimes used as an alternative to white wine in cooking. Historically, there have been two main types of vermouth: sweet and dry. Responding to demand and competition, vermouth manufacturers have created additional styles, including extra-dry white, sweet white (blanc or bianco), red (rosso), amber and rosé.

Agnolotti is a type of stuffed pasta typical of the Piedmont region of Italy, made with small pieces of flattened dough folded over a filling of roasted meat or vegetables. Agnolotti can be di magro or di grasso depending on their filling of vegetables or meat. Although their primitive shape was semi-circular, traditionally agnolotti are of a square shape with sides of about one or two inches. However, they can also be of a smaller, rectangular shape when they are called "agnolotti al plin". Plin means 'a pinch', because one pinches with thumb and forefinger between each mound of filling to close and seal the little pasta packets. Agnolotti al plin are almost always stuffed with meat.

Braised or roasted duck stuffed with mixture of minced pork, soppressa, bacon, white wine, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, herbs and spices

Raw Fassona beef is beaten by a sharp knife and hand-chopped, then seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon, from Piedmont, Italy

Bollito misto is a classic northern Italian stew, most closely resembling the French pot-au-feu, consisting of various tougher cuts of beef and veal, cotechino, and a whole hen or capon that are gently simmered for 2–3 hours in an aromatic vegetable broth. Bollito and its many regional variations are eaten throughout northern Italy, and is particularly popular in Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, and Lombardy. The meat is sliced thinly and served with coarse sea salt, mostarda, salsa verde, horseradish, or chutney. The resulting broth is skimmed, strained, and used as a base for soups and risottos. In Italian cuisine, bollito was prominent throughout the second millennium. In the 1800s, crown prince and from 1849 king Victor Emmanuel II would often sneak off to the small town of Moncalvo to hunt wild game, cavort with his favorite mistress, and enjoy a convivial meal of bollito with friends. Bollito features prominently in various gastronomic texts: Antonio Latini has 38 cooking suggestions for bollito in his cookbook, Lo Scalco alla Moderna (The Modern Steward) (1694), and Maestro Martino has several recipes in his book Libro de Arte Coquinaria (The Art of Cooking), which is considered a landmark of Italian gastronomic literature.[citation needed]

Braised beef (roast beef), for example, with wine and vegetables, may also use veal, pork

Tripe soup with beans, vegetables and Grana Padano, Parmigiano or other cheese

Stuffed and roasted capon, stuffed with giblets, ground meat, sausage, vegetables, chestnuts, hard boiled eggs

Roasted kid goat with potatoes, common during Easter

The brain, like most other internal organs, or offal, can serve as nourishment. Brains used for nourishment include those of pigs, squirrels, rabbits, horses, cattle, monkeys, chickens, camels, fish, lamb, and goats. In many cultures, different types of brain are considered a delicacy. The brain of animals features in French cuisine, in dishes such as cervelle de veau and tête de veau. A dish called maghaz is a popular cuisine in Pakistan, Bangladesh, parts of India, and diaspora countries. In Turkish cuisine, brain can be fried, baked, or consumed as a salad. In Chinese cuisine, brain is a delicacy in Chongqing or Sichuan cuisine, and it is often cooked in spicy hot pot or barbecued. In the southern part of China, pig brain is used for tianma zhunao tang. In South India, goat brain curry or fry (మేక మెదడు వేపుడు) is a delicacy. Mumbai has its own version of brain masala curry.

Tripe and chickpea soup, older recipes used dark chickpeas from the Middle East but modern versions use Italian chickpeas

Braised rabbit

Roast rabbit

Corzetti or croxetti are a type of pasta typical of the Ligurian cuisine of northwest Italy, and traditional also in the area of Novi Ligure just across the border with Piedmont, in the province of Alessandria. Corzetti originated in Liguria, in northern Italy along the border with France, during the Middle Ages. The name itself derives from a 14th-century Genoan coin, the corzetto. There are different types of corzetti. Those from the Val Polcevera, one of the principal valleys of the area of Genoa, are made in "figure of eight" shape. Elsewhere corzetti stampæ ( Ligurian: [kur'zetˑi staŋˈpɛː]; 'pressed' or 'stamped' corzetti) are found. These are small, thin rounds of pasta that are given an embossed decoration using a special wooden hand-tool. The embossing helps the pasta to hold its sauce better. A pasta with a similar name can also be found in neighbouring Piedmont, but its shape is more akin to that of orecchiette.

Steamed mussels with garlic, tomatoes, parsley

Puréed fava beans and sautéed chicory

Stewed chicken and veal offal, giblets, lesser cuts of meat, mushrooms, butter, Marsala, serve with risotto, sweetbreads

Fondue using fontina cheese, though other cheeses and ingredients are also used

Potato gnocchi topped with a creamy cheese sauce made with Grana Padano, Toma, and/or Fontina cheeses

Gnocchi alla romana are a typical dish of Roman cuisine. They are prepared with gnocchi made of semolina, whole milk, butter and Parmesan cheese, seasoned with salt and black pepper. They are baked in the oven after being sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, and are traditionally topped with meatballs, tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.

Baked lasagne made with spinach pasta, or made with spinach

Rabbit in red wine

Rabbit marinated in and braised with wine, vegetables, juniper berries, herbs and salt

Spaghetti alla chitarra , also known as maccheroni alla chitarra, is a variety of egg pasta typical of the Abruzzo region of Italy, with a square cross section about 2–3 mm thick. Tonnarelli are a similar pasta from Lazio, used especially in the Roman cacio e pepe. Ciriole, traditionally from Molise, is the thicker version of chitarra, approximately twice the thickness of spaghetti. Because the pasta are cut from a sheet rather than extruded through a die, spaghetti alla chitarra are square rather than round in cross-section. The name of this spaghetti comes from the tool (the so-called chitarra, lit. 'guitar') this pasta is produced with. This tool gives the spaghetti its name, shape, and a porous texture that allows pasta sauce to adhere well to the pasta itself. The chitarra is a frame with a series of parallel wires crossing it.

Chestnut soup, may be made with cream (minestra di castagne e latte), rice (minestra di riso e castagne), dried chestnuts, several variations

Chickpea soup with pasta, meat, vegetables

Mondeghili , also known outside Milan as mondeghini (Lombard: mondeghitt), are meatballs typical of Milanese cuisine. The dish was developed as a way to use up leftover cuts of meat, usually beef because of its popularity in Milan. The meatballs are often enriched with sausage, raw salami, liver, mortadella and other pork.

Rice with beans and salami

Pasta with truffles or truffle sauce, for example, strangozzi pasta

Fried fish is any fish or shellfish that has been prepared by frying. Often, the fish is covered in batter, egg and breadcrumbs, flour, or herbs and spices before being fried and served, often with a slice of lemon. Fish is fried in many parts of the world, and fried fish is an important food in many cuisines. For many cultures, fried fish is historically derived from pescado frito, and the traditional fish and chips dish of England which it may have inspired. The latter remains a staple take-out dish of the UK and its former and present colonies. Fried fishcakes made of cod are widely available in the frozen food sections of U.S. grocery stores. Long John Silver's, Skippers, Captain D's, and Arthur Treacher's are well-known North American chain restaurants that serve fried fish as their main food offering. Catfish are also a prevalent farm-raised type of fish that is often served fried throughout the world. A classic fried fish recipe from France is sole meunière. Community fish fries are popular in the southern region of the United States. These social gatherings may center around a church, a civic organization or serve as a fundraiser for a club, volunteer fire department, a school or other organization. In the U.S., especially the Upper Midwest, the New England states, and the Mid-Atlantic states, community fish fries are somewhat popular, sometimes held in church basements or lots in observation of Lent. A fish fry is generally informal. A "shore lunch" is a tradition in the northern U.S. and Canada, where outdoor enthusiasts cook their catch on the shores of the ocean, or lake where the fish was caught.

Small bread dumplings or gnocchi, borlotti beans and lard or fatty pancetta in tomato sauce

Polenta with butter and Fontina cheese

Savory version: polenta served with skewered and grilled meats such as small birds, beef, pork, veal, sausage, pancetta

Polenta with sausage

Buckwheat and cornmeal polenta with butter and Valtellina Casera cheese

Stewed octopus

Porridge made with corn flour, wheat flour, pork, lard, cabbage and beans

Ragù di salsiccia is an Italian tomato-based sauce. The primary ingredients are tomato purée or chopped tomato and sausage, and additional ingredients can include onion, shallot, carrot, celery, garlic, olive oil, red wine, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. The sausage can be crumbled in the sauce's preparation. It may be slow-cooked under low heat for several hours.

Stewed lentils, serve by themselves or as a sauce with pasta

Risotto with bell peppers

Risotto with wild duck

Rice with vegetables

Risotto with truffles