Meats and cheeses

Fresh and processed meats, freshwater fish, frogs, snails and a huge number of fresh and mature cheeses from cow, sheep and goat milk. A significant part of the most authentic Piedmontese traditional products and dishes comes from animals. For instance, the classic mixed boiled meat dish made with seven types of meats (and accompanied by at least three different sauces), braised beef cooked in red wine, traditional tripe dishes, such as “Buseca”, or the sustainable sub-alpine hamburger. An array supported not only by the age-old tradition of breeding Piedmontese Cattle, whose fine meat is exalted in raw preparations such as ‘tartara’ or ‘carpaccio all’albese’, but also by the presence of various other native breeds of livestock and farmyard animals. The finest white meats include the Saluzzo white hen, the Carmagnola grey rabbit and the Morozzo capon, all of which are Slow Food presidia, as is the Poirino golden humped tench, a freshwater fish of particular delicacy. The use of snails in the kitchen is common, particularly in the Cherasco and Borgo San Dalmazzo areas in the province of Cuneo, as well as frogs in the rice areas of Vercelli and Novara. The ovine breeds that must be mentioned include the Sambucana breed from the Occitan valleys, Biellese lambs, and Chamois goats from Val Vigezzo. All the meats are used in an infinite variety of cold cuts and sausages: from the most traditional hams, to liver mortadella, black puddings, such as the Mustardela and salami made from pork (such as the famous Douja, preserved in earthenware jars filled with lard, or the ‘Filetto baciato’), goose, horse, donkey or wild boar; they are sometimes blended with potatoes (‘Salampatata del Canavese’), rice or cabbage; then there is boxed head of pork, cooked and raw salami, such as the Turgia beef salami and Bra sausages; and salted and seasoned goat, lamb and chamois hams.

The great wealth of Piedmontese cheese also reveals a very ancient tradition with a unique variety, mostly made by small and medium-sized producers located in the hills, pre-Alps and Alpine areas. There are more than 60 certified varieties, between DOPs and PATs (Traditional Food Products), with 9 DOPs: Gorgonzola, Grana Padano, Bra, Murazzano, Raschera, Taleggio, Toma Piemontese, Castelmagno and Robiola di Roccaverano, the last two of which are also Slow Food presidia, together with Cevrin di Coazze, Macagn, Montebore and Langhe sheep Tuma.