Places of interest15 May 2020

Asti: discover truffle, cardo gobbo, cheese, amaretti , spumante and brachetto

The Province of Asti lies at the heart of Piedmont and borders Liguria in the south. This mostly hilly territory stretches across Monferrato and a small area of the Langhe and the Langa Astigiana, and is traversed by the Tanaro River.

Asti, Credit Pixabay

Asti, Credit Pixabay

The Province of Asti lies at the heart of Piedmont and borders Liguria in the south. 
This mostly hilly territory stretches across Monferrato and a small area of the Langhe and the http://www.italia.it/en/media/video/asti-and-cuneo-the-autumn-coloured-langhe.html?no_cache=1&h=astiLanga Astigiana, and is traversed by the Tanaro River.

The most important product of Asti Province is the truffle, a real delicacy that can make even the simplest dishes special.
Among local vegetables, the cardo gobbo (the thistle of the artichoke) of Nizza Monferrato and the “square pepper” of Asti stand out, and both are regarded as essential ingredients for bagna caoda (a garlic and anchovy dip). 
The area around Asti is renowned for its cheeses, such as robiola of Roccaverano and robiola di Cocconato.
The typical dishes of the territory are agnolotti, Monferrato-style potato gnocchi, ciotola di trifulau (cheese fondue with polenta and a sprinkling of truffles), Piedmont-style boiled meats, and, of course, bagna caoda

The local desserts include amaretti (amond cookies) from Mombaruzzo, canestrelli, the finocchini of Refrancore and hazelnut cakes.
This area is world famous for its high-quality wines: from white wines to dry sparkling wines such as Cortese, Piemonte Chardonnay, Moscato d'Asti and, of course, Asti Spumante DOCG. 
Among the prestigious red wines are the Barbera d’Asti, Barbera del Monferrato, Dolcetto d’Asti, Brachetto d’Acqui and Piemonte Brachetto, while the local grappas and other spirits are none too shabby.

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