Want to discover traditional food in Turin? Explore this guide to the most iconic dishes from Piedmont
The Turin cuisine, deeply rooted in Piedmontese tradition, offers a unique gastronomic experience rich in history. The Piedmontese cuisine is loved both in Italy and around the world. If you are wondering what typical food to eat in Turin, know that there are many proposals all to be discovered. From the refined agnolotti to the intense bagna cauda, from the crispy mixed fried to the sumptuous grand boiled meat, not forgetting the delicate tajarin, the velvety panna cotta, and the traditional bunet, these dishes know no borders: they are enjoyed in Turin and Alba, but also in London or New York.
The secret of this success? A rare and precious encounter between extraordinary ingredients from the Piedmontese territory, such as fine meats, a great variety of cheeses, truffles, the legendary Barolo, and a culinary tradition that mixes popular flavors with the elegance of noble tables, enriched by French influences.
This fusion of authenticity and technique, indulgence and refinement, was already evident in 1873, when Giovanni Vialardi, chef to Carlo Alberto and later Vittorio Emanuele II, gathered Piedmontese gastronomic knowledge in his “Simple and economical bourgeois cuisine”, the fundamental manual of modern Piedmontese cuisine.
The influence of Slow Food on Piedmontese cuisine
It is no coincidence that Slow Food was born in Piedmont, the movement founded by Carlo Petrini in 1986 in Bra, symbolizing the enhancement of local culinary traditions and the promotion of food that is “good, clean, and fair”. Slow Food has had a significant impact on Piedmontese cuisine, promoting awareness and conscious consumption of the region’s typical products, such as the white truffle of Alba, local wines and cheeses, and enhancing the Presidia, traditional food products at risk of extinction.
Curiosity
A fish out of water: the curious story of anchovies in Piedmontese cuisine
Anchovy is a fundamental ingredient in Piedmontese cuisine, despite Piedmont being a region far from the sea.
Anchovies arrived in Piedmont through the Salt Road, a historic trade route connecting Liguria and France to Piedmont. One of the most accredited theories is that anchovies were used by smugglers to hide salt, which was subject to high duties. This stratagem made anchovies a common product in the region, despite its distance from the sea.
What to eat in Turin: typical dishes
Here are some of the most characteristic specialties of Turin cuisine.
Vitello Tonnato
Vitello Tonnato, or Vitel tonné, is one of the most famous appetizers of Turin cuisine. This dish consists of thin slices of boiled veal served cold, dressed with a tuna sauce made of mayonnaise, tuna, capers, and anchovies.
Agnolotti and Agnolotti del Plin
Agnolotti are a typical fresh egg pasta, similar to ravioli but rectangular in shape. They are filled with cooked meat and vegetables. Agnolotti del plin are a smaller and more delicate variant of traditional agnolotti. The term “plin” comes from the Piedmontese dialect and means “pinch,” referring to the gesture used to close the agnolotto after inserting the filling. They are dressed with roast meat sauce, or with butter and sage, or with meat ragù.
Both variants of agnolotti originated as peasant dishes, using leftover meat to create a complete and tasty meal. This tradition is still alive today, with agnolotti representing a symbol of Piedmontese cuisine and often served on special occasions such as Christmas.
Tajarin with White Truffle of Alba
Tajarin are a typical fresh egg pasta from Piedmont, originating from Langhe and Monferrato. This pasta is known for its thinness and deep yellow color, due to the abundance of egg yolks used in its preparation (some use 40 yolks per kilo of pasta). This dish is dressed with butter and enhanced by the aroma of Alba truffle.
Brasato al Barolo
Brasato al Barolo is a beef stew cooked slowly in Barolo wine. This dish combines two great ingredients of Piedmontese cuisine: Fassone beef and the renowned Barolo wine.
Bagna Cauda
Bagna Cauda is a warm sauce made from garlic, oil, and anchovies, served with raw and cooked vegetables. It is a traditional Piedmontese dish, often consumed in autumn and winter. The name “Bagna Cauda” comes from the Piedmontese dialect and literally means “warm sauce”.
Grissini rubatà
Rubatà are a traditional form of grissini known for their characteristic twisted shape. The name comes from the Piedmontese dialect and means “rolled”.
The history of rubatà is linked to the House of Savoy, where they were created to satisfy the dietary needs of the future Vittorio Amedeo II, who had difficulty digesting bread crumb.
Risotto with Barolo or Castelmagno
Two risotto variants, with the excellent products of the Piedmontese territory: rice, a typical product from Vercelli, seasoned with Barolo from Langhe, or Castelmagno cheese from Valle Grana in the province of Cuneo.
Fritto Misto
Fritto Misto (Mixed Fried) is a traditional dish of Piedmontese cuisine, with deep roots in the local peasant culture. This dish was born as a way to use all available ingredients, particularly offal and butchering scraps, turning them into a complete and tasty meal.
Today it is a festive dish, which can include up to 30 different ingredients:
- Meats: Offal such as sweetbreads, kidneys, liver, veal or pork brains, as well as sausages and slices of meat
- Vegetables: Artichokes, zucchini, mushrooms, and carrots
- Sweets: Apple fritters, amaretti, and fried semolina.
- Fish: sometimes freshwater fish such as trout
Bollito Misto
Grand Mixed Boiled Meat is a meat-based main course, a great classic of Piedmontese cuisine.
According to tradition, it must include:
- Seven sauces: including bagnet verd (sauce made from parsley, salted anchovies, garlic, bread crumbs, vinegar, and olive oil) and bagnet ros (sauce made from peppers, capers, anchovies, garlic)
- Seven cuts of meat: including tenderloin, fiocco di punta, cappello del prete, belly, brisket point, knuckle, and culatta.
- Seven offal: such as head, tongue, trotter, tail, hen, and cotechino.
- Seven side dishes: boiled or sautéed vegetables.
Tomini
Tomini are small, creamy fresh cheeses, often served with bagnet verd (a green parsley-based sauce) and bagnet ross (a red tomato and pepper sauce). They can also come in the spicy version known as “Tomini elettrici”, made with chili pepper. They are a typical appetizer of traditional Torinese cuisine.
Caponet
Caponet are savoy cabbage rolls stuffed with minced pork and sausage. They are baked in the oven and often served as an appetizer.
Battuta di Fassona o carne all’albese
Battuta di Fassona is an appetizer made with raw veal finely chopped by hand and seasoned with olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper. Carne all’Albese, on the other hand, is not chopped but served in thin slices.
Salciccia di Bra
A typical culinary specialty from the town of Bra, in the Roero area of Piedmont. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is eaten raw.
Lingua al verde
Boiled veal or ox tongue, served with bagnet verd (a traditional green parsley sauce).
Traditional Desserts of Turin
Bunet
The traditional spoon dessert of Piedmontese cuisine, originating from the Langhe region. This dessert is known for its creamy texture and intense flavor, derived from a combination of ingredients such as eggs, sugar, milk, cocoa, dry amaretti cookies, and liqueur.
Gianduiotto
The “cioccolatino” of Turin, made with cocoa and hazelnuts, is an iconic treat of the city and a symbol of Piedmontese chocolate, traditionally shaped like an inverted boat.
Baci di dama
Dry pastries made of two hazelnut shortcrust pastry shells joined by a thin layer of dark chocolate. A perfect balance of crunchiness and softness.
Persipien (Stuffed peaches)
A traditional dessert of Piedmontese farming culture. It is made using ripe peaches, halved and hollowed out to hold a filling of crumbled amaretti, cocoa powder, sugar, eggs, and sometimes liqueur. The whole dish is then baked in the oven.
Panna Cotta
A traditional dessert from the Langhe region. It is made with cream, sugar, vanilla seeds, and gelatin. It is served with caramel sauce, melted chocolate, or fresh fruit coulis.
Il Bicerin
The iconic drink of Turin, made with chocolate, coffee, and milk cream. It is served in a glass called a “bicerin.” You can taste it in the cafè called Bicerin, or in the historic cafés of Turin.
Zabaione
A typical dessert made with egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine. It is often served warm, accompanied by biscuits.
Torta alle nocciole
A typical cake from the Langhe region, made with hazelnuts, usually from the prized Tonda Gentile variety of Piedmont.
Gastronomic Traditions of Turin: Merenda Sinoira and the Aperitivo
Turin preserves some culinary traditions that reflect the authentic soul of Piedmont. Among these stand out two rituals that precede—and often replace—dinner: the merenda sinoira, the forerunner of the modern apericena, and the aperitivo, which was born right under the Mole Antonelliana.
Merenda Sinoira: origins and meaning
The merenda sinoira represents one of the most authentic gastronomic traditions of the Piedmontese region. It is a cold meal, more or less abundant, traditionally consumed around five in the afternoon and often extending until dinnertime—frequently replacing dinner altogether. The name itself reveals its nature: “sinoira” derives from sina, a word in the Piedmontese dialect meaning “dinner”.
The origins of this custom are deeply rooted in the rural world of 19th-century Piedmont. Farmers from Monferrato, the Langhe, and the valleys around Turin spent long days working in the fields, especially during the grape harvest, and needed a hearty afternoon snack to sustain them until evening.
In the 19th-century Piedmontese countryside, where there was no electricity, social life revolved around simple elements like bread, wine, and perhaps a game of bocce. The family vegetable garden fed the household, and hospitality was expressed through the abundance of shared food. Farmers would take with them a cloth bundle containing bread, cheese, and cured meats to eat in the afternoon along with a glass of red wine, breaking the fatigue of the day and helping them last until dinner, which in summer was usually quite late.
What Is eaten during Merenda Sinoira?
Traditionally, the merenda sinoira consists of simple yet hearty foods, mostly cold and locally sourced. There is no fixed menu, but rather a variety of dishes depending on seasonal availability and family traditions.
Classic components of this meal include cold cuts, cheeses, and garden vegetables, always accompanied by bread and local red wine. Nowadays, one might also find vitello tonnato (veal with tuna sauce), insalata russa (Russian salad), antipasto piemontese (pickled vegetables with tomato sauce), and various local cheeses like tomini.
The Aperitivo: a ritual born in Turin
If the merenda sinoira reflects the rural spirit of Piedmont, the aperitivo embodies the urban soul of Turin. It’s no coincidence that this practice—now popular all over the world—originated in the Savoyard capital, which in the 19th century was an important cultural and commercial hub frequented by intellectuals, artists, and aristocrats.
A pivotal moment in the history of the aperitivo in Turin is tied to the invention of vermouth, a wine infused with herbs and spices, created in the 18th century in Turin by Antonio Benedetto Carpano. This drink quickly became a key ingredient in the Italian aperitivo and caught the attention of the Savoy royal family, giving the custom a distinctive prestige.
The Turin aperitivo can truly be considered the mother of all the aperitivi, apericene, and happy hours we know today. It is a social moment that combines a love for good food and drinks with the art of conversation, becoming an integral part of Italian culture.