1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,400 If you strap on your skis in the Alps and head straight 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:06,600 down the mountains, you'll find yourself 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:09,120 in the fertile plains of Piedmont. 4 00:00:09,120 --> 00:00:12,160 This region, tucked into the northern corner of Italy, 5 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:15,960 is a wonder, offering up some of the best produce in the world, 6 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:18,360 from exquisite white truffles 7 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:21,720 to rice for risotto and the finest wines. 8 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:24,120 It's incredible how really Barolo, 9 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:27,320 you put it in the glass, and in ten minutes it's changed completely. 10 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:29,160 The people here are fuelled 11 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:30,760 by passion and ambition. 12 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:35,000 They just don't like to shout about it. 13 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:36,640 Oh, my God! 14 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:37,880 I'm Stanley Tucci, 15 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:39,320 I'm Italian on both sides, 16 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,280 and I'm travelling across Italy to discover how the food 17 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:44,560 in each of this country's 20 regions 18 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,800 is as unique as the people and their past. 19 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:49,920 SHE SPEAKS ITALIAN 20 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:52,240 It resurrects a dead person. 21 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,800 Piedmont's a place that's always innovative. 22 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:56,960 You have to be a little bit... Crazy. 23 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:58,280 Yes. 24 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:00,960 Here, you have to expect the unexpected... 25 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:04,800 ..and come at things a little differently, 26 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,240 to unearth its real treasures. 27 00:01:25,320 --> 00:01:27,920 Italy has a reputation for coffee, 28 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:31,080 but it's taken to another level in Turin. 29 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,080 Its graceful squares and elegant buildings are the perfect setting 30 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:36,760 to linger over something potent and warming. 31 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:40,280 If you squint, you could even imagine yourself in Paris. 32 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:42,240 And that's no accident. 33 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:44,560 Turin is the capital of Piedmont, 34 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,040 a region in the extreme northwest of Italy, 35 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:49,360 directly on the border with France. 36 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,560 Having such a larger-than-life neighbour has left its mark. 37 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,920 French ideas, customs and food are everywhere. 38 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:01,120 But, if there's a drink that sums it up, 39 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:03,240 it's this - bicerin - 40 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:07,000 a potion that's been all the rage since the 1760s. 41 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,080 Can I put my spoon in it? 42 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,360 I know that sounds like a naughty question. 43 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:20,080 That's really good. 44 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:21,680 It's in three layers. 45 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:24,200 Coffee, chocolate, cream. 46 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:27,080 Different temperatures. 47 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:29,760 The French may have introduced chocolate to Turin, 48 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:32,920 but only Italians could have come up with a way to suspend 49 00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:34,720 three ingredients like this. 50 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:40,160 Bicerin packs a powerful punch. 51 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,760 Just the stuff to fuel revolutions. 52 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:46,520 One of its greatest fans was a 19th century Turin aristocrat 53 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:48,480 with a big idea. 54 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:54,000 Food writer and local historian Paolo Vizzari 55 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,280 has agreed to fill me in on the details. 56 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:58,120 So good to see you. 57 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:01,200 Well, we've got a nice day for it. 58 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:03,120 So tell me about that guy. 59 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,360 Camillo Benso, Conte di Cavour. 60 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:09,720 He was the politician behind the Italian Unification. 61 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:14,160 Before unification, modern Italy, as we know it, didn't exist. 62 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:17,760 Instead, it was a patchwork of dukedoms and kingdoms 63 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:19,720 with the Spanish controlling the south 64 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:21,920 and the Austrians, the northeast. 65 00:03:21,920 --> 00:03:24,400 The kingdom of Sardinia that ruled Piedmont 66 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:26,480 led the fight to throw out the foreign powers 67 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:29,640 and build an Italy run by Italians. 68 00:03:29,640 --> 00:03:31,000 What year is this now? 69 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:32,440 1861. '61. 70 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:36,160 And Turin then becomes its first capital 71 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:38,560 for, like, a minute and a half or something. 72 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:39,960 Yeah, something like that. 73 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,760 But we still have a huge strength of faith, especially 74 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,000 in the feeling of people. 75 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:47,560 Turin may have lost out to Rome in the long run, 76 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:49,320 but during its time as the capital, 77 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:51,480 Italy became a modern democratic nation 78 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,320 for the first time in history. 79 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:57,560 This used to be the very first Italian parliament. 80 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,360 And Cavour, Italy's first prime minister, 81 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:02,960 had good reason for choosing this location 82 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:04,840 for the centre of government. 83 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:08,520 In front of the parliament, Cavour had his favourite restaurant. 84 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:10,520 Look at the distance! 85 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:13,440 That's no more than 30 yards. 86 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:15,640 I see we have the same priorities. 87 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:20,360 Ristorante Del Cambio first began serving Turin's elite back in 1757, 88 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,680 and its doors have been open ever since. 89 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,160 Let's see. Oh, it's locked! 90 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:28,400 Oh, well, we'll have to go get some pizza. 91 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,160 Actually, there's a wonderful Chinese restaurant 92 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:32,960 around the corner. 93 00:04:34,280 --> 00:04:36,360 Luckily, the staff took pity on us, 94 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:38,840 and we get in before the lunch rush. 95 00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:40,920 Welcome to Versailles. 96 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:42,560 It's a time warp, isn't it? 97 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:45,000 And this is Cavour's table. 98 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,200 Every day, he used to have lunch in that seat. 99 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:50,000 And from there, he could see 100 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:52,840 if his assistant was waving his handkerchief from the balcony, 101 00:04:52,840 --> 00:04:54,960 which was the signal that he had to go back... 102 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:57,240 He had to go back, because he would just stay here. 103 00:04:57,240 --> 00:04:58,600 Yeah, yeah. For hours. 104 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:00,800 My agent does that, too. 105 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:04,720 Here, tradition is everything. 106 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,800 But Del Cambio's head chef, Matteo Baronetto, 107 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:10,680 has made it his mission to drag this historical landmark 108 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:13,960 into the 21st century, while still preserving the essence 109 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,360 of what makes the restaurant unique. 110 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:18,240 Matteo... How are you? Stanley. 111 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,080 It's a high-wire balancing act 112 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:22,200 that's earned him a Michelin star. 113 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:25,840 Si. 114 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,080 Matteo's not your typical chef. 115 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,080 I can see that. Yes. 116 00:05:53,840 --> 00:05:55,880 OK. Enjoy. 117 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:58,920 Foie gras is served with a typically Italian vegetable, 118 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,880 cavolo nero, black kale. 119 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:03,240 Wow. 120 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,040 I don't have anything to say. 121 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:06,720 It's incredible. 122 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:10,200 It's an amazing mix of flavours. Yes. The acidity, the sweetness. 123 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:13,760 I think it's a good symbol for Torino because it's super French 124 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:17,480 in the base, but then... Then it becomes Italian. 125 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:23,680 Matteo's unique take on Piedmontese cuisine pulls in Turin's chic crowd. 126 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:27,880 In the 19th century, Cavour was a fan of aristocratic French food, 127 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:30,840 but he also loved more homey regional dishes. 128 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:35,560 His favourite was a Piedmontese classic - finanziera - 129 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:38,400 a stew made from the cheaper parts of animals. 130 00:06:47,280 --> 00:06:48,840 Veal brain? 131 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:55,400 The testicles! The balls, yes. 132 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:56,840 All right. 133 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:01,800 The spine. Yeah. 134 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:09,360 Offals, besides foie gras, were not that used in the normal food. 135 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:12,840 So this used to be more regional food and workers' food. 136 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:15,600 Peasant food? Peasant food. 137 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:19,080 Finanziera is so associated with Cavour in this restaurant 138 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:21,600 that Matteo can't take it off the menu. 139 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:29,560 It's almost a rough ragout. 140 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,800 That's it? It's like the opposite of what people try to do now. 141 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:45,880 They try to hide it. 142 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:48,880 You must do a taste. Yeah. Let's go. 143 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:52,400 First up, the traditional finanziera. 144 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:57,480 This is really delicious, and delicate 145 00:07:57,480 --> 00:07:59,320 because you think it's not going to be delicate. 146 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:01,680 That's also why Cavour loved this kind of dishes, 147 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:04,920 because he was grown up with French palate 148 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:08,800 but, in the end, he could recognise how delicate it was. 149 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:11,000 Now, Matteo's reinvention. 150 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,480 Dip in the sauce and you taste. OK. 151 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:29,040 I was afraid of the testicles, but I'm not now. 152 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:30,920 They're absolutely delicious. 153 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:33,880 I have to say, I love offal, I do. 154 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:37,400 But even, even I was a little like... 155 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:40,160 It is really, really delicious. 156 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:43,080 That kidney. Yeah. 157 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:46,320 I love it. Oh, my God! I love it. 158 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:48,640 In these dishes that Cavour loved, 159 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,280 we find the contradictions of Italy's birth. 160 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:53,480 Cavour thought French and ate French 161 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:56,080 but he also believed in Piedmont and Italy 162 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,560 and he loved the regional food. 163 00:08:58,560 --> 00:09:00,320 You're amazing! 164 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:01,760 Amazing. Thank you so much. 165 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:04,400 You're incredible. Grazie. 166 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:08,680 Piedmont has many firsts to its name. 167 00:09:08,680 --> 00:09:10,920 It's the birthplace of modern Italy, 168 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:13,360 and Turin was its first capital. 169 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:18,280 But now I'm going to explore another first - a food first. 170 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:22,440 So I'm heading to the University of Gastronomic Sciences, 171 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:25,320 which is run by The Slow Food Movement. 172 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:29,800 The genesis of The Slow Food Movement was when they opened 173 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:36,040 a McDonald's at the Spanish Steps in Rome in the 1980s, 174 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:38,360 and a group of people protested. 175 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:40,200 And that was the beginning of the movement. 176 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:41,840 It has, without question, 177 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:46,280 significantly changed the world of food, as we know it. 178 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:52,360 The campus is an hour south of Turin in the small town of Pollenzo. 179 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:57,360 And when I say small, I mean small...like, tiny. 180 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,760 Could we go on smaller streets? 181 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:07,200 It's like a test. 182 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:09,480 What an amazing spot! 183 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:13,480 This is clearly not your average college campus. 184 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:17,000 Students here get to study in a 19th century Gothic palace, 185 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:19,760 originally built for Piedmont's royal family. 186 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:21,720 All right, let's go. 187 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:31,760 I'm meeting Carlo Petrini, the founder of the university 188 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:34,720 and creator of The Slow Food Movement. 189 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,600 You might say a real life Caped Crusader. 190 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:29,600 Slow Food's mission is to fight against bland, industrialised food. 191 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:32,880 The university teaches the value of regional specialties 192 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:35,200 from olive oil to wine. 193 00:11:36,560 --> 00:11:40,520 It's all about savouring - food, drink, company - 194 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:43,800 the wonderful ritual of eating. 195 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:47,600 I've come back to Turin to see Slow Food's philosophy in action 196 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:49,880 and understand the movement's wider impact 197 00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:51,520 across this region and beyond. 198 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:52,560 Hi. Hi. 199 00:11:52,560 --> 00:11:55,560 Nice to meet you. I'm Carlo. Welcome to Piola da Celso. 200 00:11:55,560 --> 00:11:57,840 Grazie. Hello. Elisabetta. 201 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:00,600 Elisabetta. Elisabetta. 202 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,360 Piola da Celso is a family-run business. 203 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:04,880 Elisabetta does the cooking 204 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:08,000 and her son Carlo serves the customers. 205 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:11,280 Today, Elisabetta is making a Piedmontese specialty - 206 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:15,080 bagna cauda - a warm sauce made from anchovies and garlic 207 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:16,800 that you dip vegetables into. 208 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,600 It's a dish that a few years ago was in danger 209 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:21,600 of disappearing from restaurants. 210 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:24,120 Bagna cauda is a traditional dish, 211 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:26,240 and now everyone wants to eat 212 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:27,960 something that is very traditional. 213 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:31,200 Is that because of The Slow Food Movement? 214 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:43,040 I've been told Elisabetta's bagna cauda is the best in town. 215 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:45,320 Where did bagna cauda come from? 216 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:48,360 It was for poor people because anchovies with salt 217 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:49,800 were very, very cheap. 218 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:51,920 And it gives an incredible flavour too, I mean... 219 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:55,360 Incredible flavour and incredible breath. 220 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:57,360 Bad breath? Oh, yes, yes. 221 00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:01,280 The garlic kills almost everyone you can have in front of you. 222 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:07,400 Well, it wouldn't be the first time I've ended up reeking of garlic! 223 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:09,560 The crew will just have to put up with it. 224 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:35,840 There are a lot of anchovies. I noticed. 225 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:38,560 I don't think there are any more left in the ocean! 226 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:44,240 It's a very particular dish. 227 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:47,200 You can find it only in Piedmont 228 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:49,200 and not in every restaurant. It's very rare. 229 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:50,560 Yeah. 230 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:58,520 SHE SPEAKS ITALIAN 231 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:00,440 It resurrects a dead person? 232 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,320 If you want to do it, you just have to put some energy. 233 00:14:06,920 --> 00:14:08,480 Finished? 234 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:10,040 Oh, all right. 235 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:13,000 Elisabetta cooks everything herself fresh every day. 236 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,840 But it seems embracing the traditional means also doing 237 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:17,320 without modern appliances. 238 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:24,560 Si, I would love it. 239 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:44,240 My new favourite word! 240 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:49,800 Mm. 241 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:53,440 Oh, my God! 242 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:57,080 That was amazing. 243 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:01,200 Si. 244 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:02,440 Mm. 245 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:04,120 If I smell of garlic, I don't care. 246 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:05,480 Well, I'm starving. 247 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:07,320 Is the chef good? Yes. 248 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:15,120 The classic, if slightly unusual combination of veal 249 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:17,360 with a tuna and caper sauce. 250 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:24,480 Meat-filled ravioli, bathed in roasting juices, 251 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:26,040 called agnolotti. 252 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:30,560 Oh, my God! 253 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:32,200 Wow. Wow. 254 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:34,560 And finally, the local specialty - 255 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:36,280 roasted shoulder of veal. 256 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:39,920 SHE SPEAKS ITALIAN 257 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:41,880 It's like 11 out of 10. 258 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:48,520 It's so good. You are very kind. 259 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:49,840 No, I'm not kind. 260 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:51,680 Well, I'm not being kind. 261 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:56,360 In Piedmont, traditional regional food is very much alive and well. 262 00:15:57,800 --> 00:15:59,440 She should be. 263 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:03,840 It's all about passion. Yeah. 264 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:05,840 Go on, now. 265 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,040 What pizza is to Naples, 266 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:14,800 risotto is to Piedmont. 267 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:18,640 Half the rice grown in the country comes from this region. 268 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:21,520 It thrives on flood plains in the Po River Valley, 269 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:25,160 northeast of Turin, where it's irrigated by melting glacial water 270 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:27,000 from the Alps. 271 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:31,520 The town of Vercelli is Italy's rice capital, 272 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:35,920 with the risottorie, places specialising in risotto everywhere. 273 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:38,920 But I've heard the best one is rather surprisingly 274 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:41,840 hiding at the back of a 1960s hotel. 275 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:46,040 There it is. 276 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:49,440 Unassuming is the word. 277 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:03,080 Bongiorno. Bongiorno. 278 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:04,280 Thank you. 279 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:10,080 Brothers Christian and Manuel Costardi pay homage to rice, 280 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:14,280 serving it in modern, inventive ways to diners, who travelled the world 281 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:16,560 to taste their risotto. 282 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:18,480 We start with the rice. 283 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:19,800 This is your rice. Yeah. 284 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:23,880 This is, like, a selection that we do with a farm 285 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:27,400 close to Vercelli, who have the best rice for risotto. 286 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:28,640 It is carnaroli, 287 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:30,240 and we do the roasting of the rice. 288 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:34,040 It's one of the most important procedures for the risotto. 289 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:37,880 We add salt and pepper. 290 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:40,480 You're, like, toasting it almost, right? Yes. 291 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:43,560 The only time that you can give flavour to the rice, 292 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:46,720 after you give flavour to the risotto. We have vegetable stock. 293 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:48,080 Vegetable stock? Yes. 294 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:50,480 Onion, carrots, celery. Yeah. 295 00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:52,360 The Costardi brothers celebrate 296 00:17:52,360 --> 00:17:54,920 the very best of Piedmont's local produce. 297 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:56,680 Their signature dish is a risotto 298 00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:02,200 made with Lavazza coffee, a beer reduction, and Grana Padano cheese. 299 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:05,560 And the risotto we do now is a tribute to Italy. 300 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:07,560 And what we want to do is to bring 301 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:09,200 four of the most important ingredients 302 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:11,120 and have everything in a dish. 303 00:18:11,120 --> 00:18:12,920 Are you both from this area? Yeah. 304 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:14,560 We are born in Vercelli. 305 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:17,760 The hotel was built by our grandparents in 1967. 306 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:20,720 In 2005, we decided to open our restaurant 307 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:22,800 to try to do something new. 308 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:28,280 We are born the idea to have 22 different risotto on the menu. 309 00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:31,120 Christian and Manuel's restaurant is a million miles away 310 00:18:31,120 --> 00:18:33,200 from a traditional risottoria, 311 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:35,360 which usually have only one or two 312 00:18:35,360 --> 00:18:38,280 classic cheese or mushroom risottos on the menu. 313 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:43,160 The brothers' inventive approach has earned them a Michelin star. 314 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:45,240 You are experimenting all the time. Yes. 315 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:49,760 We like to take inspiration from what happened in our life. 316 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:52,920 From music, from television, from cinema, 317 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:54,280 from art, from everything. 318 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:57,080 We'll never forget what we have outside our windows, 319 00:18:57,080 --> 00:19:00,680 what we have around us, and the rice and the territory 320 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:02,840 and Piedmont is very important for us. 321 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:05,120 For this risotto is a Grana Padano cream. 322 00:19:05,120 --> 00:19:06,680 Oh, nice. 323 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:09,360 And after, we have the powder of coffee. 324 00:19:09,360 --> 00:19:11,920 This is a coffee that arrived from Ethiopia. 325 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:13,480 Oh, yeah. Ooh, yeah. 326 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:15,680 The coffee idea arrived because I love the coffee. 327 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:18,480 What we try with each dish that we produce 328 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:23,320 is to block what is in your mind normally, click on something 329 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:25,760 of your past, in your memory. 330 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:28,480 OK, this is unsalted butter. 331 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:30,120 Unsalted, OK. 332 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:33,160 Easy. 333 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:36,240 You try? 334 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:38,280 Not like that. It's not difficult. 335 00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:41,280 It's not? 336 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:45,120 No. You do it. 337 00:19:49,120 --> 00:19:50,800 That's so cool. 338 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:54,480 These tins are born in tribute to Andy Warhol. Andy Warhol, yes. 339 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:55,920 This is a reduction of beer. 340 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:58,320 Just beer? Just use the sugar of the beer. 341 00:19:58,320 --> 00:19:59,880 It's like... It's like caramel. 342 00:19:59,880 --> 00:20:01,680 Yes. 343 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:03,360 Whoa! 344 00:20:03,360 --> 00:20:05,040 And when the mix from the beer, 345 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:06,920 coffee and cheese in the mouth 346 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:08,400 is like fresh mushroom. 347 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:13,640 Now we add the Grana Padano cream on top. 348 00:20:16,360 --> 00:20:21,160 This is completely changing everything I thought about risotto. 349 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:24,040 Coffee on top, and the beer on at the end. 350 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,280 What kind of spoon you want? 351 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:28,840 I'll take that one. OK. Yeah. Thank you. 352 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:36,640 That's a revelation. 353 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:38,800 That's, like, 1,000 things. 354 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:40,320 Yes. In one can. 355 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:42,160 Yes. Wow! 356 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:45,520 Also, the way you cook the risotto, it's so nice and firm. 357 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:47,560 It's very important to have the flavour of the rice. 358 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:51,000 You have to buy it and understand what is inside. 359 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:52,960 That's unbelievable. You're not doing it in Milan, 360 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:55,360 you're not doing it in Turin, you're not doing it in Florence, 361 00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:57,400 you're doing it here where you grew up. 362 00:20:57,400 --> 00:20:58,640 People say we are crazy. 363 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:02,440 Not only people outside, but also our grandma. 364 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:03,760 Yeah, she said you were crazy. 365 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:05,560 Yeah. When we begin, our grandma say... 366 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:14,320 The brothers' love of rice also inspires their dessert menu. 367 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:21,480 And Manuel's signature dish is Rice Field In Winter. 368 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:24,680 When started this dish, I go in the rice field for taste. 369 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:26,960 The ground, for smell the ground. 370 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:29,480 We use chestnut cream. 371 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:33,640 What's that? 372 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:36,440 Is a biscuit of rice flour and chocolate. 373 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:39,080 We add some of the crispy rice. 374 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:41,200 Like what I used to have for breakfast as a kid. 375 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:42,760 Not as good as that, but...yeah. 376 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:44,640 And the wintertime for us 377 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:46,960 is one of the most poetic moment 378 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:48,160 of the year. 379 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:49,680 This is cool. 380 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:50,960 You have to be a little bit... 381 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:52,800 Crazy. Yes. 382 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:55,160 Some liquid nitrogen. 383 00:21:58,280 --> 00:21:59,560 So what did he put in there? 384 00:22:01,360 --> 00:22:04,000 And then you're freezing it. 385 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:05,200 Like snow. 386 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:07,000 That's cool. 387 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:08,840 So now it's snowing. 388 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:10,000 That's genius. 389 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:11,440 A morning in Vercelli. 390 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:13,800 Yeah. Yeah. I love it! 391 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:15,400 You eat it with this? 392 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:17,000 Yeah. 393 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:23,000 That's great. 394 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:24,520 It's not super sweet. 395 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:26,120 I'm going to have it in a cone. 396 00:22:26,120 --> 00:22:27,240 Yeah. 397 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:30,200 Thank you. Goddammit! 398 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:32,960 Guys... How come I never met you before? 399 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:39,400 My whole life wasted. 400 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,760 If you visit Piedmont, there's something that grows here 401 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,200 that's so special you have to try it - 402 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:52,760 the white truffle. 403 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:54,840 It's so coveted that it's sold on the market 404 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:57,800 and at charity auctions for huge sums of money. 405 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:04,280 This season's largest white truffles are selling to bidders 406 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:06,120 from Italy and around the world. 407 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:12,880 The auctioneer is my friend from Turin, food writer Paolo Vizzari. 408 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:14,520 He's got his work cut out for him. 409 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:18,280 Bids for the delicate fungi come in thick and fast. 410 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:24,880 Ah-yo! Oh-yo. 411 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:28,800 Luckily, the buyer isn't put off. 412 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:32,720 The white truffle's value seems to be pretty much indestructible. 413 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:42,880 Last up, a truffle weighing close to 2lb, 414 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:45,560 pulling in bidders from Moscow and Hong Kong. 415 00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:01,120 That's $114,000! 416 00:24:01,120 --> 00:24:03,760 When it comes to price, white truffles from Piedmont 417 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:05,720 are in a league of their own. 418 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:08,320 Nice to see you again. Nice to see you again. 419 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:11,240 Would any other truffle from any other part of Italy 420 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:14,720 garner that much attention, and would they get that much money? 421 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:16,000 No. I don't think so. 422 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:18,080 In the end, it's all about the nature around here. Yeah. 423 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:20,920 I couldn't believe it, though, when the guy dropped the truffle. 424 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:22,400 That was a chilling moment. 425 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:24,600 There was one little piece left on the floor. I saw it. 426 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:26,640 Did you pick it? No, no. I was too embarrassed. 427 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:28,360 Because it's probably like 20 grand. 428 00:24:28,360 --> 00:24:30,320 Yeah, I know. That was like... Yeah. 429 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:37,840 While the more common black truffle can be farmed, 430 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:40,520 white truffles grow only in the wild. 431 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:43,880 So auction houses rely on truffle hunters to source the white gold 432 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:45,840 in the forests of the Langhe, 433 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:50,240 an area of rolling hills 40 miles south of Turin. 434 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:52,080 Here, conditions are perfect. 435 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:54,160 Warm air from the south pushes back 436 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:57,360 cold currents from the Alps, and summer rainfall feeds 437 00:24:57,360 --> 00:24:59,400 the mineral-rich soil. 438 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:01,920 White truffles sell for extraordinary amounts of money 439 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:03,840 because they're so hard to find, 440 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:05,880 even if you know what you're doing. 441 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:08,840 I'm going to meet a truffle hunter 442 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:11,720 and we're going to catch a big one. 443 00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:14,800 The competition between truffle hunters is intense, 444 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:17,240 and they're obsessed with guarding their secrets. 445 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:19,000 But I'm meeting someone who's agreed 446 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,960 to show me some of what he knows. 447 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:23,600 This is going to be interesting. 448 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:27,560 OK. Here we go. 449 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:29,400 Ciao. Stanley. 450 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:37,920 Igor Bianchi is known as the king of truffle hunters. 451 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:41,120 Hi. 452 00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:42,760 Border collie? Border collie. 453 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:46,080 Well, shall we? 454 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:49,160 Let's go. 455 00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:51,760 So beautiful. 456 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:13,120 Lola and Susie have been trained since they were puppies 457 00:26:13,120 --> 00:26:15,160 to detect the truffle's unique scent. 458 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:40,200 Igor once found a monster truffle, 459 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:42,120 weighing just over 2lb, 460 00:26:42,120 --> 00:26:45,200 so you never know what we might find today. 461 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:49,240 For all of Igor's expertise, 462 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:52,000 the last few years have been tough for truffle hunters. 463 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:56,440 Climate change has meant less summer rainfall, hence fewer truffles. 464 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:02,560 Yeah. 465 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:08,080 It seems that the truffles are being shy today. 466 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:12,080 With truffles harder to find, they're becoming 467 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:14,720 more precious than ever. 468 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:18,000 Luckily for me, Igor did find a truffle yesterday, 469 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:21,600 and he wants to cook up a classic truffle dish in his garage. 470 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:23,040 Oh, my God! 471 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:25,240 No, no, no, no. 472 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:31,000 Nothing else in the world is like that. 473 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:33,840 Simple recipes are best 474 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:36,120 when it comes to showing off the truffle's flavour. 475 00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:39,000 So Igor's cooking me eggs, fried in butter, 476 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:41,200 topped with shaved truffle. 477 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:47,800 Ah, I see! 478 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:49,720 Mm. 479 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:54,280 It has to... 480 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:36,000 Despite all the razzmatazz and velvet cushions, 481 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:37,360 when it comes down to it, 482 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:40,120 white truffles are really a simple, earthy pleasure. 483 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:42,120 Straight from Mother Nature. 484 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:43,880 Hey? 485 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:02,760 In the Langhe, I'm on the trail of another coveted treat 486 00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:06,720 that comes from this land of coveted treats. 487 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:08,920 So beautiful. 488 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:13,360 Due to a unique combination of geography and climate, 489 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:16,000 these hills are home not only to the white truffle, 490 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:19,400 but also one of Italy's most celebrated red wines. 491 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:24,280 Giulia Negri is the first person in her family to make Barolo 492 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:26,640 from vines on this estate. 493 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:31,920 So you inherited this place from your family? Yes. 494 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:34,320 They were a big family of engineers from Torino, 495 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:36,560 and they bought it in 1870... 496 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:42,800 Yeah. 497 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:51,680 These slopes get a lot of sun, although not today, 498 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:54,000 making them perfect for growing Nebbiolo, 499 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:57,960 a thin-skinned grape that's hard to cultivate outside this region. 500 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:01,360 It's the only grape that can be used to make Barolo. 501 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:04,160 So you have how many hectares of...? 502 00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:06,840 We have six hectares and a half of vineyards. 503 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:10,000 So they are all around here, the house and the forest. 504 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:13,040 It's among the last forests in all the Barolo area. 505 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:16,640 Oh, really? And this is why we're really protecting it a lot. 506 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:18,760 Whereas a lot of winemakers might get rid of that forest 507 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:20,320 and plant more... Vines. 508 00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:23,040 Exactly. Yeah. 509 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:27,080 Barolo, produced exclusively in this tiny corner of the Langhe, 510 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:29,960 is one of Italy's finest and most expensive wines. 511 00:31:31,560 --> 00:31:34,000 Nebbia is Italian for fog, 512 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:35,920 and when the fogs of fall come, 513 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:38,160 that's when the Nebbiolo is harvested. 514 00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:39,800 So I'm here at the perfect time 515 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:44,560 to see how Giulia transforms these grapes. 516 00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:46,520 Come in. 517 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:51,040 So you can smell it? 518 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:52,960 Definitely. I definitely smell it. 519 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:56,120 We finished the harvest two weeks ago. Mm-hm. 520 00:31:56,120 --> 00:31:58,400 We're truly in the peak of the fermentations. 521 00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:01,040 And if you listen... 522 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:02,880 BUBBLING SOUND 523 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:04,480 Oh, yeah. It's alive. 524 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:06,600 It's alive! 525 00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:08,000 Wow. 526 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:11,360 Our job is to keep the capa always wet 527 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:12,800 during the fermentation, 528 00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:15,760 because otherwise it becomes like the vinegar. 529 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:18,200 Oh, vinegar. Yeah. 530 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:21,040 But you're putting wine... We are pumping it from the lower parts. 531 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:23,360 Oh, you're pumping it from the bottom into the top. Exactly. 532 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:25,840 Oh, I see, I see. 533 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:28,440 I'd like to have this in my kitchen. 534 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:33,200 Did you go and study winemaking, or you just taught yourself? 535 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:35,040 I never studied winemaking. 536 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:37,000 Not knowing nothing about it, 537 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:39,760 er, made me learn really fast. 538 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:41,760 Yeah. Wine is more... 539 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:43,280 It's like cooking. Yeah. 540 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:48,000 It's the same. 541 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:49,520 It's more really... 542 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:52,360 I don't know how to say it. 543 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:56,240 Now for the best part of the process, for me, at least. 544 00:32:56,240 --> 00:32:58,160 Now we will taste some Barolo that is very young. 545 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:02,520 It will be 2019, but it will stay still two years here. 546 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:05,680 So at the half of the ageing. 547 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:13,720 I'm not spitting that out. 548 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:15,280 It's delicious. 549 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:17,640 But you can tell it just needs more time. 550 00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:19,200 Definitely. 551 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:22,040 How old are you? 30, last week. 552 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:24,600 It's incredible. 553 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:26,720 One of the region's youngest vintners, 554 00:33:26,720 --> 00:33:30,160 Giulia's instinctive feel for the grapes, plus her meticulous 555 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:33,400 observation of the process, makes her wine outstanding. 556 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:36,800 So we will open another Barolo, 557 00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:40,320 the last vintage, which is the 2017. 558 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:43,240 Cheers. Cheers. Thank you very much. Thank you. 559 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:46,760 Hmm. 560 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:48,040 That's really nice. 561 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:49,240 That's great. 562 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:52,880 It is distinctly different than the 2019, 563 00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:55,960 which is still... In the barrel. ..in the barrel. 564 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:58,560 The tannins are more prominent. 565 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:04,480 And yet, at the same time, it's sort of lighter and more delicate. 566 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:07,080 Mm-hm. It's more balanced now. 567 00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:08,560 Literally, it was off balance. 568 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:09,920 It's going back and forth. 569 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:12,640 That's the longest description of any glass of wine 570 00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:13,880 that anyone's ever made, 571 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:15,400 and I'm really sorry. 572 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:18,920 I'm sorry. I could say that, you know, it has notes of strawberry, 573 00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:21,760 but I won't say that because it doesn't. 574 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:24,000 I'll just say it's pretty good, 575 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:27,640 and it's getting better 576 00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:29,160 as it's opening. 577 00:34:29,160 --> 00:34:31,480 It's incredible how really Barolo, 578 00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:34,440 you put it in the glass and in ten minutes it's changed completely. 579 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:37,200 Totally. So you need a truffle to pair it, and then... 580 00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:40,240 I know. Well, let's go look for one. 581 00:34:49,240 --> 00:34:52,720 I cannot resist the call of the Alps, which dominate 582 00:34:52,720 --> 00:34:55,400 the skyline everywhere in Piedmont. 583 00:34:56,760 --> 00:34:58,560 Finally going up in the world, 584 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:01,440 I've ascended to Italy's smallest and highest region, 585 00:35:01,440 --> 00:35:02,880 Valle d'Aosta. 586 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:05,880 Nestled in the Alps, its cuisine 587 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:10,200 is influenced by close neighbours France and Switzerland. 588 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:12,040 As usual, I'm famished. 589 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:14,320 And there's a little restaurant at the foot of the Matterhorn, 590 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:17,720 dedicated to Alpine food, Alpage. 591 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:23,200 Hello. Nice to meet you. 592 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:25,000 Welcome. Thank you. 593 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:27,560 Thanks. Thanks for having me. 594 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:30,880 Cecilia Lazzarotto, a local teacher and sommelier, 595 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:34,440 knows a thing or two about the best this region has to offer. 596 00:35:34,440 --> 00:35:38,480 Are we going to eat? Yes. We can go outside if you want. Yeah. 597 00:35:41,240 --> 00:35:44,320 With views like these, you have to eat outside. 598 00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:48,320 What do we have? 599 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:52,040 This is a... Jambon. 600 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:53,480 Oh, you're speaking French. 601 00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:54,960 All right, go ahead. 602 00:35:56,480 --> 00:35:58,400 This one is... 603 00:35:58,400 --> 00:35:59,800 Yeah. Lard. 604 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:09,800 Thank you. 605 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:11,840 Look at that, how beautiful that is. 606 00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:20,680 So this region, there are basically three different languages... 607 00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:28,120 But I think most of the population of our region 608 00:36:28,120 --> 00:36:31,000 consider themselves Italian. Italian. 609 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:34,840 It's strange because we never see on the other side of the mountain, 610 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:38,200 but we know who are on the other side. 611 00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:44,560 And if there's one dish that Valle d'Aosta's close neighbours 612 00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:47,320 are famous for... 613 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:48,800 ..it's fondue. 614 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:52,400 On this side of the mountains, it's called fonduta. 615 00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:55,960 And over here, they make it a little differently. 616 00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:02,920 Yeah. The difference between, for example, Switzerland and France, 617 00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:05,480 they have fonduta with different cheese. 618 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:07,240 What do they use? 619 00:37:07,240 --> 00:37:09,720 Gruyere. Maybe a bit of raclette. 620 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:20,800 Italian fontina cheese from cows 621 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:23,560 fed on sweet grass high in these mountains 622 00:37:23,560 --> 00:37:25,240 make the fonduta so luscious, 623 00:37:25,240 --> 00:37:30,280 it doesn't need the white wine they add in France or Switzerland. 624 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:32,000 Oh, my God! That is so good. 625 00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:35,120 That was incredible. 626 00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:48,080 So delicious. 627 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:50,360 All these dishes are packed with calories. 628 00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:52,560 Perfect for a day high in the mountains. 629 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:55,000 And I couldn't leave without going to the top of one. 630 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:02,600 I've actually skied here before, 631 00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:04,960 and the view from the peak is spectacular. 632 00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:06,480 I can't wait to see it again. 633 00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:09,800 And then, as if on cue... 634 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:15,080 Look, we're just enveloped in cloud! 635 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:18,400 Here we go right into it. 636 00:38:18,400 --> 00:38:20,280 That was a trip for nothing! 637 00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:25,800 We are on the border, 638 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:27,520 so we have to cross. 639 00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:29,520 OK. Ready? Yes. 640 00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:31,240 You're ready? OK. 641 00:38:31,240 --> 00:38:33,800 Wow. We're in Switzerland. We're in Switzerland. 642 00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:36,120 Oh, wait, I forgot something. 643 00:38:36,120 --> 00:38:37,560 Is that where we're going? 644 00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:40,320 Yeah. Rifugio. Rifugio. Rifugio. 645 00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:42,960 What better way to end my journey to the Alps 646 00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:45,240 than with a glass of the local liquor? 647 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:52,200 Genepi is a real winter warmer. 648 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:53,560 It's made with wormwood, 649 00:38:53,560 --> 00:38:56,680 an alpine plant celebrated for its healing properties. 650 00:38:56,680 --> 00:38:58,200 Cheers. Thank you so much. 651 00:38:58,200 --> 00:38:59,840 Thank you to you. 652 00:39:02,760 --> 00:39:06,560 It's fantastic. It's from herbs from mountains. 653 00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:08,560 Oof! Fantastic. No? Yes. 654 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:16,680 The genepi has brightened things up considerably inside and out. 655 00:39:16,680 --> 00:39:18,760 Oh, look. Now we can really see it. Yeah. 656 00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:33,160 Magnificent. 657 00:39:33,160 --> 00:39:34,520 It's difficult to describe. 658 00:39:34,520 --> 00:39:38,960 Sometimes I see them and I shut up because it's impossible 659 00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:40,360 to talk about. 660 00:39:40,360 --> 00:39:42,120 Beautiful! 661 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:46,120 Stretched out below is Valle d'Aosta, 662 00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:50,160 and Piedmont, beyond, where the Italian nation was born. 663 00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:54,840 A region without which I wouldn't be searching for Italy at all.