Specialità enogastronomiche

Last update 24 June 2019

Eating and drinking

Local cookery keeps a good table and can count on many long tradition courses, first of all, tripe – based busecca, an old – school cooking line soup which used to be served in the late morning on market days in Chivasso inns and restaurants (at the beginning of the 20th century table boards numbered more than 50); then agnolotti, with rabbit – based filling, excellent and savoury bollito misto matched to bagnét verd, i.e. anchovy, parsley and garlic – based sauce; tender and tasty arrosto di sanato; carnival faseuj con el prèivi, literally meaning “beans with the priest” (spicy pigskin roll), which must be put into the typical terracotta pot and baked in a wood oven all night long.

The long list of the truly piedmontese gastronomic specialties also provides for bagna cauda, finanziera as well as several delicacies suitably washed down with superb Erbaluce white wine, product of the outstanding vineyards on Canavese moraines hills or with Monferrato high grounds robust reds.

Finally Chivasso pastry art offers a noteworthy and centenarian cake which makes it so distinctive far and wide, even beyond national boundaries: Noasèt, i.e. Piedmont hazelnuts – shaped meringue cookies, whose main ingredients are sugar and egg white, apart from piedmontese – only nuts; they were initially produced by mistake in the second half of the 19th century in the once – known Nazzaro Confectionery’s workshop and, since then, such sweeties have been presented as Chivasso classical speciality, commonly identified through their popularized term “Nocciolini”; nevertheless, dropping in Chivasso without either buying a package of such famous cookies is definitely a pity!

NOCCIOLINI AND OTHER LOCAL SPECIALTIES

Small cookies called “nocciolini” are Chivasso gastronomic symbol, hugely famous for about two hundred years, their inventor was master confectioner Giovanni Podio; a lot of old – fashioned cakes shops across the town have been producing and selling them and, as a result, a feast taking place downtown in the middle June, was initiated in their honor.

Actually Ernesto Nazzaro, Podio’s son – in – law, played a key role in bringing out and spreading such classic specialty on a large scale, according to commendatore Mario Bertolino, current owner of nocciolini patent.

Nazzaro made nocciolini well – known at the Universal Exhibition held in Paris in 1900 – on that circumstance he was given a reward certificate – as well as at Turin Exposition eleven years later. In 1904 he got the patent with its pertinent brand, issued by Kingdom Ministry of Commerce. The resourceful manufacturer was nominated Royal House Supplier by both Dukes of Genoa and Vittorio Emanuele the 3rd of Savoy himself.

The cookies were firstly called “noisettes”, a French term which simply means “nuts”. Instead, the Italian usual name came out in the 30’s: in fact Fascists were firmly determined to strike off every foreign expression.

The way craft confectioners produce nocciolini hasn’t changed at all: they go on following the original 19th century recipe and selling them in a variety of packages, but above all, in the distinctive pink – papered small sack. Confectioner Luigi Bonfante, who commercialized nocciolini on a national scale, used for the first time such typical bundle as a substitute for metal boxes which had been used until then. Furthermore the Bonfantes themselves have just created the so – called “noccioloni”, big – seized hazelnut cookies, i.e. nocciolini “giant” version.

Now let’s have Chivasso old recipe explained by above – mentioned Mario Bertolino (1997). There are three ingredients only: properly husked and toasted Piedmont nuts, sugar and egg white, wholly refined and kneaded by appropriate equipment. The mixture is brought to pouring density and put in a dripping machine which suitably filters numerous little drops on a specific straw paper; about twenty minutes later, the so – filtered drops get air – dry and ready for proper baking. Finally they are put in the distinctive pink sacks.

Nocciolini are hygroscopic and therefore subject to wear and tear: they must be always kept in their closed bundles.

Confectioneries

Bonfante & Ortalda Snc
Via Torino, 29 - tel. 011.9102157
Produttore Nocciolini
Chiuso il lunedì

Tallia Snc
C.so G. Ferraris, 60 - tel. 011.9106442
Produttore Nocciolini
Chiuso il lunedì

Piccoli s.r.l.
Via Torino, 57 - tel. 011.9102163
Produttore Nocciolini
Chiuso il lunedì

D'Onghia Domenico
Via Italia, 13/A - tel. 011.9113747
Chiuso il lunedì

Dolci Capricci di Adorni Fabrizio & C.
Via Torino, 71/F - tel. 011.9172512

Gemmo
Via Roma, 7 - tel. 011.9102196/9101304
Chiuso il martedì

Fantasie golose Paolo Cappelliere & C.
Via dell'Asilo, 13/D - tel. 011.9102804

Roby e Tania di Roberto Capannolo & C.
Via Po, 18/bis - tel. 011.9101118
Chiuso il giovedì

Fantasie del gelato di Zancato e Tamburin
Via Torino, 11 - Tel. 0119102133

Fontana dolciaria
Produzione e vendita Nocciolini
Via Ivrea, 31 - Tel. 0119102661

Il Dolce Canavese
Produzione e vendita Nocciolini
Via San Marco, 24 - Tel. 011/9131032

Noi due Snc di Nappa Enrico e Faniello Monica
C.so G. Ferraris 4/D tel. 011/9172648
Chiuso il martedì

Le Deliziose s.n.c.
V.le Cavour, 1/C tel. 3471560075
Chiuso martedì

Le Tentazioni di Marangoni Marcella
Via Torino, 39 (Quintana del cedro) tel. 3405302733
Chiuso il lunedì