BAGNA CAUDA recipe and history - all you need to know! - philosokitchen (2024)

Bagna Cauda is a delicious Italian appetizer originally from of Piedmont, so rich in history and flavor! This dip is made with excellent olive oil and anchovies mashed along with plenty of garlic. The Bagna Cauda is commonly paired with raw and cooked vegetables: tasty and healthy!

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ORIGIN OF BAGNA CAUDA

The origin of Bagna Cauda (also called Bagna Caoda) is ancient, and probably it dates back to the Middle Ages during the rise of the economic exchanges between the French and Italian merchants. Indeed, the Piedmontese cities of Asti, Cuneo, and Alessandria use to buy salt in the French region of Provence.

Taking a look at the Provencal culinary tradition, we can find the recipe of Anchoiade, a dip made with garlic, vinegar and anchovies in salt, very similar to the Bagna Cauda, and probably the inspirational to the Italian dish. The Italian merchants started to import anchovies in salt for two reasons: they were delicious, and they were a way to import salt without pay taxes!

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Along the anchovies likely the Piedmontese people imported the Anchoiade recipe adjusting it to their taste: the Bagna Cauda was born!
For a long time, Bagna Cauda has been considered a dish for farmers and ordinary people: it was not included in the official Piedmontese cookbooks until 1875 when the Journalist Roberto Sacchetti published the written recipe for the first time.

In a few years, Bagna Cauda has become one of the most popular Italian recipes and likely the most worldwide famous Piedmontese dish. It is served either into the family taverns and finest restaurants.

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THE RITUAL OF BAGNA CAUDA

The Bagna Cauda is one of those dish protagonists of a ritual. In origin it was a way to share the most precious ingredients, salt, anchovies, and olive oil with the family and make them last longer: everyone use to pick a little of the dip with a vegetable. Bagna Cauda had been typical of the countryside, and served for gathering and festivities, like the end of the grape harvest.

The Bagna Cauda is typically served into a traditional Terra Cotta pot called Fojot with a candle inside to keep the dip warm: very similar to a fondue pot. Another Piedmontese tradition is scrabbling one or more eggs with the remains of Bagna Cauda.

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COOKED AND RAW VEGETABLES

Bagna cauda is served along with plenty of vegetables either cooked and raw.

Some example of raw vegetables are: carrots, spring onions, endives, bell peppers, Jerusalem artichokes and cauliflowers.

Among the cooked vegetables we can serve boiled potatoes, red and white beets, roasted onions, roasted bell peppers, boiled cauliflowers, roasted squash.

Besides the vegetables, It is typical pair with Bagna Cauda with sliced apples, fried or baked Polenta, bread or flatbread.

BAGNA CAUDA recipe and history - all you need to know! - philosokitchen (7)

MILK BAGNA CAUDA

The traditional recipe requires plenty of garlic, and the taste can be a little tough for someone. To fix this, recently some people prefer to prepare the Milk Bagna Cauda: the cloves of garlic are previously boiled a few minutes into the milk to lessen their intense flavor. Another way to attenuate the garlic taste is to reduce the cloves into thin slices and soak them 1 hour into cold water.

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TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS

ANCHOVIES - The tradition wants the anchovies preserved in salt, and I strongly suggest you this option. Anchovies preserved in oil is a decent option, and easier to use, but the taste is not exactly the same.

OIL - The common option is prime quality extra-virgin olive oil. Some people love to add 1 tbsp of walnuts oil.

GARLIC - As I said, it is possible to mitigate the flavor of garlic with water or milk: this is common but not traditional. A Typical way to correct the garlic taste is opening the cloves into two halves and discard the germ: if green it could be unpleasantly bitter.

BAGNA CAUDA recipe and history - all you need to know! - philosokitchen (9)

BAGNA CAUDA RECIPE

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Bagna Cauda recipe and history - all you need to know!

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Author: Filippo Trapella - philosokitchen.com

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 6 (10 oz) heads of garlic
  • 11 oz (300 g) whole anchovies in salt (alternatively 6 oz anchovies fillets in oil)
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter

Instructions

  1. ANCHOVIES
    The anchovies fillets preserved in oil are an easy and tasty alternative. But, if you really want to taste the authentic Bagna Cauda, you want to use anchovies in salt. Commonly, the anchovies in salt are preserved whole, so to clean them follows this steps:
    First, rinse the whole anchovies under running water cleaning any trace of salt.
    Then, debone the anchovies and discard the fins.Finally, soak the anchovies fillets into red wine for 1 hour.
  2. GARLIC
    Now let's prepare the garlic. Peel every single clove of garlic, then cut them into halves and discard the germ. Finally, pour the garlic in a little saucepan (you want no space between the garlic and the edges of the pot) along with a cup of olive oil.
  3. PREPARING BAGNA CAUDA
    At this point, place the pot over a medium/low flame. You want the garlic very gently simmering: it has to become tender but still white. Once the garlic is ready, crush it with a spoon, then raise the anchovies from the wine and add them into the pot. Keep crushing the anchovies and garlic, then add the other cup of oil and cook 10 minutes more stirring frequently. Once ready, melt the butter into Bagna Cauda stirring until consistent, and serve hot along with your preferred vegetables.

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CHICKEN PROVENCAL: traditional French recipe with bell peppers and shallots

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BAGNA CAUDA recipe and history - all you need to know! - philosokitchen (2024)

FAQs

What is the history of Bagna Cauda? ›

Bagna càuda originated in Provence, France, and has been a part of Piedmontese cuisine since the 16th century. In Piedmont, cardoon (edible thistle) is often dipped in the sauce. Additional foods used to dip into it include cabbage, celery, carrot, Jerusalem artichoke, pepper, fennel and bread.

What does bagna cauda mean in English? ›

Bagna càuda means “hot sauce”. Bagna is the Italian word used for sauce or gravy. And càuda means “hot” in the Piedmontese dialect.

What does Cauda mean in Italian? ›

“Bagna” (ending in “a”) in the Piedmontese dialect means sauce and “cauda” is the dialect word for hot versus “calda” in standard Italian. Therefore, Bagna Cauda would be Salsa Calda, as in hot sauce.

What wine goes with bagna cauda? ›

Suggested Pairing

The richness of the olive oil in bagna cauda makes it ideal with tannic red wines—especially when the dip is made with a Piedmontese Nebbiolo, as in Cosentino's version.

What part of Italy is Bagna Cauda from? ›

Bagna càuda comes from Piedmont in northwestern Italy, a landlocked region ringed by the Alps and famous for its mountain cheeses, buttery hazelnuts, and funky white truffles. You wouldn't expect anchovies to be one of the region's signature ingredients, given that there's no ocean in sight, and yet they are.

Does Italy have dips? ›

Whether it's the autumnal tradition of Bagna Cauda, the symbol of the cultural melting pot that is Caponata and more, these dips all play their part in Italian culture.

What is lardo in French? ›

Translation of "lardo" in French. Noun. lard m.

How to use salt packed anchovies? ›

Using whole salted anchovies is easy. But each time you use them, you must remove the surface salt and clean them. When you want to use your salted whole anchovies, remove a fish or two from the jar and rinse them under cold running water. Then soak them in icy water for 10 – 15 minutes until pliable.

What does cauda mean in Latin? ›

The word "cauda" is derived from the Latin word for tail. Conceptually, it is easy to see in the cauda, the root of the modern term, coda, which arrived when Latin was replaced by Italian as the musical lingua franca.

What is petting in Italian? ›

(fondle) accarezzare. intransitive verb. (sexually) pomiciare ⧫ fare il petting.

What does CS mean in Italian? ›

Italian abbreviations and acronyms for texting
ItalianWhat it stands forEnglish equivalent/meaning
xperfor
cmcomehow
cscosawhat, thing
dvdovewhere
13 more rows
Mar 20, 2023

What do you drink with cheese in France? ›

Sancerre or almost any dry white wine works well. Or for something different, try a Chinon Red with goat cheese, which creates a wonderful “marriage”. For Mature goat cheeses, try a sweeter wine such as Maury (Roussillon), Sauternes or a strong Côtes de Rhône.

Which wine is best with cheese? ›

Bordeaux suits ripe Brie, sweet or fortified reds like port are great with blue cheese; hard cheeses (Manchego or Pecorino) go well with compatriots Rioja or Barolo. Sauvignon Blanc is an ally to goat's cheese and feta, Chablis with Chaource, Cheddar and Comté, and Chardonnays are a great all-rounder.

Where do Cantabrian anchovies come from? ›

Cantabrian anchovies are European anchovies (Engraulis Encrasicolus), fished sustainably in the Bay of Biscay in the Cantabrian Sea. They are renowned for being the best anchovies out there, meaty and flavoursome, firm textured and packing a good oomph of umami.

Is anchovy Italian? ›

The earliest record of a true anchovy is of the stem-engrauline Eoengraulis from the Early Eocene of Monte Bolca, Italy.

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