Bagna Cauda: a Piemontese, Anchovy & Butter Sauce

By Piergiorgio and Amy Nicoletti

Bagna cauda is a delicious and absolutely original way to eat vegetables. The words “bagna cauda” literally mean a “hot bath”—in this case, for vegetables which are dipped in a warm condiment. Similar to fondue, bagna cauda is a fun and convivial ritual, in which every guest at the table is armed with a skewer, and dips or sometimes soaks a small, nicely cut piece of vegetable, usually raw—or sometimes boiled or grilled—in a unique-tasting, warm, creamy anchovy-based sauce. It’s a recipe hardly known outside Piedmont (Piemonte) that has been gaining popularity in the U.S.

It is curious that bagna cauda is one of the best known specialties of the southern part of Piemonte—a region that has no access to the Mediterranean and so has no locally produced anchovies or olive oil. But in previous centuries, Liguria and Piemonte were linked by the so-called “Salt Road”—a flourishing trade route between the two regions which ran through the Alpi Marittime (Maritime Alps) that separates them. Barrels of salted anchovies and olive oil were traded for wheat, butter, and cheeses that have always been abundant in the southern part of Piemonte. Bagna Caudais believed to have originated as a tasty antidote for the “sapore dolciastro”—that is, the queasy stomach that workers experienced after long days of pressing grapes with their feet to make wine.

Whatever its origins, the uniqueness of this recipe is a good enough reason to try it at least once with friends. It’s a truly joyful food experience and exemplary of cucina povera—a traditional, healthy peasant dish recently adopted by adventurous culinary aficionados. It’s a perfect meal to serve during the cold winter months—traditionally on Christmas Eve—and is best accompanied by a new wine from the Langhe region, such as a good Barbera, or a similar vino novello. It’s also a great prelude to the amazing lunch that will follow on Christmas Day—that is, il Pranzo di Natale.

Recipe for Bagna Cauda