The Langhe, Monferrato, and Asti provinces of Piedmont. The bagna càuda tradition is documented from at least the 15th century as a harvest celebration dish. The salt-packed anchovies came from Liguria via the ancient Salt Route (Via del Sale) that crossed the Ligurian Alps to reach Piedmont.
Bagna càuda (hot bath) is the communal dish of the Monferrato, Langhe, and Asti provinces of Piedmont: a fondue-like hot dip of garlic, anchovies, and olive oil — cooked slowly until the garlic dissolves and the anchovies melt — kept hot at the table in a small earthenware pot (fojot) over a candle flame, and eaten by dipping raw and cooked autumn and winter vegetables. It is simultaneously a cooking technique, a communal ritual, and the most concentrated flavour preparation in Piedmontese cooking.
The anchovy dissolves completely into the olive oil, contributing intense umami and saline depth without any fish identification. The mellow, milk-blanched garlic provides sweetness. Together they produce a dip that is simultaneously rich, savoury, and aromatic — one of the most sophisticated flavour preparations in Italy. The cardoon and fennel, dipped and coated in this oil, are transformed.
The garlic must be cooked slowly in olive oil until it is completely soft and slightly golden — not browned. Traditional Piedmontese technique blanches the garlic twice in milk to remove sharpness before the main cooking, producing a sweet, mellow garlic flavour. Salt-packed anchovies (desalted) are then added and cooked over very low heat until they dissolve completely into the oil. The final dip should be smooth, unctuous, and deeply savoury without being sharp. Quantity per person: 3-4 garlic cloves, 2-3 large anchovies, 60ml olive oil.
The milk-blanching technique: slice or crush the garlic and simmer in just enough milk to cover for 10-15 minutes, drain, repeat once more, then proceed with the main preparation. This completely eliminates the harsh pungency without losing the flavour. The vegetables for dipping: raw cardoon, fennel, celery, sweet peppers, and Jerusalem artichoke; cooked beet and leek. The leftover bagna càuda is traditionally used to dress fried eggs (frittata) the next morning.
Browning the garlic — it becomes bitter and the flavour is harsh. Using tinned anchovy in oil rather than salt-packed — the flavour is less complex. Cooking over too high a heat — the garlic and anchovy fry rather than melt. Using butter instead of olive oil — traditional bagna càuda is olive oil only; butter is a modern addition that softens the flavour but is not traditional.
Marcella Hazan, Marcella's Italian Kitchen; Giorgio Locatelli, Made in Italy