FOOD GLOSSARY

Amaretti di Gavi Gavi’s traditional biscuits. Almonds, sugar, egg whites and honey make up a recipe that dates back to the late 18th century Bacio di Dama Novese Small hazelnut and almond cookies. Their romantic name is owed to the shape of the two halves of cookies, held together by a layer of chocolate, reminiscent of two mouths kissing.

The ingredients are the same as those of the hazelnut and almond cake that has been popular in the Piedmontese countryside since the 19th century. The invention of these peculiar biscuits is attributed to Novi Ligure pastry chef Augusto Manelli

Buridda A traditional seafood stew or soup, originally from Genoa, made with mushrooms and cuttlefish

Cortese The white grape variety behind the wines of Gavi. Grown almost exclusively in Italy (their cultivation taking up almost 300ha), just under 90 per cent of this variety can be found in Piedmont, where it’s been cultivated for at least four centuries – the remainder is grown in Oltrepò Pavese, near Custoza in Veneto. You might also find some bottles from Australia and California

Corzetti Novesi A round, handmade pasta variety, typical of Novi Ligure. Shaped into small wafer-thin discs, each piece is stamped individually with decorative patterns, which help keep the filling inside

Montébore One of Italy’s rarest cheeses, first produced in the ninth century. Made of a mixture of raw cow and sheep’s milk, it comes hard or medium-hard, as well as more or less pungent, depending on its ageing Mandilli de Sea A thin, lasagne-like pasta served with a classic pestleand-mortar pesto sauce. Originally from Genoa, the layers are so fine that the squares of pasta have been nicknamed ‘silk handkerchiefs’ Ravioli di Gavi Stuffed pasta made in the area since the 12th century. A thin layer of pasta encloses a rich filling of beef, sausages, eggs, parmesan, escarole, endive and borage and is served in a variety of ways; al tocco, a rich roasted meat sauce, in red wine or a culo nudo, (literally ‘naked bottom’), laid on a linen cloth with no seasoning but a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano. Ravioli di Gavi is regulated and protected by a dedicated Order of Knights