Turinepi20 week 3

The third week of the virtual 7th edition of Turin Epicurean Capital had three super interesting video chats spanning from California to Brazil and Piedmont, whose food topics spanned from food politics to food access via spermaculture!

Turin in September

September in Italy is when the locals go back to their lives, jobs and school, however, it is also a magic month in Turin and Piedmont. The weather is still pretty much summery, not as sultry as in July or at the beginning of August; foodies and wine lovers can enjoy the new seasonal menus and the harvest in many wineries; art and music lovers will just grab the best opportunities to visit new exhibits and attend concerts and ballets.

In fact, despite its industrial past, Turin enjoys a very vibrant cultural life with many events all year long both in the city's streets and piazzas, and in the many theaters, museums and convention centers.

On top, moving around Turin is very manageable thanks to its one line subway and it is well connected by train to get to other interesting destinations in Piedmont.

Here below there is a list of our top 5 things to do in September here so that you won't have to wonder too much and just hop over 😎

2018 Food U.N.

For the 12th time, even years in Turin mean Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto aka the Food United Nations organized by the Slow Food movement.

the snail is the Slow Food symbol, here in front of Palazzo Madama in 2016

Ramassin

Without any doubt one of the Piedmont's culinay joys are our ramassin plums 😋

These super sweet and aromatic tiny plums are native of southwest Piedmont which means you will not be able to enjoy them outside our cool region... 😎

ramassins and Alessi bird set designed in Piedmont courtesy of Valentina from Chivasso

TurinEpi18 day 2

The second day of the fifth edition of Turin Epicurean Capital started with a quick tour of the Roman lanes and a coffee stop at Al Bicerin for the ultimate Turin coffee experience!
Our guests took advantage to visit the Bicerin chocolate shop and the beautifully renovated Consolata Sanctuary right in front of the coffee shop.
Then, we proceeded through the Roman lanes toward the Porta Palazzo market aka the largest outdoor market in Europe!
It was an intense foodie morning, the market was busy and full of colors; our guests could see the different sections of the market: produce with the egg stall where you can buy quail, goose and different varieties of Italian hen eggs; the covered deli section with the butchers and 'gastronomia' counters. We then walked through the farmers' section and stopped at the cheese stall of an artisan cheesemonger who makes his own toma cheeses high up in the mountains. Finally, we walked through the clothes section with African and Chinese vendors into the covered fish section.

Chef Marco Giachello and Jan Egan on the left, Andrew Dunne, Clare Reed and Georgie Knaggs on the right

Piemonte flavored gelato in the UK

If you love gelato as much as we do, you will love this post by Laura Hadland about Gelato Village, in Leicester, UK. This is the gelateria founded by our Twitter and Instagram friends Antonio and Daniele, both from Turin 🙌

Gelato Village: Bringing a flavour of Piemonte to the UK

When Gelato Village first opened its doors in August 2014, its Italian owners, Antonio De Vecchi and Daniele Taverna, had no idea if the people of Leicester, England would have an appetite for authentic Italian gelato. The two natives of Turin had come to the UK over 10 years earlier, working in the medical and IT industries. It was their love of high quality food, inspired by their Piemontese upbringing which encouraged them to throw in the towel on their old careers and turn their passion into a business.

talk show 2

The second talk show of the fourth edition of Turin Epicurean Capital was hosted by the American actor Daniel McVicar now a Turin resident and truffle knight.

The other guests were Jan Egan aka The Watchful Cook, world renown food photographer Ilva Beretta and Turin astrologer and author Patrizia Balbo.

Turin discovered

Our friend Jan Egan aka The Watchful Cook is sharing with us her love for Turin.

After an international corporate life during which she was well paid, well travelled and well fed, she now has the luxury of combining her twin passions of Italy and food. Keen supporter of Slow Food and love to source and cook with authentic ingredients in her kitchens in London and Milan. She fell in love with Turin about four years ago and now she tries to be here as often as she can. She can’t be doing with fake or speedy anything and likely to rant about the industrialisation of food at the drop of hat. When not in the kitchen, she is likely to be found with her nose in a book, wandering around looking at art and architecture or listening to opera (the earlier the better). She is blessed with a wonderful Italian partner, Edoardo, whose role in the kitchen is to keep her glass filled.

Follow Jan on The Watchful Cook where you will find many enticing recipes and posts elegantly written in her down-to-earth and witty style!

Turin rocks

If you have never heard of Turin or Torino and you have no clue about it, or if you haven't been here yet, after reading this post by our friends the independent people, Xavier and Valeriia, you will simply want to teleport here!

Xavier and Valeriia, a couple of cyclists, dancers and photographers explorers are living the expatriation experience, currently in England. On their mission to discover hidden or little-known spots of Europe and prove that there is no need to go too far for some genuine treasures. You can read them on their blog Independent People and follow their adventures on Twitter and Instagram

organic Fassone farm

Just like the Mediterranean scrub is unique, so the Monferrato wine district is unique territory in the world: its landscape is highly varied, not simply steep hills or plains, but a mix of them both, uncultivated woods, vineyards, wheat fields, hazelnut groves, animal farms and vegetable farms. 

Every season changes its colors and its atmosphere: in the summer, days are literally endless while in the fall, haze and rain make the best time to savor its rich local specialties.

Being just at about 1h driving from both Turin and the Milan Malpensa international airport, it is the ideal destination to enjoy amazing food, outstanding wines, castles and art.

Azienda Agricola Monfrin on the Monferrato hills and its semi-wild cows

TurinEpi15 July 21

Putting together Turin Epicurean Capital is the work of years of weaving relationships through the different SoMe accounts where foodies, food professionals and people who have the bug for food and wine converge. This second edition especially showed the power of online contacts and how they can easily materialize in our off line lives.