SHORT CHAIN PRODUCTS

A RICH TERRITORY
OF HAZELNUTS

The agricultural and agri-food sector is one of the driving sectors for the economy of the area in which some large companies and hundreds of micro agricultural and artisan companies find themselves working side by side. The agricultural products of the Langhe have now become famous throughout the world (grapes, hazelnuts, etc.) and constitute the primary products of established and very high quality agri-food chains, or of product niches that are still little known, but of absolute excellence. The territory is rich in vineyards, hazelnut groves, pastures, woods and terraces and offers fruits that have made the territory a heritage of all humanity and which attracts visitors from all over the world.

OUR MEMBERSHIP
TO THE PROJECT

For this reason, given the great success achieved by the PSR 2019 project, thanks to a new project (PSR 2014/2020 Piedmont Region Operation 16.4.1 Call 2022) the need to continue focusing on short supply chain products and the perfect synergy created has been confirmed between the Enoteca Regionale del Barbaresco and the members who together make up the ATS.
Our company enthusiastically joined the project by offering two exceptional products for tasting: Hazelnuts and Cugnà.

ROUND GENTILE THREE-LOBED HAZELNUT

Since 1960, the Adriano company has been cultivating hazelnuts of the prestigious Tonda Gentile Trilobata variety in the municipalities of Alba and Neive. Specifically in the valley bottom at the base of the vineyards on flat and clayey soils. There are 12 hectares with plants with an average age of 20 years. Towards mid-August the fruit ripens and falls naturally. To have a homogeneous quality, given that they ripen at slightly different times, and that they do not have to remain on the ground for long to avoid the attack of fungi or mold, the hazelnuts are harvested several times. The machine that carries out the collection (a simple automatic collector that sucks) makes an initial sorting by discarding empty shells and foreign elements. After which they are then toasted with infrared lamps. The hazelnuts are continuously shaken during roasting (the temperature must be between 155 and 170 C°) to avoid burning and then undergo rapid cooling which maintains their crunchiness and prevents the oil from escaping.

In the end, the resulting product is a slightly golden, crunchy fruit, with a full and harmonious aroma, a gourmet flavor that derives intense and voluptuously delicate aromas from roasting.
To preserve them optimally, they must be kept at a temperature between 8 and 20 C° and away from direct sources of heat and light. Ideally, hazelnuts should be consumed within one year of packaging and after opening it is recommended to store them in a glass jar to maintain flavor and aroma. The pairing for consumption is very varied: perfect with all our wines, ideal ingredient for desserts, for decoration and as the main ingredient for pasta and meat sauces. Excellent for breakfast or as a healthy energy-rich snack or salted, caramelized, glazed, flavored or even larded.

Company info: go to the tab

CUGNA'

What is that? Jam? Mustard? No, it's Cugnà. There is no translation that is effective. It is one of the most genuine expressions of the tradition of the families of the Alba Langa who prepared it so as not to waste the residue of the harvest and the excess autumn fruit. It has undoubtedly become a typical specialty with a well-defined role on the table, often virtuous and surprising.

The preparation of the Cugnà is long and follows a well-defined order: after cooking the grape must for 8 hours, the fruit, Madernassa pears and quinces, is prepared, which is washed, peeled and diced. It is then added to the boiling must and cooked for a few hours with the addition of toasted hazelnuts, cinnamon and cloves. Only after several slow and patient cooking sessions is the Cugnà ready to be placed in jars and pasteurized.

In the end it looks like a fruit compote with a dense and creamy consistency. The scent is that of jam, hazelnuts and cooked must. On the palate the flavor is pleasantly caramelized with slightly acidic notes. The classic pairing is with mature, blue, soft or creamy cheeses (in short with all cheeses!) and is also ideal on steaming polenta or combined with boiled meats such as Piedmontese mixed boiled meat. Try it spread on bread for breakfast or as a snack and on vanilla ice cream.