A meander along the mint trail

A meander along the mint trail
Piemonte
Magazine: February 2008

Gianduiotti, grissini and Leone lozenges: Turin and its province have a wealth of “tasteful” works of art. A trip to this area is the perfect excuse to combine city attractions with” real life” curiosities of gastronomic origin. A trip to Eataly, the permanent salon of taste is obligatory for visitors to Turin. Seeing how chocolate is made or discovering how to obtain the essential oil of mint is an experience to be remembered. The idea is leave Turin behind and arrive in Pancalieri, where they produce the best mint in the world. An aromatic herb precious for its essential oil, that gives a fresh oomph to toothpastes, syrups and sweets. At Pancalieri, the clay soil is rich in silicon, ideal for medicinal herbs. The Medicinal Peppermint is the undisputed star of the group, known for its extraordinary perfume and taste.

Works of art by Walter
 Eynard Leaving Pancalieri behind us, we set off to see how peppermint leaves can enhance the cuisine and how Walter Eynard, a double star chef, can turn them into pure poetry for the palate. His restaurant Torre Pellice, in the Flipot hotel, is the temple of the Valdese cuisine. Eynard blends his superb inventions with simple and genuine traditional dishes. He personally goes to Pancalieri to choose mint for his dishes, in which the fresh fl avour is often present, from starters to desserts, like the herb and mint souffl é with Toma fondue, the Tagliatelle with mint pesto and chocolate drops with spearmint. The Val Pellice continues with its testimonies of the past and delicacies waiting to be discovered, like in Luserna San Giovanni, a centre where we fi nd the Consorzio Valle Pellice D’Oc, sales point for local products. Don’t miss out on the mustardela, a mix of pork cuts with onions, blood and wine.

Gems from Pinerolese
The Piemonte Pinerolese is another chunk of this territory that rises from the plains to the mountains with artisan, agricultural and alimentary traditions that are still very much alive: local cheeses, breads and wines are the most interesting. On the subject of wine, the DOC Pinerolese is worthy of a mention together with two gems: the Doux d’Henry, a smooth and fruity rosé and the Pinerolese Ramie, a fresh, dry red. At the beginning of Val Chisone, a well-known location is Villar Perosa, the Agnelli headquarters. A deviation to Pinerolo, ancient city with a great military tradition, brings us to the spectacular parade ground, piazza Vittorio Veneto. However, mint still has an unopened chapter… linked to the art of sweet making. So, this is the chance to visit legendary premises: the Leone sweet and lozenge factory, set up in 1857. Amongst the many mint products, as well as the classic white button and disc shapes, are all sorts of sweets.