The best local producers Piedmont

The pastry tradition of the Novara region has ancient origins. The Novaresi (and Italians in general) are fond of dry cookies and shortbread of all kinds. In Novara, the Camporelli cookie factory has been nurturing this tradition since 1852. Today, Ambrogio Fasola, a descendant of the Camporelli family, perpetuates this know-how with passion. Simple ingredients and rigorously hand-crafted production form the basis of Biscottini di Novara, the company's specialty (up to 100,000 cookies are produced here every day).

The scent of cookie invades Via Lanza, driving gourmands to^No. 17. A large counter, utensils from the early ^20th century, dozens of prizes on the walls... The star here is the krumiro, a delicious little cake in the shape of a striped boomerang. In fact, its shape is linked to the moustache of King Victor Emmanuel II, who died in 1878, the year the krumiro was created by pastry chef Domenico Rossi. Since then, production has remained strictly artisanal.

Opposite the Pastis bar, in the heart of Quadrilatero Romano, La Conserveria opened its doors in autumn 2015. A beautiful setting, which has kept the wooden stalls of an old pastry shop intact to house hundreds of cans of every color. Spanish-speaking preserves that the boutique offers for sale or consumption on the spot. The concept is the same as that of tapas: small fish, olives, octopus, vegetables in oil and even small cakes to pick at on the spot, washed down with fine wines!

The saffron! Rita Sala has been working for years with these flowers so fragrant and delicate. On 8,000 ^{m2 of} land, she plants the bulbs and picks the flowers by hand, then separates and dries the 3 red filaments of the pistil. Since it takes about 150 flowers to obtain one gram of dry saffron, this spice is considered one of the most expensive products in the world. And Rita will be able to tell you all about its culture and uses.

Tartufi Morra was founded in 1930. Not only was it the first to market Alba's fine, renowned white truffle, but its founder also came up with the idea of organizing a major truffle fair in his town every year. This internationally renowned fair is still a must if you're in the area in October or November. As for the store, it's heaven on earth! You'll find truffles in all their forms, for all uses, all occasions... Tasting by prior arrangement.