- What is bagna cauda
- Bagna Cauda Day 2025: key info & program
- Bava at Bagna Cauda Day 2025
- Bagna Cauda Nanna” and 2025 updates
- Collateral events
For every true Piedmont local, November means one thing: the arrival of Bagna Cauda Day, the world’s largest collective celebration of bagna cauda, honoring one of the region’s most distinctive and beloved dishes.
What is bagna cauda
Bagna cauda (literally, “warm sauce”) is a traditional Piedmontese dish: a rich dip made from anchovies, olive oil, and garlic, served warm with an array of raw vegetables.
As a regional classic with centuries-old roots, some say it dates back to the Middle Ages, there are many variations. Some add a splash of milk or cream for extra silkiness; others even prepare a version without garlic.
The official recipe filed by the Asti Delegation of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina calls for garlic, anchovies, oil (plus a small glass of walnut oil). Piero Bava, as a delegate of the Accademia, helped champion the protection of the original recipe, shielding it from imitations. For his dedication, in 2022 the Associazione Astigiani awarded him the Testa d’Aj Prize.
Bagna Cauda Day 2025: key info & program
Riding the wave of past success, this year’s Bagna Cauda Day unfolds in two parts:
- November 21–23 and November 28–30
- A second tranche coinciding with the traditional “giorni della merla” (traditionally the coldest days of the year), January 29 to February 1, 2026.
On these dates, bagna cauda will be served simultaneously in a multitude of restaurants, wineries, and pro loco across the provinces of Alessandria, Asti, and Turin, as well as beyond Piedmont and in select locations around the world.
Participating restaurants will offer bagna cauda at a fixed price, which may also include appetizers or additional courses at the venue’s discretion.
Guests can choose one of the selected wines to pair with their bagna cauda, also at a special set price. See all participating venues.
Bava at Bagna Cauda Day 2025
As we have every year since the event’s very first edition in 2012, Bava Winery will actively support Bagna Cauda Day. During the festival, many venues in the area will feature our Libera Barbera d’Asti DOCG as a perfect pairing for bagna cauda.
This year, we’re also renewing our commitment, together with Astigiani Association, to the Luciano Nattino Scholarship Program: 10 scholarships of €500 each, awarded to 10 researchers.
“Bagna Cauda Nanna” and 2025 updates
For its thirteenth edition, Bagna Cauda Day again presents Bagna Cauda Nanna: special-rate packages for anyone who wants to take advantage of the event to spend two or more days in Monferrato.
As usual, the traditional Bavaglione, a branded gag, offered to all customers is being refreshed. This year’s design comes from Raffaele Iachetti, an artist based in Soglio, known for his ongoing research across techniques and materials. The chosen motto is “Usiamo la testa” (“Let’s use our heads”).
“Given the times we’re living in, I imagined a bold, essential drawing with a nod to the garlic head, an invitation to use our heads in every sense”, explains the artist.
Collateral events
The gastronomic festival is enriched with various side events in the Asti area:
- Bagna Bike (November 30): an e-bike tour through Monferrato’s vineyards, with a final lunch in Sant’Agata.
- Bagna alla lavagna: an educational project in Asti’s schools dedicated to food culture and tradition.
- Premio “Testa d’Aj”: an award honoring personalities who embody courage and irony. Past recipients include Carlin Petrini, Enzo Bianchi, Oscar Farinetti, Margherita Oggero, don Luigi Ciotti, and Giorgia Sanlorenzo.
- Cresce il Bosco degli Astigiani: part of the proceeds funds the creation of a large public park dedicated to sustainability on the hills of Viatosto.
Photo by ©Alain Intraina via Canva and Bagnacaudaday.it