Hazelnut cake from Alba by Relanghe

Last time I was in Turin for work I made a stop in Alba to visit Luca Montersino « Golosi di Salute » newly opened pastry shop. Afterwards I made a tour in the city center and a beautiful wine and candy shop got my full attention: Carosso.

I stepped inside and looked mesmerised to all the premium quality products they have: pasta, rice, wine, grappa and most of all the typical and world wide famous Nocciola Piemonte I.G.P. that has been awarded the protected geographical indication (PGI) on December 2, 1993.

It is a top-quality hazelnut and it is different from the other varieties: it contains about 70% of oil.

Available at Carosso natural, toasted, gently sugar coated hazelnuts. They are perfectly round shaped and the taste is really incredible.

Looking around literally like a child in a candy shop (!), I noticed one beautiful rose pale packaging that looked particularly attractive to me: the traditional hazelnuts cake by the brand Relanghe made by Michelin three starred chef Enrico Crippa from Piazza Duomo restaurant.

Besides I could read « flourless » meaning no gluten…!

I cannot tell you how happy I was to find out that I could actually eat it.

The Relanghe brand is specialed in the production of the « Tonda Gentile Trilobata » hazelnut variety that is grown on the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato hills, which are UNESCO World Heritage sites since 2014.

In 2014 Enrico Crippa developed for Relanghe a traditional local recipe and created the hazelnut cake of Alba using only top-quality ingredients and of course, the Nocciola Piemonte I.G.P.

Back home in Paris, I was more than happy to splurge in one of the best cakes of my life: in a mouthful you can feel all the flavour of some of the best toasted hazelnuts along with a delicate aroma of cocoa at the end.

It is definitely perfect for breakfast, dessert, an afternoon tea, any time, any hour, I just wish I could find it here to taste it more often.

If you are planning a visit to Alba any time soon, this is one product that I do recommend.