Bagna Càuda

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The 'Cookster' in which the dipping sauce is kept hot

Bagna càuda, (from the Piedmontese "hot sauce", alternatively written bagna caôda, etymologically related to Italian root bagn-, meaning "wet") is a warm dip typical of Piedmont, Italy. The dish, which is served and consumed in a manner similar to fondue, is made with garlic, anchovies, olive oil, butter, and in some parts of the region cream. The dish is eaten by dipping raw, boiled or roasted vegetables, especially cardoon, celery, cauliflower, artichokes, peppers and onions. It is traditionally eaten during the autumn and winter months and must be served hot, as the name suggests.

Originally, in Piedmont, the Bagna càuda was placed in a big pan (peila) in the center of the table for communal sharing. Now, it is usually served in individual pots (the fojòt, a type of fondue pot traditionally made of terra cotta).

[edit] Pop culture references

While bagna càuda is generally considered a regional specialty not much known outside Italy, the Babylon 5 episode "A Distant Star" featured as comic relief Michael Garibaldi's successful but protracted effort to smuggle the ingredients onto the station in defiance of doctor's orders.