This Alpine region lies between Lyon in the west and Turin and Milan in the southeast and is an area that prides itself on its wonderful risotto. The key to a good risotto is to ensure that the rice is cooked “al dente,” so that it is neither too hard nor too soft.
This dish owes its existence to the artist Valerio di Fiandra. On 8th September 1574, on the occasion of his daughter’s wedding, he served guests bowls of golden-yellow rice, richly seasoned with saffron. In those days people liked to sprinkle dishes with gold dust in the firm belief that this would bring a glow first to the soul and then to the face.