Bagna Cauda Day 2026: From Asti to the world, the Bagna Cauda ritual unites five continents.

The largest collective bagna cauda returns on November 20, 21, and 22, and November 27, 28, and 29. Over 160 participating venues, events from Senegal to Japan, from New York to Shanghai, and new fujot (lighted torches) will be lit in the homes of Italians abroad. On Sunday, November 29, in Asti, the Testa d'Aj Awards will be presented to Moni Ovadia, Mariuccia Ferrero, Chiara Buratti, and Pedro Porro. Among the new additions is the "Palot da Fujot" designed by Way Assauto.

Bagna cauda knows no borders. It travels in Italian suitcases, crosses oceans, arrives on restaurant tables in New York, Berlin, and Shanghai, and brings together friends and families even thousands of kilometers from Piedmont. This is one of the most surprising aspects of Bagna Cauda Day 2026 , which returns for its fourteenth edition over the two weekends of November 20, 21, and 22, and November 27, 28, and 29. For those who want to prolong the pleasure of bagna cauda, the date has already been set for Bagna della Merla, on January 29, 30, and 31, 2027 .

The event, conceived and promoted by the Astigiani Cultural Association, will involve over 160 venues, including restaurants, taverns, farmhouses, wineries, and other social venues, confirming itself as the largest collective and contemporary bagna cauda.

The motto chosen for 2026 is "This gag makes us free," an invitation to gather around the table, share the pleasure of food, and rediscover the value of being together. And for those who can't get enough, the celebration will return in the heart of winter with the Bagna della Merla, on January 29, 30, and 31, 2027 .

From Africa to Canada, Germogli Astigiani's bagna cauda travels the world.

This year, Bagna Cauda Day is further expanding its horizons thanks to a spontaneous network of Piedmontese and Italians who, despite living far away, continue to cultivate ties with their roots, including through cuisine.

In Senegal , Elena Dardanelli is preparing to organize a bagna cauda, bringing the flavors of Piedmont to West Africa. In Toulouse, France , Elena Damasio will be there, while in Tallinn, Estonia , Andrea Laretto will gather friends and acquaintances around fujot.

Bagna cauda will also arrive in Valencia, Spain , thanks to Gianluca Torchio, and in Budapest, Hungary , with Fabio Aimar.

On the other side of the Atlantic, in Vancouver, Canada , nutritionist Valentina Veiluva chose to organize the bagna cauda together with an association of Italians, transforming a traditional dish into an opportunity for the community to meet.

Their stories and testimonies were recounted in issue 56 of Astigiani. Today, gathering around a table, each in their own corner of the world, our Germogli Astigiani renew their connection with their homeland. Because bagna cauda isn't just a dish to share, but a ritual that bridges distances and keeps the connection with Asti alive, even thousands of miles away.

From New York to Shanghai, bagna cauda is conquering restaurants around the world.

Alongside initiatives organised in Italian homes and communities, participation by international restaurants is also growing.

In the United States , bagna cauda will be featured in several restaurants. In Connecticut, Margherita Aloi, originally from Piedmont but a New Yorker since 1989, will offer it in her restaurant Il Palio , which she has run since 2010, showcasing seasonality and local farm produce.

In Manhattan, on the Upper East Side, chef Giuseppe Bruno of the Sistina restaurant, which opened in 1982, will participate. Also in New York, bagna cauda will arrive at the Gattopardo , inside the Rockefeller Townhouse, and at La Chitarra Pasta & Wine in Bronxville.

Chef Toshi Suzuki will instead propose a personal interpretation of bagna cauda at Bar B , a venue inspired by the tradition of Spanish tapas.

The party will also reach Raleigh, North Carolina , at the Figulina restaurant, and will cross the Atlantic to Berlin , where it will be hosted by Facciola.

In China , in Wuhan, Roberta Menin will bring Piedmontese tradition to the Noi Mediterraneo restaurant.

A gastronomic journey demonstrating how a dish born from Piedmontese cuisine can become an ambassador of Italian conviviality and culture around the world. In China , on November 28th, bagna cauda will once again take center stage in Shanghai , at the Da Marco restaurant, thanks to the efforts of Adriano Zublena, president of the Piedmontese in the World – China Association and Ambassador of Bagna Cauda Day, which this year will also count on the collaboration of the Italian Federation of Chinese Chefs. This event renews the twinning program begun in 2019 and once again brings Piedmontese flavors and conviviality to the heart of the Chinese metropolis.

Japan is also renewing its connection to Bagna Cauda Day, thanks to chef Yuji Hayashi , a profound connoisseur of Italian regional cuisine, particularly Piedmontese, where he gained some of his professional experience before returning to Tokyo. Acting as a valuable bridge between Piedmont and Japan is, once again, journalist Yuka Yamashita , who for years has passionately contributed to promoting and promoting our gastronomic traditions in the Land of the Rising Sun. From November 11th to 16th, the chef will be the star of the Festa Italiana event held at the Matsuya Ginza department store in the heart of Tokyo, introducing the Japanese public to the flavors and traditions of Piedmontese cuisine. On November 19th, the bagna cauda journey will continue in Aomori, a Japanese region renowned for its garlic production, with a special evening dedicated to this iconic dish of Piedmontese conviviality, together with local garlic producers.

Testa d'Aj Award 2026: Four stories of character and freedom

Bagna Cauda Day is also an opportunity to celebrate people who have distinguished themselves through originality, determination, and the ability to go against the grain.

On Sunday 29 November at 4.30 pm, at Stage 19 in via Ospedale 19 in Asti , the Astigiani Association will award the 2026 Testa d'Aj Prize to four very different personalities: Moni Ovadia, Mariuccia Ferrero, Chiara Buratti and Stefano “Pedro” Porro .

Established in 2016, the award recognizes women and men who have demonstrated a certain "stubbornness," in the most positive sense of the word: people capable of defending their ideas, facing difficulties, and pursuing personal paths, without sacrificing a sense of humor.

Moni Ovadia , actor, author, musician, and theater personality, has made humor, memory, and freedom of thought the hallmarks of an artistic journey that intertwines Jewish culture, music, and civic engagement.

Mariuccia Ferrero , who has been cooking at the San Marco restaurant in Canelli for fifty years, embodies a passion for a cuisine that preserves traditions and the value of hospitality, based on daily work, attention to people, and conviviality.

Chiara Buratti , actress and performer, has built a career in entertainment, bringing characters and stories to life through personal artistic exploration. Her work includes L'ultimo giorno di sole , a play written for her by Giorgio Faletti.

Stefano "Pedro" Porro , a young artist from Asti, works across painting, illustration, sculpture, and performance. He is also the creator of Bavagliolone 2026, which conveys a message of freedom and a deeply personal memory.

The prize consists of an artistic reproduction of a head of garlic created by the artist Roberto Giovannetti .

Moni Ovadia brings his "Humor Lessons" to Asti

The day of November 29th will continue at 6:30 pm , again on Stage 19, with the theatrical performance “Lessons in Humor. For a Critique of Humorous-Paradoxical Reason” by Moni Ovadia and Elisa Savi.

A journey through irony, sarcasm, paradox, and nonsense, through jokes, aphorisms, puns, cultured quotes, and comic songs.

With his unmistakable ability to blend culture and entertainment, Ovadia will guide audiences through the mechanisms that make us smile, demonstrating how humor can also be a tool for observing reality and its contradictions.

Entrance fee: 12 euros.

The Palot da Fujot: a small gift of Asti ingenuity from Way Assauto

Among the new products for 2026 is the Palot da Fujot , a small metal shovel designed by engineers from the historic Asti-based company Way Assauto . This object allows you to move a lit candle under the fujot, the traditional container that keeps the bagna cauda warm. Once its function at the table is over, it transforms into an original keychain. A simple and curious invention, it puts the technical expertise of a major industrial company at the service of a traditional folk ritual. The Palot will be given to participants along with the designer Bavagliolone.

The 2026 Bavagliolone: A Red Volvo Traveling the World

The fourteenth Bagna Cauda Day Bib is designed by Stefano "Pedro" Porro , who interpreted the motto "This Bib Makes Us Free" with a very personal image: a red Volvo Polar traveling the world. It's the car that belonged to his father GianLuigi, who passed away last June, and who participated in the Bagna Cauda Caravan of vintage cars in that very car. The drawing thus becomes a loving tribute, but also a symbol of travel, freedom, and memory. The fabric Bib will be given to participants, as it is every year, adding to the event's already extraordinary "bib library."

The Bagna Cauda Caravan brings Ligurian ingredients to Asti.

On Saturday, November 21st, the Bagna Cauda Caravan returns for the third year, featuring vintage cars from the Camea di Asti and Cave di Imperia clubs. The crews will meet in Vessalico , in the Arroscia Valley, the Ligurian town famous for its garlic, before crossing the Col di Nava pass and reaching Piedmont, symbolically carrying the "foreign" ingredients of bagna cauda: new Taggiasca olive oil, anchovies from the Ligurian Sea, and Vessalico garlic. After a stop in Nizza Monferrato to harvest cardoons and Barbera, the caravan will arrive in Asti at 5:30 p.m., in Piazza Libertà , where the large fujot (fireplace) will be lit, like a symbolic Olympic brazier. The initiative is supported by Aenergy of Asti and renews the collaboration with the historic Roi oil mill of Badalucco.

Bagna cauda, a ritual that continues to unite

Oil, anchovies, and garlic. And then cardoons, cabbage, turnips, beets, potatoes, leeks, Jerusalem artichokes, and the many Piedmontese autumn vegetables.

Bagna cauda remains a simple yet powerfully convivial dish. It's eaten slowly, all together, with a lit fujot in front of it. It's a traditional peasant recipe that Bagna Cauda Day has transformed into a contemporary celebration without altering its spirit.

The formula remains the same that has made the event so successful: many different venues, one great collective ritual, and the freedom to choose your own bagna cauda.

In 2026, participating establishments will again be presented on the Bagna Cauda Day website with the traditional "taste traffic lights" : Red for the classic bagna cauda, "as God commands"; Yellow for the "heretical" version, with diluted garlic; Green for the "atheist" version, without garlic. The "Sporta a ca'" will also return, a takeaway bagna cauda with vegetables, for those who prefer to celebrate the ritual at home. The starting price remains €30 , with wine offered at €15 a bottle . Some establishments also offer the "Bagna sovrana" or the "Finale in gloria" with truffle.

Barbera and bagna cauda, table companions

As always, the grand table will be accompanied by local wines. Bagna Cauda Day renews its partnership with four historic Asti wineries: Bava di Cocconato, Braida di Rocchetta Tanaro, Cascina Castlèt di Costigliole d'Asti, and Coppo di Canelli .

An alliance in the name of Barbera d'Asti , the natural companion of bagna cauda and wine that shares with this dish the same convivial and profoundly Piedmontese character.

Bagna Cauda Day is also good for the area

Since its inception, Bagna Cauda Day has been more than just a food festival. The Astigiani Cultural Association donates the event's proceeds to charitable and environmental protection initiatives. Among the projects supported is the Bosco degli Astigiani , in the hills of Viatosto. The park, located on over five hectares of land donated to the Municipality of Asti by the Banca d'Asti, is destined to become a large public space dedicated to biodiversity and the environment.

So, ideally, every fujot lit also contributes to growing a piece of greenery.

The list of participating venues, how to participate, and all updates on the program will be published on the official Bagna Cauda Day website www.bagnacaudaday.it

The allies of Bagna Cauda Day are: the Municipality of Asti, the Piedmont Region, the Langhe Monferrato Roero Tourist Board, Caritas, the Asti DOCG Consortium, the CAMEA Asti Vintage Car and Motorcycle Club, Bava, Braida, Cascina Castlet, Coppo, AB Selezione, Aenergy, the Ramolivo Association, Asti Agriculture, the Consortium for the Protection of Grappa of Piedmont and Grappa di Barolo, Oramaro, Cantina di Nizza, Iccom, the Municipality of Vessalico, the Consortium for the Protection of Garlic of Vessalico, Olio Roi, Mario Fongo and Barbero Davide.