Ugo Magnaldi Vittorio Quaglia
The custodian of the traditional cardo gobbo
Vittorio Quaglia is a cardarolo and custodian of the prized Nizza Monferrato Hunchback Cardoon, a niche product he cultivates with a profound knowledge of its traditions. His experience is rooted in his childhood, dating back to when, as a six year old boy, he accompanied his father to the Turin market to sell the precious vegetable.
Today, he is the most expert grower belonging to the Consortium for the Protection of the Nizza Monferrato Hunchback Cardoon, whose rigid production specification imposes the prohibition of resorting to herbicides and pesticides, effectively making the production of the Hunchback Cardoon entirely organic. Furthermore, the added value of his crops comes from the sandy and silty soil that has been deposited over the decades as a result of the recurring floods of the Belbo stream.
Mr. Quaglia's main expertise lies in the meticulous application of the traditional cultivation method, which dictates that operations such as the binding, the burying, and the harvesting of the cardoons must be carried out manually. This process is not a simple technique, but an art that guarantees the cardoon its exceptional qualities of sweetness and crispness.
Video table of contents
Interview information
Country: IT
Region: Piemonte
City: Incisa Scapaccino
Vittorio Quaglia
Date of birth: 02-06-1957
City: Incisa Scapaccino (AT)
Profession: Farmer
Languages: Italiano
Document by: Laura Bugliazzini
Video by: Laura Bugliazzini Andrea Icardi
Created: 22-10-2025
Questo video fa parte del seguente archivio
Nourishing Piedmontese Identity: Bagna Cauda’s tales
Nourishing Piedmontese Identity: Bagna Cauda’s tales
Bagna cauda is a complex and multifaceted gastronomic system partly constituted by its ingredients and, above all, by a repertoire of cultural aspects capable of conveying symbols, traditions, and knowledge of the communities of Southern Piedmont, from which it is considered an identity food.
A dish in which every variant of the recipe is evidence of a different tradition: hundreds of possible preparations that differ from each other, connected by distinctive traits such as conviviality, sharing, irony, and the celebration of a non-solemn festive event. A unique convergence that represents the common thread of this repository that contains interviews with farmers, cooks, and those who experience the practice of bagna cauda as a moment of communion with food and collectivity.
A meaning that, in the last twelve years, the Astigiani Cultural Association has been able to grasp, proposing to the Piedmontese communities all over the world the participation to the Bagna Cauda Day. A very successful initiative that involved over 30.000 diners in the 2024 edition.
