bagna

Bagna is a term used in Italian cuisine to refer to a category of warm, oil-based dipping sauces, with bagna cauda being the best known form. The word bagna comes from the Italian verb bagnare, meaning to wet or dip, and bagna cauda translates roughly as “hot dip.”

The most famous example, bagna cauda, is a Piedmontese sauce traditionally made by gently heating garlic and anchovies with olive oil, sometimes butter, to form a smooth emulsified mixture. The sauce is kept warm in a small serving vessel and used to dip an assortment of raw vegetables and bread. Variants may alter the ratio of garlic and oil, include different fats, or add optional nuts or regional seasonings, but the core concept remains a warm, savory dip.

Serving and dining practice vary by locale, but bagna cauda is commonly presented as a communal dish in which diners spear vegetables or bread into the warm sauce. Vegetables typically include celery, fennel, carrots, peppers, radishes, chicory, or endive, chosen for their ability to hold up when dipped. The dish is especially associated with autumn and winter meals and with rural and festive gatherings in Piedmont.

Cultural context: Bagna cauda is regarded as part of Piedmontese culinary heritage, reflecting the region’s emphasis on shared, seasonal eating. While bagna cauda is the canonical form, regional adaptations exist, and the term bagna can appear in reference to similar dipping sauces in northern Italy.

Nutrition and notes: The sauce is rich in fat from olive oil and anchovies and is high in sodium due to the anchovies. It is typically served in small portions as a flavoring-and-dipping accompaniment.