L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2026 www.italoamericano.org 22 L'Italo-Americano I f you have spent time in Piedmont, espe- cially in the country- side or in the homes o f o l d e r r e l a t i v e s , there is a good chance you h a v e s e e n o n e ; i t u s u a l l y stood against a kitchen wall, s o l i d , p r a c t i c a l , a l i t t l e i m p o s i n g , s o m e t i m e s i n dark cast iron, more often in w h i t e e n a m e l w i t h b l a c k trim. Its uses were many: it would heat the room, while a l s o c o o k i n g a m e a l a n d f u n c t i o n i n g a s a f o r m o f g a t h e r i n g s p a c e f o r t h e entire family. As common as they once were, not many – I bet – know their name, the putagé. Those who grew up in vil- lages, farmhouses, or older homes often remember par- ents or grandparents using one as part of ordinary daily life, but even younger gener- a t i o n s m a y k n o w i t f r o m childhood visits to grand- parents in Langhe, Monfer- rato, or the Asti countryside, where kitchens sometimes kept their old rhythm longer than cities did. Elsewhere in Italy, often simply called a cucina eco- n o m i c a , a w o o d - b u r n i n g kitchen range, the putagé was a very clever domestic invention, because one fire could heat the room, cook l u n c h , b a k e i n t h e o v e n , warm water, and dry clothes hung nearby. Before central heating, and before pressing a button solved most house- hold tasks, being efficient m e a n t d r a w i n g a s m u c h value as possible from a sin- gle source of heat, and with a putagé in the kitchen, effi- c i e n c y i n t h a t s e n s e w a s guaranteed. And it was this very prac- ticality that made it so popu- lar in rural Piedmont, where often fuel came from what was already at hand, like vine cuttings after pruning, h a z e l b r a n c h e s , o r w o o d g a t h e r e d f r o m f i e l d s a n d hedges. Over time, though, the putagé acquired a char- acter of its own: earlier mod- els were lower, darker, and more severe, built mainly of iron, but by the twentieth century, many homes had the familiar enamelled ver- sions, usually white, with polished handles, cooking plates of different sizes, and a small oven where cakes and roasts could be made. T h e n a m e p u t a g é c o m e s very likely from the French potage, itself linked to the cooking pot, and is a symbol of the strong historical and cultural connection between Piedmont and France. But the real strength of the putagé, at least if we look at it with more modern eyes, lies in how it helped develop the cooking of the region. All of you who are familiar with Piedmontese food know that patience and time are central to its real- i z a t i o n , a n d t h i s t y p e o f stove was perfect for cooking d i s h e s s l o w l y , o f t e n o v e r s e v e r a l h o u r s . T h i n k o f soups of beans and vegeta- bles, braised beef with wine, p o l e n t a , a n d t h e i c o n i c bagna cauda: none of these quintessential Piedmontese recipes are made fast, nor cooked on a full flame. And dessert? Well, the traditional b û n e t , a n e g g , m i l k , a n d amaretti pudding typical of the region, found its place in the oven. But the putagé was never s o l e l y a p l a c e t o c o o k , o r s o m e t h i n g t o w a r m t h e house, it was also the gath- e r i n g p o i n t o f t h e e n t i r e family, where people sat in w i n t e r , w h e r e h o m e w o r k w a s d o n e , w h e r e c l o t h e s dried, where talk continued while something cooked in the background. Many hous- es had rooms reserved for guests or formal occasions, but everyday life usually set- tled in the kitchen, near the stove. Its running was usual- ly the duty of the house's women, who managed fuel, timing, economy, and meals with incredible precision, b e c a u s e u s i n g a p u t a g é p r o p e r l y r e q u i r e d s o m e skills and good judgment: you needed to know when to feed the fire, where the heat was strongest, how to cook two or three things at once without wasting wood. T o d a y , t h e w o r l d h a s changed, naturally. Modern kitchens are cleaner, faster, and easier to regulate, and let's be honest, few people would choose to light a fire every morning before coffee, but the putagé didn't quite disappear: some still remain in family homes, restored or functioning, especially in r u r a l a r e a s , w h i l e o t h e r s have found a second life in agriturismi, trattorias, and country restaurants, where cooks value the gentle heat and the atmosphere such a stove can bring. B u t t h e r e i s r e n e w e d i n t e r e s t i n i t t o d a y f o r another reason, as well: at a time when domestic tech- nology is increasingly digi- tal, fast, and standardized, the putagé embodies anoth- er idea of usefulness based on durability, multifunction- ality, and the old-fashioned trend of "building something to last a few decades." It's true, it asks more of the per- s o n u s i n g i t , b u t i t g i v e s something back in return: warmth, stability, and a spe- cial way of cooking. Mind, I am not trying to say that life i n t h e p a s t w a s e a s i e r o r more poetic, but very often it wasn't: there were demands, hard work, labor, and com- forts were often limited, but this isn't really important for t h e p u t a g é b e c a u s e i t s appeal lies somewhere else entirely. It reminds us that m a n y t r a d i t i o n a l o b j e c t s lasted not because people w e r e s e n t i m e n t a l a b o u t t h e m , b u t b e c a u s e t h e y solved everyday problems well, and only later, once those problems changed, did a f f e c t i o n g a t h e r a r o u n d them. Italy's culinary heritage is o f t e n p r e s e n t e d t h r o u g h famous wines, celebrated cheeses, and other delica- cies, but some of it survives in much simpler forms: a worn wooden board, an old bread oven, a pantry shelf, or a white enamel stove still standing in the corner of a country kitchen. In Piedmont, the putagé belongs to that company. It may not be used as much as it once was, but it remains for many a symbol of good food, scented like mandarin peel burning on the fire, and comforting like the smiles of grandparents. CHIARA D'ALESSIO The putagé, once a familiar presence in many Italian kitchens, combined stove, oven, and home heating in a single wood-burning fixture (Photo: Moyanasnaga/Dreamstime) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES T h e p u t a g é : h o w a n o l d Piedmont stove became a living piece of food culture

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