BUONISSIMO, ITALIANISSIMO

Sweet talk: Italy’s Favourite Traditional Sweets, Explained

Many of Italy’s most iconic traditional sweets have a story behind them that’s just as important as their ingredients.

Do you speak Dolci? Sure, Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, but there’s never any excuse required to indulge in your favourite Italian sweets and desserts. You can technically call it research. We certainly did! From a Tiramisu ‘pick me up’, to biscotti that hold history’s kisses, many of Italy’s most iconic sweets have fascinating facts and traditional stories behind them which explain everything from their visual appearance, to their hero ingredients, to their world-famous cultural legacies.

We’ve done a fair bit of our own tasting and research to bring you a mouth-watering lineup of iconic Italian sweets and their intriguing back stories. It’s a tough job…but someone has to do it. And yes, consider this your permission to eat dessert every day of the week!

Something seductive: Tiramisù

The next time you’re shovelling down spoonfuls of coffee-scented clouds at Pierluigi or Da Enzo al 29 in Rome (or at Nonna’s kitchen table, for that matter) don’t forget the fact that this iconic Italian dessert used to be a taboo subject in 19th century Italy!

History says that Tiramisù was first created by a ‘Siora’ (female proprietor) of a ‘pleasure house’ in the city of Treviso in Veneto in the year 1800. Its mix of decadent ingredients including eggs, sugar, mascarpone, coffee and cocoa had a particularly, shall we say, stimulating… effect on all those who devoured it.

It wasn’t long before restaurants in Treviso discovered news of this alluring secret dish being served by the Siora to her customers, and added a version of it to their menus. Yet, in the name of modesty, its true origins were concealed from public knowledge for years to follow. In fact, the word Tiramisu actually means ‘pick me up’, translated from ‘Tireme su’ in Treviso dialect.

Something from the south: Cannoli

“Leave the gun, take the Cannoli”…Let us remind you, the legacy of this world-famous traditional Sicilian sweet goes far beyond The Godfather movie!

Translating to ‘little tube’, Cannolo traces its origins back to ancient Sicily, when a mix of Arabic cultures first brought sugarcane to the city of Palermo. What happened next? Fried pastry shells were prepared for special carnivals and festivals, filled with a sweet cream or cheese-based filling and sugar, and garnished with dried or ‘candied’ fruits and nuts.

While you’ll find Cannoli all over Italy today, nothing quite compares to the bliss of sinking your teeth into a fresh cannolo somewhere on the southern island where it all started, such as the Segreti del Chiostro in Palermo. This pasticceria is hidden inside a historic convent where these dolci are still prepared daily by nuns according to a secret ancient recipe. But don’t take our word for it, head south and try them for yourself!

Something ancient: Panforte

As one of the oldest Italian dolci believed to date back to medieval times in the Tuscan city of Siena, we thought Panforte deserved its own special mention!

Translating to ‘strong bread’ (…when you start chewing on a piece, you’ll see why) this sticky, cake-like treat was first made with honey, nuts, spices and dried fruit, and served at special Christmas and religious celebrations across the city.

Put simply, eating a piece of panforte is like eating a piece of Italian history! There are many traditionalists who believe the recipe should stay exactly as it has been since the 13th century. And then there’s the experimentalists among us, who are exploring new flavour combinations including different types of chocolate, liquors and spices. We’d be lying if we said we didn’t have a secret stash of panforte on hand to savour with an espresso every so often.

Something for romantics: Baci di Dama

Valentine’s Day aside, these traditional hazelnut and chocolate sandwich biscotti fly out the door of the local panifico (bakery) at any time of year.

Originating from the quaint town of Tortona in Piemonte, there is some debate as to whether these crumbly cookies were first prepared at the request of Victor Emanuelle II (who became the first king of united Italy since the 6th century), who asked the House of Savoy’s pastry chefs to whip up something small and sweet that he could give a woman of his heart. In any case, the full and rounded shape of Baci di Dama (which translates to ‘Lady’s Kisses’) is said to symbolise a woman’s lips preparing for a kiss, or, perhaps, preparing to be kissed!

Whether Victor Emanuelle II had anything to do with it or not, we’re ready to pucker up for whoever it was that first created the recipe for these Piemontese sweet treats, which are the perfect accompaniment to our mid-morning macchiato. Traditionally made with only four of five ingredients and sandwiched together with a generous piping of dark chocolate, they can also be made with pistachios or almonds and an unexpected (but utterly irresistible) white chocolate centre.

Something fried and tested: Zeppole

When you hear the word Zeppole, many people drool over the thought of pasticceria cabinets in Rome and Naples loaded with these fried, custard-crowned morsels.

In fact, it’s believed that Zeppole were first eaten by the Ancient Romans, who prepared special fried dough balls and coated them in sugar.

Today, Zeppole look more like fritter-type doughnuts that are eaten in their simple traditional form (dusted in sugar or cinnamon), or filled with custard, jam or pastry cream. They are a traditional staple of the sweets table at any Italian family gathering or festive celebration, typically eaten on Saint Joseph’s Day (March 19th), when they are prepared in plate-fulls and given out as gifts and offerings. A gentle word of warning, no matter how great your recipe is for Zeppole, it’s impossible to get them to taste quite like Nonna’s – which have been fried and tested for decades!

Something for the chocoholics: Tartufo

Quiz time: what’s brown, shaped like a ball, filled with a lush chocolate centre, and originates from the Calabrian town of Pizzo? Chocoholics rejoice, it’s Tartufo!

As the story goes, this iconic Italian sweet was first created in the early 1950s, when a gelataio named Giuseppe De Maria in Pizzo was preparing the frozen treats for party guests. Once he ran out of moulds to shape the desserts, and started shaping them into rough balls with his hands, each one filled with melted chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder.

Translating to ‘truffle’, the layered, chocolate-filled Tartufo was given its name to evoke a certain prized allure on the Italian dessert menu. Whether prepared in traditional dark chocolate form or served in new variations (like the fruity, white chocolate Tartufo Bianco) they are still made by hand with the freshest ingredients across Italy today. We can’t think of a more delectable way to beat the heat in summer than grabbing a Tartufo in Pizzo’s main piazza and plunging head-first into one of these chocolate-coated balls of bliss. Some call Tartufo a sweet accident, but we’ll call them a lucky gift to humankind.

So, do you speak Dolci?

The only thing sweeter than a traditional Italian dessert is one served on a piece of Bellissimo tableware. Here are some of our picks that are sure to add the perfect touch to your romantic Valentine’s Day dinner!