Copyright 2009, Maria Liberati
Yes… the Holidays are still moving along here and with one down and 3 more to go (New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and La Befana) the pressing question here is what to serve at the Holiday table-Panettone or Pandoro (both are sweet Italian dessert breads)? If you are looking for something that says tradition then it is the traditional Panettone Milanese, (coming from Milan) the king of the Holiday season. Legend has it that it was first served at the banquet table of Ludivico il Moro at the Sforzi castle (in Milan) on Christmas Day in 1495. It was called ‘il pane confezionati con acini di uva’ or in Latin ‘il panis quidam acinis uvae confectus or in English ‘bread with raisin confections’.
On the other hand Pandoro Veronese (originating in Verona) has a legend that dates its’ origins to the year 1260, it was called ‘Nadalin’ and was made for the Holiday Feast of the Della Scala nobility. When study was done here, 7 out of 10 Italians were found to find both -Pandoro and Panettone irreplaceable for their Holiday table. And the study found that 75.4% buy Pannettone and 75.3% buy Pandoro. So this means that there is probably no choosing over one or the other. They are bought in pairs since both breads have their own distinctive tastes and make an easy and festive dessert after a Holiday meal or for a Holiday coffee break.
In Italy it is becoming more difficult to locate freshly baked versions of the two, the factory produced versions are easier to find and more economical. But one thing is for certain with Pandoro and Panettone at your table your meal will always feel like a special one and whoever is at the table will utter an ‘oohh’ in anticipation at the moment that the first slice is cut.
Let us know what is your favorite? Panettone or Pandoro-no matter what country you live in…
Stay tuned for recipes for Panettone and Pandoro from the country house here in the mountains of Abruzzo. And you can also find them in
The Basic Art of Italian Cooking;Holidays & Special Occasions recently selected as the Best Italian Cusine Book in America for 2009 by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
“Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene”
Maria
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