Panettone and Pandoro are two of the main protagonists of the Christmas Holidays and, every year, they compete as the favorite Italian Christmas cake. Of course, they’re both amazing desserts and the winner is only up to personal taste but if you want to get to know more about Panettone and Pandoro, you’re in the right place! Here are some interesting facts about the history behind these two cakes!
Take a tour in Rome during Christmas time
Panettone
Panettone is a yeast-leavened dessert, with candied fruit and raisins, that was apparently first created in the Italian region Lombardia, more precisely, in the city of Milan. There are many different stories and legends surrounding its origin, let’s find out more about the two most popular ones:
- The first legend says that a Milanese noble, called Ughetto degli Atellani, was behind the invention of the Panettone. He had apparently fallen in love with Adalgisa, the daughter of a poor baker named Toni. To impress her, Ughetto degli Atellani, pretended to be a baker and invented a rich bread with raisins and candied fruit. This bread, called “Pan del Ton” (Toni’s Bread) got quite popular because the duke of Milan, Ludovico il Moro Sforza, loved it!
- The second legend says that a helper of a cook named Toni, invented this dessert because the chef had no other desserts in mind for Christmas night. He used the ingredients he had in the kitchen and made the “pan de Toni”, which got popular right after WWI because Angelo Motta, a young Milanese baker, began to make it with its infamous dome shape and also changed the recipe a bit by making the Panettone dough rise three times before cooking it, making it very light.
Panettone is usually served with a glass of Prosecco or white wine.
Pandoro
Pandoro is another typical leavened Christmas cake that was apparently first made in Verona. It’s a very soft dessert with a strong vanilla flavor and a golden look. Its shape is similar to an eight-pointed star and it’s usually served with a lot of powdered sugar to make it look like the snowy Alps!
There are a lot of different legends surrounding the creation of the Pandoro as well. The most popular story is that it was created in the XIX century by Domenico Melegatti, a Veronese pasticcere. The term “Pandoro” comes from “pan de oro” (bread of gold) because of its golden color and it became quite popular very quickly.
Where to buy one in Italy
Nowadays there are many different companies that produce the Panettone and Pandoro. As the Holiday season starts to get closer, supermarkets usually fill up with industrially made Panettone and Pandoro that are very good and cheap.
Some of the best brands for these leavened cakes are:
- Bauli;
- Tre Marie;
- Motta;
- Balocco;
- Perbellini;
If you’re looking for handcrafted fresh Panettone and Pandoro, we suggest you hit the local pasticcerie (bakeries). It’s a bit more expensive but it’s definitely worth it!
