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RECIPE OF THE MONTHINGREDIENT OF THE MONTH BABBO MENU |
DOLCI |
by Gina DePalma, Pastry Chef I cannot resist beginning with a personal aside. This month, we visit the city and province of Benevento in Campania, which plays a significant role in my own family lineage. My paternal grandfather, Raffaele, immigrated to the United States with his parents and siblings from Calle Sannita, a small town in the provincial hills surrounding Benevento. He arrived in 1903, when he was just 9 years old, and the rest, we say, is DePalma family history. But enough about me; lets talk about another great product of Benevento, torrone. Torrone is the Italian, and perhaps the original, version of nougat candy. In Italy, it can be traced back to the days of the Roman Empire, when it was a simple sweet concocted from egg whites, almonds and honey. The exact origin of the word torrone is unclear; the Latin torréo translates into “to toast,” perhaps referring to one of the principal ingredients, a toasted nut. To the Romans themselves, nougat candy was known as “cupedia,” meaning the desire for delicate food; it was reserved for special celebrations or used as an offering to the gods. The Roman soldiers carried the sweet treat to the far reaches of the vast Roman Empire, including their Arab conquests. The sugar-loving Arab Sarcens then introduced nougat to Greece, France and Spain. Torrone experienced many name changes and versions during its march through history. The first documented mention of torrone was in 1441, when it played a key role in the marriage celebration of Francesco Sforza to Bianca Maria Visconti of Cremona, a city in the northern region of Emilia-Romagna. The confection created for the wedding feast was shaped in homage to Cremona’s belltower, the Torrione, to signify that the city itself was part of the bride’s dowry. The same ingredients used by the Romans were employed, as they are today; the egg whites and honey were cooked slowly, over low heat, for over eight hours, allowing the nut-studded candy to be shaped into an exact replica of the Torrione itself; yet another possibility for the origin of the candy’s name. The wedding guests, noble men and women from every corner of Europe, were amazed, and torrone became a popular treat for kings, queens, and princely heads of state in European courts. Torrone evolved to include delicious variations, including the addition of hazelnuts, orange, lemon and even chocolate, “Torrone di Pape,” was made with pine nuts, its flavor so wondrous it was considered worthy of the mouth of the Pope. However, it was the flavoring of torrone with another specialty of Benevento that brought the tradition of torrone production to the province: the delicate liqueur known as Strega. Which now brings us to the witches. According to an old wives tale, Benevento was an area where witches were known to congregate. In 1860 just prior to the unification of Italy, when Benevento was still part of the Papal States, the enterprising Alberti family began distilling an infusion from a single herb, according to a secret recipe obtained from an old monastery. The Alberti son, Guiseppe, wisely saw the marketing possibilities in linking his new liqueur to the charming, and still locally-believed, legend of the Witches of Benevento; Strega, which means “witch” in Italian was sold as the love potion of Benevento witches, forever uniting the couples who drank it together. So where does the candy enter the picture? Local nougat makers began to flavor their torrone with Benevento’s own special liqueur, and the torrone made in Benevento became known outside the region for its unique and delicate flavor. Eventually, the many torrone producers of the local area decided to combine their efforts in one grand factory, the Fabbriche Riunite Torrone di Benevento, established in 1908. The factory’s production of torrone was said to fill the air in the city of Benevento with its sweet perfume. World War II brought hard times to the region, and production was nearly halted, but in the post-war years, master nougat-maker Mario Rosa bought the factory and rescued it from the ashes; his family still operates it today. It is joined by dozens of other small producers in Benevento, each adhering to their own family recipes and traditions in producing Torrone di Benevento and sharing it with the rest of the world. Making torrone is difficult, and I far prefer to do what most Italians do and to buy the best I can find. I especially enjoy it around the holidays with hot espresso, fresh clementines and perhaps a sip or two of Strega. It is also wonderful when chopped and folded into softened gelato, and can even be baked into your favorite biscotti or cookie recipe. Look for torrone at Italian or gourmet specialty stores in your area; online you can purchase it from Dean and DeLuca and A.G. Ferrari Foods.
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