What makes Pandolce Genovese so special? A local's perspective
A brief history of pandolce, a.k.a. Genoa’s cake The splendid emblem of Genoese Christmas p asticceria inherited a 16th-century wealth of ingredients (raisins, pine nuts, candied fruit) from ancient Eastern traditions. According to traditional lore, the origins of this demanding preparation (a cook’s pièce de résistance ) date back to Andrea Doria's time. The Admiral announced a competition dedicated to the master pastry chefs of the Superba – yet, more likely, pandolce was the fruit of ingenuity (households made the most of sourdough and honey). Which is the difference between pandolce alto and pandolce basso ? Pandolce comes in two versions: pandolce alto (i.e., high), the most ancient, and pandolce basso (i.e., low), a shortcrust pastry. Once a simple recipe (pandolce = bread sweetened with honey), it was enriched with dried and candied fruit over time. Pandolce alto relies on ...
