It resembles the shape of a star, it is soft and completely covered in icing sugar: ladies and gentlemen we are talking about Pandoro, the flagship dessert of the Veronese tradition.
While last year we decided to dedicate an article to history of Panettone, this year we have decided to also give space to another dessert from the Italian Christmas tradition: Pandoro.
Let's discover together how Pandoro was born and when, what it owes its name to and little curiosities about its history.
Domenico Melegatti and the Pandoro of Verona
Pandoro was officially born in Verona in October 1884 and is the result of the creativity of the master pastry chef Domenico Melegatti, owner of the patent registered at the Ministry of Agriculture, Agriculture and Commerce of the Kingdom of Italy.
The first evidence of Pandoro consumption dates back to 1500 during the period of the Republic of Venice, however, according to some theories, Pandoro is the final result of the evolution of two other desserts: Vienna Bread and Nadalin.
The common origin of these products is the extreme softness given by the presence of butter.
But let's go back to Domenico Melegatti. It is said that to create the Pandoro recipe he was inspired by the culinary tradition of Christmas Eve: on this day the women of Verona kneaded a leavened dessert called Levà whose surface was covered with almonds and sprinkles.
From the recipe of this traditional dessert Melegatti eliminated the covering and added sugar and eggs to have a soft and fluffy dough.
The truncated eight-pointed pyramid shape is the result of the ingenuity of the Veronese painter Angelo Dall'oca Bianca who designed the mold allowing Pandoro to be distinguished from the "competitor" Panettone.
As for the name, however, it is said that it is the result of the exclamation of a pastry boy who, with immense amazement, shouted at the sight of that dessert that seemed so similar to gold.
Do you know the "thousand lire" challenge launched by Domenico Melegatti?
The response to the incredible success of Pandoro has been the constant attempt by the competition to imitate it.
Domenico Melegatti thus decided to challenge all imitators: he offered a thousand lire as a prize for the person/those who came up with a different, but equally good dessert, which exploited the original Pandoro recipe without imitating it.
No one ever managed to win that prize and, even today, Pandoro remains a UNIQUE dessert!
Today, as has happened to you many times, lunches and snacks in the company of friends and relatives during the Christmas period see two factions lined up: the Pandoro team and the Panettone team.
Do you know what the secret is to enjoy al your Pandoro better?
Among lovers of Pandoro it is common to find two factions: the first who, after slicing it, eats it and a second who enjoys it after heating it in the oven for a few minutes.
The slight heat helps to dissolve the sugar and makes the slice even more fragrant and fragrant.
Those with a sweet tooth usually fill the Pandoro with creams and jams or use it as a base, creating a sort of sponge cake to cover.
To further enhance the flavor of this dessert, pair with passito or fortified red wines.
Panettone or Pandoro: here are the proposals from our online sweets wholesaler
The wholesale of sweets Universal Dolce it doesn't play favorites: we have selected the products of the best brands of artisanal pandoro and panettone that you can find in the section of the site dedicated to CHRISTMAS.
Like every year, we have opened our shop where you can purchase quality products as gifts to friends and relatives.
Come and visit us, you can find us from Monday to Saturday at Block 45C of the Gros in Rimini.
