Tag: specialty

Sicilian nougat, the island's specialty – Italian Cuisine

In the hinterland, historical and new generation activities still keep the ancient confectionery art of Sicilian nougat alive: from Caltanissetta to Modica, here are the best ones + authentic recipe

Not only cassata and cannoli, among the specialties of the Sicilian confectionery tradition we can also include the Nougat. We have already talked about the cubaita, an ancient delicacy of Arab derivation, but today we are talking about the typical nougat of central Sicily, a hinterland rich in almond and pistachio groves. Main ingredients are indeed almonds and pistachios, including those of the Bronte and Raffadali DOPs, the latter recognized last March. There are two versions of nougat based on the consistency: hard and soft, it all depends on the cooking time and the percentage of honey and sugar used in the dough. Let's find out more about the Sicilian nougat – and also where to buy it, even online.

Caltanissetta nougat

During the second half of the 19th century Caltanissetta was considered the "city of nougat", there were eight nougat factories specialized in the artisan production of turruni (in Sicilian dialect) both hard and crumbly or bloc, made with almonds, pistachios, honey, egg white and sugar. An ancient knowledge handed down by the turrunary masters and told by the Slow Food Arca del Gusto project: the workers mix the ingredients in a copper bottom boiler and in the final cooking phase (eight hours on low heat) they add Sicilian almonds and pistachios. At the end, the dough is spread on rectangular frames and worked with wooden rolling pins. Then they spread more chopped pistachio on the surface of the blocks. The frames containing the nougat are placed under a press (formerly manual, today hydraulic) which evens the surface of the nougat and better fixes the pistachio on the external surface. When it cools down, the workers extract it from the frames and cut the nougat into pieces of 50, 100 or 250g with a machine called "cutter" in jargon, while the entire nougat preparation cycle is called the "done".

In 1884 the nougat of Caltanissetta of Salvatore Amico it won first place in the "nougat and panforte" category of the Italian General Exposition in Turin, beating the competition of its Lombard, Tuscan and Campania "cousins". Two other Nissenians, Luigi Giannone and Giuseppe Infantolino, instead obtained the gold mention. Today, unfortunately, only one of the eight historical activities has survived, the Torronificio Geraci founded in 1870 by Michele Geraci (as a boy he worked as a boy in the Infantolino pastry shop). The fourth generation, represented by the sisters Giuliana and Marcella Geraci, carries on the glorious family tradition with passion, keeping unchanged the recipe of Caltanissetta artisan nougat inherited from their great-grandfather.

From the online shop of Torronificio Geraci it is possible to order Sicilian nougat in all specialties. In addition to the classic version, there are nougats created in the early twentieth century and baptized with the names of the House of Savoy "Umberto", "Elena" and "Jolanda". The first two are covered with chocolate while the Jolanda nougats are really special: the still hot nougat is cut into thin leaves which are placed in the special frames to acquire the shape of small tiles. Each piece is filled manually with a creamy mixture based on almonds and sugar, at the end it is all covered with chocolate. And then there are "Zara", with a round shape and filled with pistachio cream, and "Pepita", a soft nougat invented at the end of the 70s by the women of the Geraci family, characterized by a whole almond inside, covering of chocolate and a golden wrapping. For those who want to know more, it is possible to book (except during the Christmas period) cooking class on the art of nougat and guided tours of the shop and laboratory in Caltanissetta.

Caltanissetta nougat, the authentic recipe

Ingrediants:
400g powdered sugar
250g whole peeled almonds
250g unsalted shelled pistachios
200g honey
1 egg white

Method:
Toast the almonds and pistachios in the oven at a moderate temperature until they have a golden color.
Separately whip the egg white until stiff and add liquid honey.
Continue whisking until the mixture becomes clear.
Mix the mixture well with the sugar, pour it into a pan and cook over low heat, stirring carefully.
When the nougat paste has hardened, according to your taste, remove the pan from the heat and mix the pistachios and coarsely chopped almonds into the mixture.
Spread the nougat inside a rectangular mold placed on baking paper.
Cover with another layer of baking paper, pressing well.
Leave to cool to room temperature.

The nougat of Licodia Eubea

In the small village of Licodia Eubea, in the province of Catania, 600 meters high in the Iblei Mountains, is the Torronificio Renna: a small artisanal and family-run production that pays homage to the recipe for white almond nougat handed down since the 1960s by Giuseppa Interligi, grandmother of the current owners. The ingredients used are all natural and there are no added sugars or preservatives: dried fruit, wildflower honey and egg whites are blended together after many hours of cooking at low temperature. At the end of this phase it is placed in the special frames where the nougat is ironed, manually cut and wrapped in a gluten-free wafer before being packaged. The available flavors of Sicilian nougat are almond, hazelnut, almond and pistachio, to be purchased directly from the site together with the other Sicilian specialties of ancient confectionery memory produced by Torronificio Renna.

The nougat of Modica

In the beautiful baroque town of Modica, on the south-eastern side of Sicily, Simone Sabaini produces one of the best chocolates in Italy with the brand Sabadì. Among the specialties there is no shortage of nougats. The ingredients are exclusively typical products of the island: "Sicilian nougats from Sabadì – says Simone – are different in consistency, quality of raw materials used and quantity of dried fruit present. It is not too hard, as is usually done in northern Italy, nor too soft. The intense and fragrant taste is given by the use of Sicilian black bee honey from different varieties of flowers and the peel of blood orange, Interdonato lemon, late Ciaculli mandarin. The pistachios are those of Bronte DOP and the Roman almonds of Noto, Slow Food presidia. And then our nougat is not too sweet because in addition to honey we only use very little brown sugar, but what makes it truly unique and special is the surprising amount of almonds and pistachios inside, over 65% ". On the website, for the Sicilian nougat, there is a dedicated section where you can buy the three soft white nougats, the roasted one and then the new mini box with assorted flavors of nougats covered with Sabadì chocolate.

Torrone: an (also) Italian specialty – Italian Cuisine

What an adventurous crossroads of stories allowed us to savor that authentic Christmas delight that is nougat! A dessert that is well rooted throughout Italy thanks to the fact that over the centuries the traditions of different countries and peoples have arrived in our country, united by the ability to create sweets from honey, egg whites and dried fruit. If, therefore, today the Italian nougat is considered excellent and its production is rooted from Lombardy to Sicily, from Piedmont to Campania, from Veneto to Calabria, it is also due to the ancient French, Spanish, Arab and Oriental influences combined with the enhancement of local raw materials, such as Piedmontese hazelnuts or Sicilian almonds. This is why there is not just one nougat but dozens of different recipes, all to be discovered. For the pleasure of gourmands.

Many types, many recipes

The fact that dozens of different types of nougat are produced in Italy alone makes it impossible to code the recipe. And this explains why on the market you can find products on sale that are so different from each other, all labeled as "nougat". What they have in common are the production process and the basic recipe, consisting of sugar and honey (especially wildflower), mixed with whipped egg white. There diversity lies in the additional ingredients used (from dried figs to chocolate, from almonds to candied fruit) but also in the shape and type of pasta, as well as in the possible addition of additives, not provided for in traditional recipes.

Despite its long tradition, the Italian nougat has few protections. The name "nougat" is not codified and among the products protected in the EU there is only one IGP nougat, that of Bagnara (while in Spain, for example, there are two). A "hole" that some local authorities have tried to remedy: for example, the recipe of the one from Cremona is guaranteed by Deco, the municipal name, which establishes the use of fine ingredients (such as Italian almonds and local honey) present in precise quantities (for example, at least 36% of almonds).

Artisan and industrial compared

Artisan and industrial nougat are different but, if well made, they are both quality products. The production process is the same, developed over the centuries, but the artisan nougat has a longer preparation, especially as regards cooking. If the industrial one is cooked under vacuum at over 100 ° C temperature for a maximum of four hours, the artisan one remains a slow product: to do it well it takes time and the artisan producers take it all (up to 11 hours and no more than 70 ° C ), rejecting "shortcuts", such as jellies or glucose, which would make production easier and faster, or the addition of additives and flavors, to improve the organoleptic characteristics of the nougat.

How to recognize a quality nougat

Pay attention to the ingredients, which must be few and with nuts or honey in the first place. Better that there are no additives (such as flavorings or preservatives) or gelatine of animal origin. As for the consistency, the soft nougat must not turn out to be rubbery (a sign that it contains gelling agents and thickeners and few noble ingredients), while the hard one must break with a clear fracture, without crumbling.

Whether it is hard or tender, it does not matter: the important thing is that, once bitten, it immediately melts in the mouth, without sticking to the teeth and leaving the mouth pleasantly clean. It is also important that the sweetness is not excessive and does not cover any other sensation and that the taste is rich and harmonious, with evident notes of dried fruit and honey.

Two traditional "made in Italy" specialties to try

To make a "closed box" purchase you can choose the Bagnara Calabra nougat, the only one in Italy to have obtained the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). This long-standing nougat has a codified recipe, and unique both for its ingredients (toasted but not peeled Sicilian almonds, citrus honey and sugar with the addition of bitter cocoa, essential oils and powdered spices) and for the production technique (cooks over direct heat at 180-200 ° C for up to six hours). The result is a brown nougat with a rippled surface (in fact it is called "a monk's mantle"), with a glassy consistency reminiscent of amber, and a crumbly and crunchy paste, with many well-distributed almonds. On the palate it is exquisite and balanced, because the sweetness of the toasted almonds is balanced by the sensation of mulled wine and the light spicy aftertaste.

Another specialty to try is the nougat of Tonara, famous for centuries and not only in Sardinia. In fact, Tonara is considered the country of itinerant nougat makers, who produced nougat at home, cooking it over a live fire, and then went to sell it at village festivals. Today about fifty remain in business, which continue to bring their product throughout Sardinia. To send Tonara nougat around Italy and the world are instead four companies that produce it in modern laboratories but always respecting the traditional classic recipe. Its peculiarity is that it is prepared with only three ingredients: egg white, dried fruit (which alone accounts for half its weight) and Barbagia honey. You can clearly feel it when you taste it: the honey gives it an intense aroma, the high content of dried fruit a balanced and not cloying sweetness, while the egg white gives it a semi-soft and elastic texture.

December 2021
Manuela Soressi

Girotti figs, the sweet fruit specialty of Amelia – Italian Cuisine

That's why those Girotti d'Amelia are different from the other stuffed figs of Italy

THE Girotti figs of Amelia They are unique. Because they have characteristics that make them different from all the other stuffed figs in Italy, starting from history and the period machinery that is still used to produce them.

The history of Girotti figs

Amelia has been known since Roman times for its figs. "There were trees everywhere, they grew on the walls, in the most inaccessible corners. And then many more figs were consumed today, especially dried ones, as a stock for the winter and an energy source for working in the fields ". According to some Statutes of 1330 and 1346, in the Middle Ages, among the various obligations of the Amerini there was that of bringing to the Pope annually centum pignatuli ficuum, that is, a hundred pignattelli of figs, which were shipped to Orte and then reached Rome across the Tiber. It was precisely in the wake of this tradition that in 1820 in Amelia, Mr. Antonio Girotti, a man active in politics, a friend of Garibaldi, decided to start marketing these stuffed fruits. Initially they were more square, then thanks to a special press they took on the characteristic circular shape that still today distinguishes them from all the others.

What are Girotti figs

Girotti d'Amelia figs are wheels of figs stuffed with dried fruit and pressed. They differ in having a round shape, given by a particular ancient press, conceived and designed by Mr. Girotti, which works more or less like this: a lever is raised, figs cut in two are placed in the molds, filled with toasted almonds, peels candied orange, cocoa and nuts; then it is covered with another layer of figs, the press is closed to exert pressure and finally reopens, to obtain these wheels of figs that characterize the girotti from all the others. In addition to the basic dough, other variants were born: there is the red package with candied fruit, the blue one with toasted almonds, green with walnuts and brown with chocolate. Girotti figs are a riot of flavors, the quintessence of dried fruit, and for this reason everyone likes them and they have had an incredible success everywhere, even overseas.

The boom of the Girotti figs

After Antonio, the Girotti company first passed into the hands of his son Odoardo, then in 1914 into those of Quirino. It was with him that the business acquired a more modern face, precisely at a time when Italian politics was based on dynamism and renewal. It was the end of the 1920s, when the 1929 crisis was beginning to have its harmful effects felt in Europe as well. Quirino, on the other hand, strongly believed in advertising, investing a lot of economic resources in this sector, so much so that it was thanks to him that the Girotti figs became known and widespread also in America. During the Thirties, advertising plates were installed in all the railway stations in Italy, then small cups and fruit bowls were ordered with the words "Fichi Girotti, the sweet fruit specialty of Amelia" to be distributed in the major restaurants and buffets of the Stations of Italy. In 1933 they were advertised on the blue ribbon Rex transatlantic and travel baskets were introduced in the Royal Railways. In addition, the company was a supplier of the Royal House, the Mille Miglia and countless boarding schools and public canteens, as well as winning medals, prizes, honors. In the 1940s, the Girotti figs were launched mainly through radio advertising and subsequently took part in exhibitions and competitions, including the Milan Fair. In short, a continuous rise.

I Fichi Girotti today

In 2004 the company was sold to the Cifoletti brothers: Gabriele and Maria Serena, who had just graduated in Conservation of Cultural Heritage, and was trying to understand what to do with her life and, perhaps, which cultural asset to preserve and enhance. And then: what better opportunity than the Fichi Girotti, with whom she had grown up, like all Amerini? But she, and her brother even more, as children of the owner of a well-known bar in Amelia who, like many others, had always sold them. Thus, they took courage and for 15 years they have been carrying on the Girotti tradition, just like the original owners: "We did it for the love of this product, which we could not risk getting lost". Even today they are the only ones to produce them all year round for marketing, even if there are still those, especially in the countryside, if they produce them at home with a small artisan press, demonstrating how strong the amerino's bond with his fig girotto. All the more so in the autumn, winter and Christmas period, when there are no doubts about which gift to give as a good omen.