October 2023 - It falls on a Wednesday this year, the Holiday of All Saints' Day (Nov. 1), an ideal opportunity to plan a long weekend exploring the Belpaese, from North to South, through some of the sweet delicacies, more or less known, typical of its regions.. From the Ligurian macaroons of Sassello to the village of Monsummano Terme in Tuscany, to discovering the fine chocolate of Slitti, 5 ideas for spending the bridge in relaxation, alternating between sightseeing trips and some typical local tastings.
The proposals outlined touch on some characteristic villages along the Boot: Cividale del Friuli (Friuli-Venezia Giulia), Sassello (Liguria), Guardiagrele (Abruzzo), Nuoro (Sardinia) and Monsummano Terme (Tuscany), discovering the Slitti Chocolate Factory, one of the pearls of the Chocolate Valley, just a few kilometers from the world-famous Montecatini.
Gubana, the sweet fil rouge between Friuli and Slovenia - Cividale del Friuli
It starts in Friuli Venezia Giulia with the gubana, a typical dessert from the Natisone valleys that is made for festivals or special celebrations, snail-shaped, made of sweet dough and enriched with walnuts, raisins, pine nuts, sugar, grappa and lemon. The history of this dessert dates back to the 1400s, when it was tasted by Pope Gregory XII in Cividale del Friuli, and according to some legends it corresponds to its sister putizza, one of the delicacies of the gastronomic heritage of neighboring Slovenia.
Liguria, a "bittersweet" weekend - Borgo di Sassello (Savona)
The second suggested stop is Liguria, the region that combines sea and mountains in a harmonious combination that, in summer and winter, attracts tourists from all over Italy and beyond. Here, in addition to the best-known dishes, we find the Sassello macaroons, crunchy almond cookies, perfect to accompany tea or coffee. These delicacies, which have made the fortune over time of the village in the province of Savona where they were invented more than 160 years ago, are small semi-spheres that are cracked in appearance and soft inside, witnesses to a history that still intrigues gourmands every day of the year.
Tuscany, Slitti's fine chocolate - Monsummano Terme (Pistoia)
It's time for Tuscany, the kingdom of Slitti and his Maitre Chocolatier Andrea Slitti, who today is considered one of the most experienced chocolatiers in Italy with more than 190 awards behind him and a variety of successes accumulated over time, not least the internationalization process undertaken by the company. And it is precisely chocolate, in bars, in dragées or in spreadable cream, the flagship of the production, to whose unmistakable taste contribute the quality of the cocoa, sourced from Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Jamaica, Santo Domingo and Madagascar, and the skilled hands of its artisan. A pitstop at the Slitti Chocolate Factory in Monsummano Terme, a few miles from Montecatini, or at the recently opened flagship store in Florence, at Piazza dell'Olio, 6.
Sise delle monache - Guardiagrele (Chieti)
We then move on to Abruzzo, discovering the Nuns' Sise or Tre monti, an Abruzzo dessert invented by the Poor Clare nuns for the feast of St. Agatha before handing over the precious recipe to the Palmerio brothers who, in 1913, founded in Guardiagrele (Chieti), a small village in the Maiella National Park, the first pastry shop. The very simple preparation involves two layers of sponge tortina filled with custard, with three recognizable bumps that, according to tradition, resemble the trio Gran Sasso, Maiella and Sirente-Velino..
The seadas of Sardinia, the taste of history - Nuoro
Finally, there can be no shortage of islands in this step-by-step itinerary that ends in Sardinia, where conquering even the most discerning palate are the seadas, whose name apparently draws its origin from "su seu," lard, used in the preparation of the dough. Daughters of the Sardinian pastoral tradition, which originated in the central-eastern part of the island, seadas are a very simple dish, prepared with what was left in the housewives' pantries: semolina dough, filled with fresh pecorino cheese and strawberry tree honey, an evergreen typical of the region. On this occasion, they are worth a visit to the town of Nuoro, the main town in Barbagia, and the Gennargentu massif, which includes the highest peaks on the island.