Panettone

Panettoneis anItaliantype ofsweet breadandfruitcake, originally fromMilan, Italy, usually prepared and enjoyed forChristmasandNew YearinWestern,Southern, andSoutheastern Europe, as well as inSouth America,Eritrea,Australia, theUnited States, andCanada.
It has acupolashape, which extends from acylindricalbase and is usually about12–15 centimetres (4+1⁄2–6 inches) high for a panettone weighing one kilogram (two pounds). Other bases may be used, such as anoctagon, or afrustumwith a star section shape more common topandoro. It is made during a long process that involves curing the dough, which is acidic, similar tosourdough. Theproofingprocess alone takes several days, giving the cake its distinctive fluffy characteristics. It contains candied orange,citron, and lemonzest, as well as raisins, which are added dry and not soaked. Many other variations are available such as plain or with chocolate. It is served in wedge shapes, vertically cut, accompanied with sweet hot beverages or a sweetwine, such asAstiorMoscato d'Asti. In some regions of Italy, it is served withcrema al mascarpone, a cream made by combining eggs,mascarpone, and a sweet liqueur.
Efforts are underway to obtainprotected designation of origin(PDO) anddenominazione di origine controllata(DOC) status for this product, but these have not yet been successful.Former Italian Agriculture MinisterPaolo De Castrowas known to be looking at ways to protect genuine Italian cakes from growing competition in South America, and exploring whether action could be taken at theWorld Trade Organization.
In Italy, historical accounts of panettone invariably state that it originated inMilan. The wordpanettonederives frompanetto, a small loaf of bread. The augmentative suffix-onechanges the meaning to 'large bread'.
It is possibly mentioned in a contemporary recipe book written by ItalianBartolomeo Scappi, personal chef topopesandemperorsduring the time ofCharles V. The oldest and most certain attestation of the panettone is found in a register of expenses of theBorromeo collegeofPaviain 1599: on 23 December of that year in the list of courses provided for Christmas lunch, costs also appear for 5 pounds of butter, 2 pounds of raisins and 3 ounces of spices given to the baker to make 13 "loaves" to be given to college students on Christmas Day.The first recorded association of panettone with Christmas can be found in the Italian writings of the 18th centuryilluministPietro Verri. He refers to it aspan de ton('luxury bread').
In the early 20th century, two enterprising Milanese bakers began to produce panettone in large quantities for the rest of Italy. In 1919,Angelo Mottastarted producing his eponymous brand of cakes. It was also Motta who revolutionised the traditional panettone by giving it its tall domed shape by making the dough rise three times, for almost 20 hours, before cooking, giving it its now-familiar light texture. The recipe was adapted shortly after by another baker,Gioacchino Alemagna, around 1925, who gave his name to a brand that still exists today.
The stiff competition between the two that then ensued led to industrial production of the cake.Nestlétook over the brands together in the late 1990s, butBauli,an Italian bakery company based inVerona, has since acquired Motta and Alemagna from Nestlé.
By the end of World War II, panettone was cheap enough for anyone and soon became the country's leading Christmas sweet. Lombard immigrants to Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil also brought their love of panettone, and panettone is enjoyed for Christmas withhot cocoaor liquor during the holiday season, which became a mainstream tradition in those countries. In some places, it replaces theking cake.
Panettone is widely available in South America, including in Argentina, Brazil, Chile (see:pan de Pascua), Peru, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Ecuador. It is known in Spanish aspanetónorpan dulce, and aspanetonein Brazilian Portuguese. Peru's Antonio D'Onofrio, son of immigrants hailing fromCaserta, Italy, spawned his own brand using a modified form of the Alemagna formula (e.g., candied papaya is used instead of candied citron and lemon, as these fruits are not available in Peru), which he licensed along with the packaging style. This brand is now also owned byNestléand exported throughout South America. Panettone is popular within Italian communities in the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK.
Italian food manufacturing companies and bakeries produce 117 million panettone andpandorocakes everyChristmas, collectively worth €579 million.
Peru is the world's biggest consumer of panettone, surpassing Italy, with 1.3–kg of panettone per person in a year for Peru.
Media related toPanettoneat Wikimedia Commons