Food - Drink
The Origin Story Of Panettone Sounds Like A Hallmark Holiday Movie
By HOPE NGO
Panettone is a classic Italian holiday sweet bread dotted with raisins, candied orange, and lemon peels. The making of panettone is strictly governed by the Italian Consortium of Artesan panettone (CIPA), which claims that panettone was first made in the 15th century — but its precise origins depend entirely on who you ask.
One legend calls panettone a “harbinger of love” because it's the subject of a love story between a medieval baker’s daughter, Adalgisa, and Ughetto, whose family is opposed to their marriage. Ughetto worked at Adalgisa’s bakery where he created panettone, which was so good it reversed the fortunes of the bakery and earned Ughetto’s family’s blessing.
Eataly shares a different story: 12-year-old Toni worked for the Duke of Milan’s head pastry chef, who was in charge of creating dessert for the Christmas Eve Feast. The pastry chef ruined the dessert, but Toni saved the day by adding butter, sugar, and citrus fruit to the leftover dough to create a pastry that eventually became known as pane di Toni, or Toni’s bread.