When the pastry becomes Art, Kindness, Quality and Tradition: today Italian Traditions guides you on a journey to discover the genuine flavors of Italy, and does so through one of the traditional Easter cakes called the Colomba, meaning dove. A simple cake, made with flour, eggs, sugar and butter, made from the same mixture of panettone, a Christmas cake. It was in the thirties when Dino Villani, the director of Motta advertising, had the idea of creating the Easter version of the much beloved cake. Below, we propose twenty of the best producers of this dessert.
Pasticceria Veneto – It is the stronghold of Iginio Massari, the award-winning Italian pastry chef famous throughout the world for his pastry art. Here, in 1971, Iginio created his laboratory, his pastry art study, where he makes pastries that are true masterpieces, even today. The pastry specialists excel in both national and international specialties: cookies, croissants, panettone, traditional Italian cakes and innovative frozen desserts, pastries and single portion sweets, but also a wide range of chocolates. The Iginio Massari bakery produces the classic colomba with simple and quality ingredients, respecting tradition: true harmony of taste, capable of arousing endless emotions of the palate. (Via Salvo D’Acquisto, 8, 25128 Brescia BS, Tel +39 030 392586)
Antico Forno Roscioli – Open since 1972, it is one of the oldest bakeries in Rome. Several generations of pastry chefs have shared their expertise with the clients of Forno Roscioli. Today, Pierluigi and Alessandro are present to carry on the bakery’s traditions through simple and authentic rituals. Among the bakery’s specialties we can find bread, pizza, but also savory appetizers, dishes typical of Roman cuisine and traditional Italian desserts: panettone, pandoro and colombe. The dove-shaped bread is produced strictly respecting the time needed for the leavening of the dough, made using natural yeast, and carefully selected ingredients. Amongst the most popular versions of this dessert are the classic version and the one with pears and chocolate. (Via dei Chiavari 34, Roma (RM), Tel +39 06686 4045)
Pasticceria Pepe – Thanks to the cooperation of his the three brothers, Alfonso undertakes a company that bears the family name. A passion that began in the eighties, which led to the achievement of important goals and specialization in the processing of leavening. It was this skill in the art of processing leavened bread that made Alfonso a point of reference in the pastry sector. The varying territorial characteristics are key in expelling the excellence of the pastry shop, as seen in the favorite limoncello flavored version. The colombe of Pepe Pastry are available in many variants: without candied fruit, apricot, dark chocolate, to white figs, citrus, coffee, and of course, limoncello. (Via Nazionale 2/4, Sant’Egidio del Monte Albino, Salerno (SA), Tel. +39 081 5154151)
Fiasconaro – Operational for over sixty years, Fiasconaro is a modern and growing company. Thanks to the work of qualified professionals and enthusiasts, and strong entrepreneurial spirit, it has earned a prominent place in the sector, both nationally and internationally. Colombe marked Fiasconaro are made using only selected ingredients, exclusively production of the island, such as sugar, vanilla, citrus honey and hazelnuts. A sweet that is fruit of a slow and gradual leavening, which comes to a natural completion in the span of thirty-six hours. Colombe can surprise the palate with an unexpected combination of flavors and aromas of northern Sicily.(P.zza Margherita, 10, Castelbuono (PA), Tel. +30 0921 677132)
Loison – A company that has been around for three generations. In 1994 Dario and Sonia Loison took the reins, bringing the artisanal workshop towards new challenges of the product and its market. Tradition, passion, quality ingredients, so called slow food with a slow manufacturing process: these are the main ingredients of Loison and its exceptional products. For the colombe, the company prefers ingredients with certified controlled origin including fresh eggs from reliable farms, milk, butter and cream, flour, first-choice Italian sugar, Cervia sea salt. In addition to the classic version, the colomba with Ciaculli mandarin stands out, along with the peach hazelnut one, and finally also the cherry and cinnamon colomba with chinotto, a bitter orange liquor from Savona.(SS. Pasubio, 6, Costabissara, Vicenza (VI) , Tel +39 0444 557844)
