L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 36 L'Italo-Americano this match happen? This is so true, when you speak of Modica, thoughts immediately go to chocolate. And since Modica chocolate gained — the only chocolate variety in Europe — its PGI denomination, the opposite is also true: when you speak of chocolate, you think of Modica, and Modica only. Our town belonged to the Spanish for seven centuries and it's thanks to them that a chocolate making tradition developed here. Through her a r c h i v a l r e s e a r c h , P r o f e s s o r G r a z i a Dormiente, cultural direc- t o r o f t h e C o n s o r z i o d e l Cioccolato di Modica, found out that chocolate making tradition in Modica is first attested in 1746. For those i n t e r e s t e d , t h e a r c h i v a l material consulted, which b e l o n g s t o t h e G r i m a l d i family, is accessible at the Museo del Cioccolato (you can find more information at: https://museocioccola- tomodica.business.site/). Chocolate is an icon of Modica's patisserie, but there's more than that. What other traditional delicacies do you make and what's your favori- te? Our production is tradi- tional but varied and in line with the already mentioned r e c i p e b o o k o f p a p à Salvatore.We go from plain b r e a k f a s t s a v o i a r d i - l i k e cookies called fringozza, to deliciously crunchy "S" sha- ped butter cookies. From anicini, soft and aromatized with aniseed, to our well known almond cookies pro- duction, all the way to rare specialties, often made only in certain times of the year, like mustazzola, quaresi- mali, palmette and nucatoli. Of course, we also have a great selection of traditional c r e a m p a t i s s e r i e : c r e a m puffs like bigné and teste di turco, torta Savoia (a tradi- tional Sicilian layered cake filled with gianduja cream, and completed with a dark chocolate ganache, created i n h o n o r o f t h e K i n g o f Italy), apple cakes. We also m a k e t o r r o n e , c o b a i t a (made with sesame seeds, almond and honey), aran- ciata, a Christmas delicacy typical of Modica made with oranges, honey, almonds a n d w a l n u t s ) , c e d r a t a (similar to aranciata, but made with cedro) and, of course, frutta martorana, rigorously made and deco- rated by hand. B u t t h e q u i n t e s s e n t i a l "Contea di Modica" dessert is the 'mpanatigghia, a rare and unique delicacy we also inherited from Spain. Among its ingredients we also find meat which, mixed with almonds and cioccolato di Modica, makes for a very s p e c i a l d e s s e r t i n d e e d , a n c i e n t a n d e n e r g e t i c a t once. Our most iconic product, however, are the Cuticci, chocolate chunks produced with the same technique we use for all our Modica cho- colate, shaped like the typi- cal limestone tiles that pave our streets, which are known a s c u t i c c i i n d i a l e c t . O u r most popular variety is fla- vored with finocchietto sel- vatico. H o w h a v e y o u b e e n dealing with the pande- mic? This has been — and still is — a very hard moment for all businesses, in all sec- tors. We, as everyone else in the country, were forced to remain close for 60 days. W h e n w e f i n a l l y m a d e i t back to the bakery, we spent the days before reopening checking all our equipment and ingredients. Throughout the lockdown, we kept in t o u c h w i t h o u r c u s t o m e r base via internet. Today, we hope it will soon be all over and that desserts in gene- rals, and our production in particular, may become a way to alleviate the worries caused by this pandemic. L a s t b u t n o t l e a s t : w h a t c a n y o u t e l l u s about Americans costu- mers? A m e r i c a n c o s t u m e r s ? Yes, many! Coming from all states, who visit us when they are in Modica, a popu- lar destination among touri- sts from all over the world. I have an unforgettable story, connected to the time we took part to the New York's Fancy Food in 2010, where w e b r o u g h t o u t C u t i c c i , which at that stage had been on the market for a couple of years already. Four years l a t e r , i n 2 0 1 4 , a n e l d e r l y American couple came to our pasticceria to try our tra- d i t i o n a l c o o k i e s a n d o u r chocolate when, all of a sud- den, the lady stops while sta- r i n g a t t h e w i n d o w a n d s t a r t s , i n a n i n c r e a s i n g l y h i g h e r p i t c h , t o r e p e a t : "Cuticci! Cuticci! Cuticci!" Then she turns to me and begins speaking in English, a language I didn't— and still don't! — know. Luckily, a friend was there to translate a n d g e t r i d o f t h e r i s i n g embarrassment: "Cuticci! T h e y ' r e s o g o o d ! I g o t t o know them at the New York Fancy Food some years ago. They were delicious and fin- ding them today makes me so incredibly happy. I am so going to bring some boxes back home with me!" LIFESTYLE FASHION FOOD ARTS ADVICE Continued from page 34 Cocoa beans and "cuticchi," a specialty of the Di Lorenzo Bakery (Photo courtesy of Carmelo Di Lorenzo) Today like yesterday: Salvatore Di Lorenzo making chocolate (Photo courtesy of Carmelo Di Lorenzo)

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