Rome is marking Maritozzo Day
December 1 to celebrate the typical cream-filled Roman bun that
brightens breakfasts or morning coffees everywhere across the
Italian capital.
On December 1, storied Roman pastry shops and bars will offer
their take on the traditional pastry, also feting "alternative
vegan or gluten-free maritozzi" or apparent oddities such as the
pizza-maritozzo combo offered by the Pizzeria Sancho.
Among the sweets meccas taking part are Andreotti, Bompiani,
Linari and Romoli, along with the famed pastry maker Bonci,
organisers said Thursday.
There will also be up-and-coming award-winning pastry bars
like Café Merenda, Lievito and Nero Vaniglia.
Also featuring are "starred maritozzi" produced by
Michelin-starred pastry chefs of the calibre of Cristina
Bowerman, Riccardo Di Giacinto and Angelo Troiani, involving
glorious pastry bars like Armando al Pantheon and Le Tre Zucche,
the organisers said.
Finally, maritozzo and gelato will be married again by Marco
Radicioni's Otaleg ice-cream bar, Günther Gelato Italiano and
Gelato San Lorenzo.
The maritozzo is a typical sweet bun of the Lazio region,
specifically from Rome.
It's a delicious dough based delight that has been enjoyed by
Romans both young and old for centuries.
Typically eaten for breakfast or in the very early hours of
the morning, the Roman maritozzo has undergone a few changes
before landing the version we know and love today.
Dating back to Roman times, the "loaf" that the modern day
maritozzo derives from began as a nutritional necessity made of
flour, eggs, honey, butter and salt.
These loaves were substantially larger than the maritozzo of
today.
It is said that for centuries, women made the loaves to put
in the saddlebags of laborers who had to work away from home all
day as a way to nourish themselves. Then, in the Middle Ages,
the loaves became a way for people to get their "sweet fix"
during the period of Lent. These loaves were a bit smaller,
darker in color, and sweetened with raisins, pine nuts, and
candied fruit.
This Middle Ages version of the maritozzo was one of the few
"church approved" foods people were permitted to eat during the
fasting of Lent.
It wasn't until the 1800s that the "loaves" were given their
current name, maritozzo which is derived from the Italian word
for husband, "marito."
During the 1800s, this name was given to the pastry because
it became associated with another tradition.
The tradition was that a girl's fiancé would give his
bride-to-be a maritozzo the first Friday of March.
This Valentine's-Day-equivalent pastry usually had two
pierced hearts on top drawn with sugar.
Inside frequently concealed a gift of either a ring or a
small gold object.
The maritozzo is still a staple in Rome and the classic
version is still a very simple dough that is then baked, split
down the middle and filled with a delicious (yet obscene amount
of) whipped cream.
According to The Roman Foodie, "If you're looking for a good
place to get your hands on this Roman classic, one of the best
places in Rome for a maritozzo is Er Maritozzaro located a 2mins
walk from Trastevere station.
"Their classic maritozzo, when hot, just out of the oven and
filled with whipped cream is pure poetry!", the food blog said
in 2016.
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