Cassata
 | |
| Alternative names | Cassata siciliana |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Sicily |
| Main ingredients | Sponge cake,fruit juiceorliqueur,ricotta,candied peel,marzipan,icing |
| Variations | Cassata a forno(in oven),cassata catanese |
Cassataorcassata siciliana(/kəˈsɑːtə/kə-SAH-tə,Italian:[kasˈsaːtasitʃiˈljaːna];Sicilian:[ka(s)ˈsaːtasɪʃɪˈljaːna]) is a traditionalcakefrom theSicilyregion ofItaly.[1][2][3]Cassata is typically composed of a roundsponge cakemoistened withfruit juicesorliqueurand layered withricotta cheeseandcandied fruit(a filling also used withcannoli). Cassata has a shell ofmarzipan,pink and green coloredicing,and decorative designs. Cassata may also refer to aNeapolitan ice creamcontaining candied or dried fruit and nuts.
Origin[edit]
Cassata is believed to have originated inPalermoin the 10th century, when underEmirate of Sicily.[4][5]The wordal-qaššāṭī–القشاطي(Arabicfor 'the cassata-maker') – was first mentioned inCorleonein 1178.[6][7]
The Arabic wordqas'ah,[Arabic text?]from whichcassatamay derive, refers to the bowl that is used to shape the cake.[8][9]
Variations[edit]
Unlike the round, traditional shape some cassata are made in the form of a rectangle, square, or box. The wordboxinItalianiscassa,although it is unlikely that the wordcassataoriginated from this term.[citation needed]
Cassata catanese,as it is often prepared in the Sicilianprovince of Catania,is made similar to apie,containing a top and bottom crust, filled withricotta cheese,and baked in the oven.
Thecassatella di sant'Agatais a similar dessert, but made in a smaller, personal-serving size, with a candied cherry on top, and often a specifically green-colored marzipan. It is typically made inCataniafor the festival ofSaint Agatha.The allusion to the female breast relates the specific torture Saint Agatha faced as a Catholic martyr.[10]
When a cassata is made, layers ofgelato(Italian ice cream) can be substituted for the layers of cheese, producing a dessert similar to anice cream cake.The version of the recipe followed inMessinais less sweet than the one used in Palermo.
Cassatacan also refer to a flavor of ice-cream inspired by the sweet.
United States[edit]
InCleveland, Ohio,and the surroundingregion,the termCassata Cakeuniquely refers to a layered yellowsponge cakesoaked in rum or rum syrup, filled with fresh strawberries and custard, and usually decorated with whipped cream and sliced strawberries.
This Cleveland version of the Cassata Cake first appeared in the early 1920s at LaPuma Spumoni & Bakery in Cleveland. The children of the owners did not like traditional Cassata Cake, made with sweetened ricotta and candied fruit. Using what he had in the bakery, Tomasso LaPuma created what was to become known as the Cleveland Cassata Cake. The fifth generation of this bakery, now located in the city's eastern suburb of Chesterland,[11]still continues to make the original version of this cake, as do many other Italian bakeries in the area.[12][better source needed]The layered cake is served for special occasions such as weddings and large family events. Some local specialty bakers or restaurants, including several in Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood, sell Cassata Cake by the slice or have adapted the cake to be sold with ingredients layered in a jar to-go.
See also[edit]
Media related toCassataat Wikimedia Commons
References[edit]
- ^"Cassata".La Cucina Italiana.Retrieved18 June2024.
- ^"Dai musulmani agli spagnoli: ecco le mutazioni della cassata siciliana".Cibodistrada.it.2016-03-26.Retrieved2016-10-22.
- ^"Gastronomia".Web.tiscalinet.it.Retrieved2016-10-22.
- ^Habeeb Salloum (25 Jun 2013).Sweet Delights from a Thousand and One Nights: The Story of Traditional Arab Sweets(revised ed.). I.B.Tauris. pp. 139–40.ISBN9780857733412.
- ^Alan Davidson (11 Aug 2014). Jaine, Tom (ed.).The Oxford Companion to Food(illustrated ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 148.ISBN9780199677337.
- ^Alex Metcalfe (2009).The Muslims of Medieval Italy(illustrated ed.). Edinburgh University Press. p.252.ISBN9780748620081.
- ^Alexander Metcalfe (21 Jan 2014).Muslims and Christians in Norman Sicily: Arabic-Speakers and the End of Islam.Routledge. p. 259.ISBN9781317829256.
- ^Vesna Maric (2008).Sicily. Ediz. Inglese(illustrated ed.). Lonely Planet. p. 45.ISBN9781740599696.
- ^Mary Taylor Simeti (2009).Sicilian Food: Recipes from Italy's Abundant Isle(illustrated ed.). Wakefield Press. p. 79.ISBN9781862548503.
- ^"The erotic origins of Italy's most famous sweet".BBC.Retrieved2024-02-17.
- ^"La Puma Bakery - Cleveland Hot List".Cleveland.cityvoter.com.Retrieved2016-10-22.
- ^""Cleveland Style" Cassata Cake | Running with Sugar ".Archived fromthe originalon 2013-03-14.Retrieved2013-03-28.
