Castagnaccio

Castagnaccio

Alternative names	Baldino,ghirighio,pattona
Type	Cake
Place of origin	Italy
Region or state	Tuscany Liguria Piedmont Emilia-Romagna Veneto
Main ingredients	Chestnutflour
Ingredients generally used	Olive oil,pine nuts,raisins
Media:Castagnaccio

Castagnaccio(locally also known asbaldino,ghirighioorpattona) is a plainchestnutflourcake,typically found in theTuscany,Liguria,Piedmont,Emilia-RomagnaandVenetoregions ofItalyand in theFrenchisland ofCorsica.

It is a typically autumnal dessert, made by a dough of chestnut, water,olive oil,pine nutsandraisins,and baked. Local variations may include other ingredients, such asrosemary,orangerind,fennelseeds, and otherdried fruit.There are also variations on the thickness of the cake, and specific names are sometimes used locally to refer to such variations. For example, inLivorno,acastagnaccio3 centimeters thick is called "toppone".

Castagnacciois best served withricotta cheese,chestnuthoneyor sweet wines such asVin Santo.

Castagnacciois a typical rural dessert of theApenninearea, where chestnuts used to be astaple foodof country communities. During the economic growth followingWorld War IIit lost its role as the main sweet in these areas, and is now prepared and sold mostly as an autumn delicacy.

TheCommentario delle più notabili et mostruose cose d'Italia e di altri luoghibyOrtensio Landi(1553) credits some "Pilade fromLucca"as the inventor of thecastagnaccio( "fu il primo che facesse castagnazzi e di questo ne riportò loda").

See also

• List of cakes

External links

• Italian Castagnaccio (chestnut flour cake) recipe