es and honey came mostly from the hinterland’s mountain slopes, whereas aromatic herbs and fruits came from the coasts. Honey is heavily used following medieval tradition, that is, to accentuate the combination of sweet and savoury. Such pairings still occur today with “seadas” or with “papaibiancu” which recalls the medieval blancmange. In the fourteenth century, desserts were recognized throughout Europe and were able to influence pastry arts in many countries. This is demonstrated by one of the oldest written recipes, the “ranciata”, a preparation made with caramelized citrus. This dessert continues to be produced only in this area. One peculiarity of this island’s pastry arts is the lack of creams and the sparing use of spices and cocoa. The star ingredients were honey (or sugar), eggs instead of yeast, sheep ricotta and almonds. In many cases, sapa was used, especially with autumn and winter desserts. 34 TRADITION
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTE3NTA0