Panettone

You might be wondering how you stumbled across a page in the category of Lugano region products when panettone is a typical Milanese sweet bread.

For centuries, panettone has been baked during the Christmas period but in Ticino it has recently become an all-year-round symbol of local confectionery. A movement has even grown up, helmed by Canton Ticino Association of Expert Bakers and Cake-Makers, which, through the assistance of a tasting commission, awards a quality mark to those products meeting specific standards, notably adherence to tradition and exclusive use of natural ingredients. The ingredients may seem simple but every pastry chef jealously guards his own secret recipe: flour, eggs, butter and sugar are used in almost all cases but the difference also lies in the professionalism and craftsmanship employed during the process. In short, skilled local pastry chefs who, in time-honoured manner, judiciously mix flavours, flour and yeast to create that famous treat which brings Christmas’ magical cheer to our tables every day.

There are numerous producers in the Lugano region as well as throughout Ticino and we shouldn’t overlook the fact that every two years, Lugano plays host to “the Panettone World Cup”, a grand event dedicated entirely to yeast-leavened products with participants selected from national competitions in various countries such as Italy, Switzerland, Spain, United States and France, testament to a product which has successfully gone global.