The origins of Sicilian Cassata
Same as many of other Sicilian recipes, it is thought that the Cassata is of Arab origin (from the Arabic word quas’at, ” bowl”), and has been created between the ninth and the eleventh century. The Arabs, in fact, introduced in Sicily the sugar cane, lemon, bitter orange, mandarin and almond – and it with the combination of these wonders (plus ricotta!) was born the queen of Sicilian Pasticceria.
The first Sicilian cassata, apparently, was quite simple. A sort of short pastry casing filled with sweetened ricotta cheese and then baked. A turning point came with the creation of pasta reale or Martorana: a mixture of almond flour and sugar, coloured in green using extracts of various herbs. Almond paste replaced shortcrust pastry, and from cassata baked in the oven was passed to cassata made cold.
The history of Sicilian cassata is also influenced by the Spanish that brought to the island the art of chocolate and sponge cake (sponge cake that in Italian is called “Pan di Spagna” – literally Bread from Spain ) and also Baroque influences, which added the candied fruit.
Click here for the >> TRADITIONAL CASSATA RECIPE <<
There is a Sicilian saying that goes like this: “tintu è cu un mancia a cassata a matina ri Pasqua” (“Those who do not eat cassata on Easter morning are mean.”) refers to the tradition according to which Sicilian nuns prepared the cake only for the Easter period. Apparently, there is an official document of the first synod of Sicilian bishops in Mazara del Vallo in 1575 where is expressly stated that the Cassata is an indispensable dessert during the festivities. It would have been a very serious “sin” not to eat it. The reason for the shape and the decoration with zuccata is to be found in the work of Palermo’s pastry chef Salvatore Gulì in the occasion of an event which took place in Vienna in 1873. Gulì had a laboratory in the very central Corso Vittorio Emanuele in Palermo.
In the city of Palermo is still very common to find the first version of Sicilian cassata, without Pasta Reale and candied fruit. It is called Cassata al Forno (Baked Cassata) because it is made with a short pastry shell (oven baked) filled with sweetened sheep ricotta cheese and drops of dark chocolate. You can find our “Cassata al Forno” recipe by following this link.
Looks delicious My mother-in-law was Sicilian and made her artichokes the same way and I don’t even have a recipe but now I do
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Where can I get the cake form pan?