First of all, it is a traditional dessert from Emilia, in particular Ferrara, consisting of three layers: a shortcrust pastry base, a filling of almonds and sugar, and a layer of tagliolini.<\/span><\/p>\n The first written references to this dessert, although it is considered a dessert, have more the consistency of a dry cake and date back to the Renaissance, placing it within the domains of the Este family.<\/span><\/p>\n Legend has it that it was created inspired by the long, blonde hair of Lucrezia Borgia, lady of the city of Ferrara, after her marriage to Alfonso I d’Este, Duke of Ferrara, Mantua, and Reggio Emilia.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n In fact, it belongs to the culinary tradition of all the cities under the Este dominion (Modena, Reggio Emilia in Emilia-Romagna, Mantua in Lombardy). It arrived in Bologna due to geographical proximity, as borders are places of passage and exchange of people, goods, ideas, and even flavors.<\/span><\/p>\n Locally, some variations have emerged. The Mantua version has several layers of tagliolini and no candied fruit; the Modena version calls for cocoa powder and Sassolino liqueur (typical of the city).<\/span><\/p>\n The Bologna version often has no candied fruit, and some people add a few amaretti biscuits to the filling. A recipe summarizing the different versions is filed with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce.<\/span><\/p>\n Finally, there is the interesting case of the municipality of Molinella (province of Bologna), which claims local origin for Torta di Tagliatelline and has therefore registered it as a De. Co. product (product with municipal designation of origin). In reality, there are no written sources to prove this, and the municipality of Molinella itself has specified that it is a version from the early 1800s that has been handed down orally.<\/span><\/p>\n Throughout Emilia-Romagna, including Romagna, there are different versions of the same recipe. Still, everywhere it is a festive cake, with some people making it for Christmas and others for Easter.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n It has a rich flavor and can be cooked in advance, as was once customary, because it tastes better that way.<\/span><\/p>\n In The Art of Eating Well<\/span><\/em>, the gastronome reports two distinct versions.<\/span><\/p>\n He decided to modify a version he had tried (Recipe No. 578) to make it “more appealing in appearance and more delicate in taste.” This recipe does not include shortcrust pastry, and the dessert resembles the Mantua version, which consists of several layers of tagliolini.<\/span><\/p>\n In the second (No. 579), in addition to introducing shortcrust pastry, he chose to use candied orange rather than citron.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\nThe area of origin is Ferrara, but it is more widely known. So the correct answer to the initial question, “Which city does the recipe belong to?”, is all of them.<\/span><\/h5>\n
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nArtusi’s Ricciolina Cake and my recipe<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Other traditional desserts from Bologna<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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