Italian Christmas is never the same without one of its favourite sweets – the torrone ! Available in two primary variants, the soft and the hard, these traditional sweets contain honey, sugar and a generous stuffing of nuts like hazelnuts, pistachio, almonds, etc. Along with its unique taste, torrone also brings along a very rich Italian tradition and a history that is worth exploring a bit more in details.
The origins of torrone dates back to 25 October, 1441, when this new kind of sweet was served in a wedding celebrations in Cremona. This new sweet was designed to represent the shape of Torrazo, the bell tower of the city. Historical accounts also suggest that the name of this Christmas sweet is attributed to Torrazo. However, the first reliable evidence of the nought from Cremona, was found in 1543 when some authorities from the city of Cremona brought the first torrone for dignitaries in Milan.
The origins of the torrone from Benvento, dates back to the Roman times when it used to be enjoyed only by the aristocrats and the affluent people. Evidences also indicate that torrone might have derived its name from the Latin verb, Torrea, meaning “roasted” , referring to the roasted almonds and hazelnuts. Some scholars even refer back to the Arabs for the earliest references of the word “toron”.
This traditional sweet, torrone, underwent transition over the different phases of history to be bound to Christmas celebrations. In the Italian city of Forli, the torrone was used as an exhibition dedicated to Santa. Nowadays, torrone is best enjoyed after lunches and dinners over the entire Christmas period.
If you are based in Italy, it is rather easy to source torrone during this Christmas period, which gets more challenging for all the toronne fans elsewhere. Within the UK, there are a number of online Italian delis that offer a whole range of traditional Italian products. Christmas is the period, when these retailers stock a number of traditional Italian Christmas sweets to meet the needs of its UK consumer base.
It can be at times challenging to find the best among these online delis. However, here are a couple of recommendations that can come in handy while choosing your online deli. Firstly, please ensure that your online retailer sources the products right from Italy and they offer a credible delivery service (apart from the product descriptions on the retailers website , online food blogs and forums can be a very good source for this). Once you ensure these , you are well on track to enjoy the very best of torrone this Christmas !
If you are in London and looking for the best quality torrone, you must visit www.nifeislife.com . This online deli offers more than 800 authentic Italian products that include Italian christmas hampers, cheeses, ham, pasta, sauces just to name a few at the most affordable prices!
