Italian panettone is a celebratory bread which is also considered the king of Italian baked items. Panettones are also used as decorative centerpieces on dining tables. A perfectly great looking panettone is not only light as air but has a golden glow and color as well as is packed with a citrusy flavor.
Today, this buyer’s guide will showcase all the information needed to make the right panettone purchase.
What is Panettone?
Firstly, it is important for us to understand what panettone is.
- Panettone has a long history in Italian culture, and there are far too many panettone recipes that date back to the year 200 AD. The birthplace is widely agreed upon as Milan. Panettone has evolved as generation java, and even at some points has resembled the look of focaccia that contains pumpkins, leavened with honey. The version of panettone that we see in the markets or online today is the 20th-century rendition of panettones. If you wish to purchase them today, you can buy panettone online.
- The name panettone was first copyrighted in the year 2005 of July, and it refers to a cake made using a slow-rising sourdough that has a rich supply of butter. The ingredients generally used in making a panettone are flour, sugar, egg yolks, butter, raisins, candied citrus fruits, and zest.
What is Pandoro?
Commonly panettone is confused with pandoro. What exactly is the difference? Pandoro is slightly different from panettone, and it comes from the region of Verona. Just as panettone, pandoro is also sweet and generally consumed around Christmas time. The main ingredients of pandoro, however, are flour, sugar, butter, and eggs without using any candied fruit to the dough. The texture of the pandoro cake is more cake-like than a panettone texture. Pandoro cake is also dusted with vanilla-flavored sugar and is generally just a tribute to the alps and the Christmas time snowy peaks.
How Long Can You Keep Panettone?
Panettone stays far longer than any other kind of bread or cakes. The shelf life of a classic panettone is around 4 to 6 months. However, panettone that makes use of flavored candied fruits and creams has a shelf-life of 2 to 3 months. As a buyer, please check the packaging and expiration date prior to purchasing it.
Note: Please put the panettone cake back into its packaging bag after each time cutting into it. If you fail to do this, the Italian panettone cake has a tendency to harden up.
What Makes a Good Panettone?
While making a purchase of a panettone, these are few things to look out for:
- Origin – First and foremost, make sure that your panettone comes from Italy and nowhere else. It’s a natural indicator of quality and authenticity. There are other European conglomerates that make cheaper panettone. However, they are not original or the same.
- Weight – Cheaper panettone is usually way lighter than the real deal. Inferior quality panettone is often super dry and crumbly in texture.
- Aroma – The moment you come in the vicinity of an opened package of panettone, the aroma from it should hit you. The usage of good quality ingredients does have such an effect.
- Taste – The panettone you eat should taste as yummy as the aroma it emits. It should have a rich and buttery golden glow and taste.
These are the few things you should be aware of before making an informed purchase decision when it comes to buying panettone.