Panforte

Panforte was the first dessert of Siena’s tradition. It dates back to 11th century and was called Christmas bread or aromatic bread. Then, the existence of a scroll in the Archivio di Stato of Siena was reported. It was dated February 7th, 1205 and stated that servants and settlers had to pay tribute to nuns of the convent of Montecellesi with panes melati and pepati. Panforte, just like other typical products of Siena, was made to be given to warriors during the battle in the Middle Ages, since it was considered an energetic product.

Clearly the current Panforte is quite different from the original one. Previously there was “Panes Melatos”, which was a flat bread with grapefruit, honey and figs that tended to sour over time, or – like colloquially said – “perdere di forte”, hence the name of Panis Forte, Panforte. Then, thanks to spice shops (drugstores at that time) ingredients like cinnamon, cloves, pepper and ginger was added: in this case the name of the product was Panpepato, ancestor of Panforte. Since 1400s the product has become more and more well-known, very popular in Rome and across the main European courts.

Since 1675 the ingredients of Panforte are 17, just like the number of the quarters in the Palio of Siena. In 1879 the white product took the name of Panforte Margherita to honor Queen Margherita of Savoy during her visit to Siena for the Palio. The recipe is still the original one, with fewer spices but more candies and vanilla. Although Panforte is – just as much as the others sweets of Siena – a product suitable for Christmas holidays, it is a year-round delight to the gourmands’ palates by now.