Crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside and above all fresh: the secret to a fabulous cannoli it is simply this. For centuries, the sweet Sicilian symbol has enchanted anyone who sets foot on the island, thanks to the skill of its pastry chefs and top quality ingredients. But when it comes to tasting it abroad, the result changes markedly, often leaving us with a bad taste in the mouth. The chef-scientist Giacomo D'Alessandro however, it seems to have found the solution for always fresh Sicilian cannoli. Like? Let's find out together.
The cannoli in history
First, let's briefly review the history of cannoli. It is not in fact a simple dessert, but of a real culinary symbol (and not) of Italy and of Sicilia particularly. It is positioned immediately behind the tiramisu in the ranking of the most popular desserts in the world, and has its origins in ancient Rome. The first to talk about it was a certain Cicerone during his years as a commissioner a Lilybaeum, today's Marsala. Over the centuries, the recipe has improved more and more, thanks to the contribution of the many civilizations that have followed one another on the island. But why the name cannolo?
The reference is atArundo Donax, a plant that grows along the banks of rivers similar to bamboo. Once the dough was still hot rolled up around its reed-like shrub. Once cooled here is the waffle in its traditional form.
Before becoming a dessert available all year round, cannoli was prepared exclusively during the carnival period. Over the centuries, given the growing demand, it began to be served all year round. But always with fresh sheep ricotta, prepared maximum the day before.
Giacomo D'Alessandro and his Sicilian cannoli
And the problem of fresh ricotta has always plagued pastry chefs all over the world. In fact, it is not so easy to obtain it, especially if it is made from sheep and prepared according to tradition. However, there is someone who has found a way to serve Sicilian cannoli always fresh overseas. We are talking about Giacomo D'Alessandro, a 52-year-old chef from Palermo living in New York after a long wandering around the world. Like many pastry chefs, Giacomo also wanted to bring the typical dishes of his land abroad. In the case of cannoli, however, there was the problem of fresh ricotta. Problem now solved thanks to a flash of genius coming to him by rethinking his past as spearfisher.
In fact, freshly harvested fish, in order to be sold as a very fresh product, requires some steps that begin immediately after being caught. Gradually this comes frozen at very low temperatures with powerful freezers installed directly on ships. Using the same system for ricotta, Giacomo managed to bring Sicily to the heart of New York. Its ricotta, coming from some farms in Agrigento, is frozen immediately after preparation. Immersed in containers full of liquid nitrogen, it is then loaded on ships en route to the USA. After more than a month of travel, with a temperature between -18 ° and -20 °, the containers arrive at their destination. A day of defrosting and here is pure and fresh sheep's milk ricotta for the cannoli, even if it was dated a month earlier. No problem though. With the very low storage temperatures, in fact, the activity of the bacteria is completely blocked.
The cannoli scientist
With this system, Giacomo has secured a mention even on the Wall Street Journal who nicknamed it the scientist of Sicilian cannoli. His desserts are highly sought after and his pastry is constantly under assault. But that is not all. The Palermo chef is thinking of new formats such as three Kiosk points of sale made with old Ape Piaggio. The first will be open at the end of May in the central location Manhattan, to let more and more people know the true taste of Sicily.
