Of Medieval and Christmas origins, yet delicious all year-round Panforte is a renowned Italian traditional fruit cake from Siena in Tuscany, a medieval town with UNESCO World Heritage status. Panforte’s traditions originate in making a cake to preserve fruits for all the year round. However, Panforte is eaten throughout the year, at any time of day—as a dessert, with cheese, as part of an antipasto board, or simply with a cup of coffee or tea, or indeed a suitable glass of wine!
Panforte is famous for its addictively dense, chewy qualities, packed full of flavours with dried and candied fruits and nuts (predominantly from Puglia), honey and mixed spices. Subtle spices are key ingredients too, and there are no added sugars as sweetness comes from the fruits and natural fructose. The cakes have a delicate outer sprinkling of icing sugar.
There are a number of varieties of Panforte in Italy and Mercato Italiano currently offers four varieties, all coming from the Sienese producer Fabbrica del Panforte.
Mercato Italiano is a popular destination for authentic pizza, coffee, cocktails, and a great stop for lunch from 12-3pm, Monday to Saturday.
Newl;y launched, Mercato Pronto! now brings Ilaria’s curated selection of rare, regional formaggi, salumi, and pantry essentials to kitchens across the UK.
Visit: www. https://mercatopronto.uk today.
