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Cakes for birthdays; confetti (Jordan almonds) for weddings; churros for Cinco de Mayo, s’mores over a summer campfire; apple and pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving; candy corn for Halloween; shortbread and panettone for Christmas; heart shaped bon bons and sugar cookies for Valentine’s; beignet for Mardi Gras; and  zeppole for San Giuseppe are a mere few. wheat boiled in milk as a symbol of the two reigns; ricotta, a present from the shepherds and their sheep; eggs as a symbol of a new life; fragrant water with orange blossom; spices representing those from abroad; and sugar for the sweetness of Partenope’s voice. The mortal’s version of this tale on the other hand has the conception of the famed cake taking place in the ancient Neapolitan convent of San Gregorio Armeno. There are two known Pastiera practices:  the traditional method of mixing ricotta cheese and eggs together to fill the short pastry, and the second method an innovation of Neapolitan confectioner Starace, that consists of adding thick pastry cream to the mixture to produce a softer Pastiera.

While there are several noble morsels including an Italian merengue type cookie known as the carbone dolce della befana (the sweet coal of the Befana), there is one in particular that appeals to my sweet tooth the most, Galette des Rois (King’s Cake). In Spain and Mexico, the king cake takes the form of a sweet bread known as Rosca de Reyes baked into the shape of a ring and garnished with strips of dried fruit; similarly, in Switzerland buns baked up into a crown and topped with citrus peel make up their Three Kings Cake; in Portugal a similar bread ring studded with raisins and crystallized fruit is known as Bolo Rei; and in the US it is quite common to see colorful King’s Cake during carnival season that are filled with cinnamon, glazed white, and coated in green and purple colored sanding sugar. In other countries across the globe it is more of a traditional cake such as the Ciasto Trzech Kroli, the sponge cake with almond cream filling made in Poland; the rich, dense fruitcake served by the English known as the Twelfth Cake; or the crown-shaped cake or brioche filled with fruit called Gâteau des Rois in the South of France. The final variation is a flaky, buttery one such as the Dutch Koningentaart, a puff pastry tart with almond filling; and the Galette des Rois, a round, flat, and golden cake made with puff pastry and filled with frangipane, fruit, or chocolate, that is made in Northern France and Belgium.

Tradition [truh-dish-uhn]: the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice. They are a half-moon shaped pastry filled with figs (which abundant in summer are dried for use during the winter), walnuts, almonds, and orange peel. Recognizing that this can be rather time-consuming, I decided to put a simplified twist on the tradition by taking all the flavour elements of the sambartini and turning them into a fragrant and delightful Bundt cake. Though I still encourage you to try the time-honored process of making these cookies, this is a great way to infuse your Christmas with a taste of Calabria.

Like many traditional Italian desserts, these ones have a longstanding history dating back thousands of years; the discovery of a sixth century cave painting, near Bari, depicts the preparation of similar looking sweets being offered up to the gods. It is said that their rose like shape is reminiscent of the halo adorning baby Jesus or it is a reminder of the crown of thorns that Christ wore when he was crucified. Another theory suggests that their name comes from cartedda meaning “basket” and they serve as a reminder of the basket in which shepherds that came to Bethlehem rested their gifts for the newborn king. Cartellate are delectable treats for adults and children alike and incredibly worth the effort in making them for the holidays, in fact, I would say that if you do embark on this undertaking, you are sure to have arms wrapped up around you in big hugs from those for whom they are being made.