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Show notes
I’ve been wanting to launch a podcast to complement the main Luca’s Italy site for more than a year. And, as a Christmas present to all my readers and followers I’ve launched it today. The first episode has a really Christmassy theme to it: the history of the panettone, the archetypal Italian Christmas cake. From its legendary origins to the birth of mass production in the 1920s the cake has a fascinating history and not one that you’d really expect.
There would have been many contenders for the title of the Italian National Christmas Cake from the pandoro, to panforte, the ricciarello, to the parrozzo. But panettone was in the right place at the right time and took the title hands down in just a few years. The podcast traces its rise from humble beginnings to the only cake I know that has its own show on Italian TV.
I mention a couple of videos in the podcast and also a link to a panettone recipe. I’ve included them below the podcast player below so that you can enjoy them. Happy listening and please let me know what you think in the comments.
If you have any questions about this episode, please write them in the comments below and I will answer them as soon as possible. As always, if you enjoyed the episode, please share it with someone else you think might enjoy it. If you have a moment, please rate and/or write a review for this episode on iTunes. This will help other people to find and enjoy the podcast. Thank you so much for your continued support of Luca’s Italy and for all the wonderful feedback I’ve received so far. If you’d like to help me create and develop this podcast and receive exclusive bonus material and updates, please consider becoming a patron. Full details are on my Patreon site. Grazie mille!
Resources
1935 newsreel of the Motta panettone factory.
1938 newsreel of the Motta panettone factory.
‘Like a piece of candied peel at Christmas’ (Motta advert 2017)
My favourite homemade panettone recipe from my friend Christina Conte’s blog.