|
 Colomba, which means "dove," is a dove-shaped sweet yeast cake with a soft and delicate texture, filled with candied orange peel and topped with almonds and sugar grains.
Colomba has simple and natural ingredients: flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and candied orange peel. A unique kneading process and the natural sourdough yeast used in its preparation allow the product to grow to a light, fluffy, full-flavored cake. The yeast mixture goes through a three-phase fermentation process before it is blended with the flour and other ingredients, then mixed and left to rise a minimum of three times before baking.
History
Colomba made its appearance later than panettone and pandoro, but has become a fixture in Italy during the Easter holiday season. Numerous legends surround this cake. According to one, the Milanese, locked in battle with the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa just after Easter in 1176, saw the struggle turn in their favor when three doves flew from the nearby church. The legend says that ever since, Milanese have celebrated their victory by eating cakes in the shape of a dove.
Serving suggestions
Colomba is a perfect dessert as it is. Serve it with a dessert wine, like Vin Santo or Marsala
A Note on Authenticity
Colomba has its code of practice, defining ingredients, production process and labeling prerequisites, as a part of the "Quality Program" undertaken by the Italian Confectioners Association with the aim to preserving, safeguarding and boosting centuries-old recipe.
The Italian Government has even classified Colomba as "Denominazione Riservata" which means that for a product to carry the name "colomba" it must be made according to a very strict set of criterion, including the quality and minimum quantity of key ingredients used.
|
|
